tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703913.post8601294875880872287..comments2023-10-02T04:41:34.722-04:00Comments on Marry in Massachusetts: Marriage Gust in Augustamassmarrierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02358207247771711952noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703913.post-4169002698824584342007-02-22T15:46:00.000-05:002007-02-22T15:46:00.000-05:00Well, anonymous cleric, I certainly see your angle...Well, anonymous cleric, I certainly see your angle on this. Of course, this may also be a somewhat higher example of underpaid professionals. The true cliché of super-cheap salaries for waiters and self-righteously claiming they make it up on tips is the more standard version of this.<BR/><BR/>You might look at <A HREF="http://massmarrier.blogspot.com/2005/10/solemnization-poaching.html" REL="nofollow">an earlier post</A> when I reported on an elderly minister, a long-term friend, taking me to task for "poaching" by performing those two weddings here. He was a bit mollified to hear that ordinary folk could only do one a year, but weddings had always been a cash cow for him.<BR/><BR/>I was surprised to hear that minister recently go on about not wanting to be the contract officiator. I'd bet that just as many people would have a religious ceremony if clerics were not permitted to sign the marriage certificate. They are doing it for their beliefs, their culture and their families, not to get a signature.<BR/><BR/>To your point though, most churches need to pay their minister more. You should not have to rely on weddings or other moonlighting to get by.massmarrierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02358207247771711952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703913.post-30651637555678412752007-02-22T15:24:00.000-05:002007-02-22T15:24:00.000-05:00I am a minister in Maine and am appalled by this f...I am a minister in Maine and am appalled by this foolishness. Most clergy earn very little income and to make the assumption that clergy should not have the coice to provide marriage services is simply un-christian. There are no laws compelling clergy to perform wedding services nor should there be, but to remove the choice of clergy to provide them establishes a sweeping assumption about all clergy when the clergy themselves cannot even agree upon basic interpretations of the same good book or accept each others credentials.<BR/><BR/>This seems clearly to be the work of a renagade minister and a legislator wanting to make some press. This example of clergy and state working together in an effort to dimish the income of the clergy clearly defines why clergy should continue to provide marriage services as an alternative to secular channels.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703913.post-2461751104026619132007-02-21T18:55:00.000-05:002007-02-21T18:55:00.000-05:00It's peculiar at first and seems political to non-...It's peculiar at first and seems political to non-clergy. However, a couple of weeks ago before this hooha, a minister at a big UU church nearby told me at length much the same.<BR/><BR/>Her hubby is a JP and of course, she has performed weddings for some time as a minister. They disagree on much, but concur that parishioners and state would be better off if the robed ones did religious work and left the marriage contracts to professionals.<BR/><BR/>She rather enjoys rituals, including blessing couples. She doesn't like being an agent of the state (her words too) either.massmarrierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02358207247771711952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703913.post-27406326532261121802007-02-21T18:30:00.000-05:002007-02-21T18:30:00.000-05:00A bit of North Country cattiness here, but when la...A bit of North Country cattiness here, but when last I looked, there were more literate Maine clergy than literate Maine legislators. Question is, can they bait a hook?<BR/><BR/>But it would be nice to see the clergy doing the day job, so to speak.Unclehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17576979900477102398noreply@blogger.com