" Are you also against a judge being able to preside? I don't think anyone sane would ever equate presiding over a wedding with brain surgery. "

" Reverend Barth is worried that people who get mail-order titles have "demeaned and cheapened the ministry of the church ....." That's already been done by many ministers, who keep grubbing for money, and get very rich. . . . I don't see why it is necessary for a marriage ceremony to be performed by a minister or any other official. Signatures and witnesses should be enough. . . . And I don't recall anything in the Bible which says that marriage is to be a religious ceremony. "

" "A quick and easy lobotomy?" No sir, that would make them good Christians. "

" With all due respect, Reverend, within your letter lies the problem. Your church, your 2000 years, your degrees, your traditon, etc, etc. The Catholic/Christian faith ultimately started out as nothing more than some guys inspired good idea. Whether or not it was divine is pure speculation on the part of the believers. Islam, Shinto, Buddhism, Wicca, etc, all started out the same. Humankind, for the most part, is quite capable of knowing right from wrong without having it wrapped up in a story about life after death, supernatural miracles, and a vengeful deity wagging their finger at us from across the cosmos. Your degrees and faith probably serve you and your flock well, as they should-but please remember that not everyone is your flock, nor wants to be. Ideas like that are what causes minor misunderstandings like the Crusades, and 9/11. "

" The term “all of her ilk” is very condescending and judgmental coming from a therapist and pastor. "

" LJS prints one letter today... and they print THIS one? Really? Talk about a slow news day. To the good reverand doctor--get over yourself. The folks in that story aren't doing anything that people down in Las Vegas haven't been doing for decades. Commendable? Who's to say? But it's not like it's the end of the world. And puh-lease don't attempt to equate "the ways of the cloth" as it relates to marriage with brain surgery. I would hope that brain surgeons would have a much higher success rate than you and your colleagues have at helping sustain marital bliss. "

" Cheapening of marriage is only done by the two people who took their vows. "

" Rev Barth, do you realize how elitist and condescending you sound? Are you the marriage license police, decreeing only those with x number of years experience and y types of college degrees may wed people?!?!
And where have you been for the last 40yrs? Ordination by mail was a cottage industry in the '60s/'70s, when people obtained them in an effort to avoid getting sent to Vietnam. Ironically, a "liberal" belief in separation of church and state prevented anyone in gov't from decreeing your ordination was somehow more real than anyone elses ordination. "

" Wow, I was ready to sign in and give the good Reverend a piece of my mind, but everyone else beat me to it! I don't know if Rev. Barth will read this comment page, but if so, here are my two cents: Reverend, it is attitudes like yours that literally drove me out of the church years ago. The superiority, condescension and judgementalism of your letter betray a serious abandonment of the teachings of Christ, your Lord. You clearly do not know Jesus, you have obviously missed the most important of his lessons in the Sermon on the Mount. I once believed as you do, and I am partly ashamed of my gullibility, although I chalk it up to naive youth. Thank god (figure of speech) my intellect took over during adolesence and I saw through the lies and immorality of the church and its basis in primitive mythology. I know that you will refuse, Reverend, but I stongly advise you to read three books with as open a mind as you can muster: 101 Myths of the Bible, Misquoting Jesus, and Atheist Universe. Any bookstore can lead you to them. Then address each and every point made by the authors with every weapon of dogma at your disposal and see what you have left. If you are honest, you will understand how you have been duped by first-century man. If you are not, you will at least have seen the overwhelming evidence that will eventually lead you and all religious people to the doorstep of truth and enlightenment. Of course you can label these books as blasphemous and ignore them, but you do so with the admission that your beliefs cannot withstand rational thought and scrutiny by the light of reason. Weddings have always been civil ceremonies at heart with religion tossed in (or not) according to the participants. It is a personal choice, not mandated by anyone but the betrothed. I applaud those who desire to unite legally a husband and wife who have committed to each other. But it is they, not an invisible, silent deity, who make the marriage work. "

" I know MaryKay very well and she did not just decide on a dime to do this. She is a very educated woman who has many life experiences that will help any couple thinking of getting married. She is asked to speak at many fuctions around the state. I would be proud to ask MaryKay to preside over my marriage. Calling on all you Angels to come to her honour. "

" The Reverend is right about one thing. Becoming an "ordained minister" after filling out an online application form is a sham. It is misleading and should not be allowed. Is being married by one of these sham ministers any more or less meaningful than going to a justice of the peace to get married? NO. The public ought to be able to know if a Christian "minister" has any formal training. This problem goes well beyond the automatic on-line version, but it seems a no-brainer that the on-line version is a sham and should be prohibited somehow. "

" So people don't get hyperbole in Nebraska, do they? Obviously the reverand doesn't think one can do that. However, imagine spending a decade of your life working to achieve a degree, and then knowing other people simply go online, click a few buttons, and can claim to have the same title as you. It is degrading to all of the work that one goes through in seminary. "

" pre-marriage "therapy" something of a joke? Every couple I ever knew that had this therapy regarded it as nuisance hoop that had to be jumped through if they wanted to be married at mom and dad's church. Most of those couples are no longer married. Some of them are on 2nd or even 3rd marriages, performed in CHURCH, and how's THAT for "cheapening and demeaning" your ministry- when all it really takes to get your church's blessing is a willingness to pony up a few bucks and a little social time. Sounds to me like the damage control is the good reverend trying to keep his flock in line. I'll bet there is NOT a place where a person can get licensed to be a brain surgeon online, but we all know there are countless sites that ordain "ministers", and that should maybe tell you something about the true value of the work being performed here. "

" I've known Mary Kay for years and your comments about her are way out of line. She has a deep spirituality that she shares but does not force on anyone. She counsels children and adults, the dying and at prisons. She has helped thousands of people deal with crises in their lives and find peace. She also has advanced degrees and has practiced her profession for decades. I would not be surprised to learn that the young couple she married turned to her after meeting one to many "Rev. Dr.'s" like yourself. "

" I don't want to go off on a rant, but perhaps if sane people did view the choice to be married as important as brain surgery, we'd have more loving, committed married partners, less divorce, and a society in which people would be concerned for the needs of others. That's just my opinion. I could be wrong. "

" When Dr. Barth's ordination along with his education and experience with family therapy can successfully remove a brain tumor, I'll be impressed. "

" And I wonder what percentage of weddings Rev. Barth performed ended in divorce--probably the same number as Ms. Wood. "

" with the notion that pre-marriage counseling is a joke or a burden. When my husband and I were married, we had several counseling sessions with our officiant. We went into our sessions with open minds, determined not to waste our time and instead to take the opportunity to learn about each other even more. It was amazing how much closer it brought us. We thought we were a very close couple already but the counseling had us thinking on different levels and really explain what we wanted out of our marriage, our life, our parenting, etc. I recommend it to anyone.
As for those people who are divorced, they did not divorce because they attended pre-marriage counseling. They divorced because they did not love each other unconditionally and uphold the wedding vows they swore to. It's too bad really. Maybe if they had taken more time before the wedding, none of it would have happened.
Now I'll sit back and watch the angry emails come. "

" It never ceases to amaze me to see how much venom in spewed by a few anti-religious nuts. The thing is that these crazies believe they are profoundly different from everyone else. They believe they have some special understanding that the rest of us lemmings are too stupid or stubborn to grasp. They think they really know the truth, because they are smarter, more insightful, have superior critical thinking skills and can see past all of the "lies" of religion. They believe that their intellectual prowess dwarfs that of the millions who have come before them. They are superbly self-reliant, realistic and happier than the rest of us. Wow! "

" strange that the most insulting, condescending and antagonistic post of the day is the one trying to show how insulting condescending and antagonsitic people who disagree with you are. Maybe there's just a teensy eensy bit of arrogance in religious folks' thinking people whose opinions differ from theirs will and should burn for ever in eternity uh? It's a bit hard to take the moral high ground of humility and tolerance when you're looking forward to a trillion year barbecus of all the non-believers surely? "

" My Dear Captain Howdy - Yes, we do have more critical thinking skills, are smarter, have more insight, and in general, wiser as well. Just because you grew up being told something, doesn't make it true, nor would that be considered 'critical thinking'. It's the fact that the religious cannot questio their beliefs, (or handle any questioning), that strikes a nerve with us. You will come at someone like me with your ad hominem, your pontificating, and your self-righteous attitude, but have failed to do the one thing we consider absolutely necessary to be considered an intelligent person - to actually question and search for truth, (and not just in one book or from what one church tells you). It is people like you who consider intelligence and truth to be bad, not us. Throwing it back at us is just a red herring meant to draw any real attention or criticism away from your own flawed beliefs.
If someone wants to get married, it is a civil process in the eyes of the law. In some states, just living together long enough produces a common-law marriage, which is recognized in most states, I believe. Does that cheapen marriage? Not in my eyes, it doesn't. As was stated above, the marriage is ultimate made by the two who take the vows; they are 100% responsible for whatever path their marriage ultimately takes. No ceremony, preacher, or diety makes that choice for them. "

" What about those who don't believe in a religion that is ordained to conduct the ceremony? Keep in mind that years ago (when Christianity was not under attack) that sea captains could conduct ceremonies as long as they were on water. And in Scotland (very catholic), handfasting, a primiative form of marriage, was allowed until at least the 1800s. So, guess what, it's happened for a long time, and guess what, it still will "

" The opening line of your letter speaks volumes. Particularly with the use of the word "judgment". I will not be going off on a tangent on that issue. What I would like Rev. Barth to realize is that Ms. Wood is also a trained mental health professional who brings a spark of joy and intense spirituality to everything she does. It is my hope that you will someday connect in order to experience the high quality person whom you have dismissed. If only there were more persons of her ilk on this planet I assure you it would be a far better place.
Bless you Mary Kay and Rev. Barth. "

" If you want to be married by an "officially" ordained minister in a church, then do it. If you want a judge to officiate, then do that. If you want a close family friend to do it, then by all means, do that! What's good for one person may not be good for another and no one should tell someone else how to live their lives. Nor should they criticize them just because they don't agree with what they are doing (like the good Rev. Dr. Barth has done in this letter). "

" All this reminds of when I & my former husband were planning to get married. We were married by a justice of the peace, but many ministers turned us down flat because ours would be a "mixed faith" marriage - he was a Christian & I an agnostic. "

" I'm glad that Dr. Barth has spent so much time in school to obtain what he sees as "legitimate authority" in presiding over weddings. However, there are "Pastors" of some churches in our state that do not have the Master's Degree that you are so concerned about. Should we close those churches as being "not real"? I think that we need to separate our church marriage with our civil one. If people feel the need for a church to be a part of it, so be it, follow the churches rules. However, I don't think the church should be forced into being the decider on legitimacy of marriage for the government. "

" My atheist and agnostic wedding was presided over by a very intelligent and funny person who was ordained over the internet for the sole purpose of presiding over atheist and agnostic weddings. It was far from sad, and the marriage has been very pleasant and rational for over 10 years now. The only our marriage is cheap is in that we paid the person who married us in wine. It is not Ms. Wood and her son who is doing damage, it is you and your editorial that is seeking to wedge our society apart with your absolutist stance. I hope you continue to provide therapy to couples, and perform weddings, but I also hope you open your mind to people who may not benefit from your services because they are of a different faith. "

" Christianity is not under attack, just questioned by those who have no belief in Mythology. "

" To attack a faith differant than yours is easy, to understand that faith and those who have it is quite a bit harder. To attack the Reverands beliefs, and then hold yours as the more noble shows a serious lack in your own belief system. We are free to choose, as long as we choose and believe as you do, shows more hatred of others than the Reverand's explinations of his beliefs, and the reason for them. Marriage as a belief has been a cornerstone of our civilization, whether you believe or do not is a personal issue. To attack the potential majority whose belief in marriage may be differant than yours does show more arrogance and hatred, and yes a true lack of understanding of why we, as a civilization has made it this far. "

" Just remember.... politicians have NO licensing requirements, yet wreak HAVOC over American society. Internet ordination is the least of our problems. "

" This is what freedom and America is all about. This is what we were supposed to be fighting for in Iraq. Isn’t it?? At least after we found out there were never any WMDs, but that's a whole different story. If it's legal and makes someone happy, by all means! No one should be raining on their parade. Congratulations to the couple! Live long and happy. "

" And by having my oldest as well as one of my closest friends officiate my ceremony, I thought I was doing the church a favor! My fiance and I...he and atheist and myself agnostic, chose not to pretend to have faith just to get married by someone who is apparently an authority like Rev. Barth. After some consideration, we felt that it would be truest to ourselves if we had my friend officiate. Another factor is the sheer cost of weddings...being a recent college graduate, we don't have the money to pay for a traditional church wedding either. It seems as if the reverend believes that if you don't have faith or don't have the money to have a traditional wedding that that invalidates the marriage. Funny how most people still have the traditional weddings and divorce rates are still on the rise. "

" "The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know."

-I Corinthians 8:2

I'm so impressed by those on this thread who are able to debunk and thus villify a brand of Christian theology suitable for a five-year-old. Way to become an expert on something without beginning to research or understand it in a mature, adult fashion.

I'm so glad you were able to set me straight. I'll drop my entire faith right now and spend the rest of my life ignoring God's existence, love, and gift because you sorted everything out for me. "

" Rev. Barth is affraid that if anyone can get ordaned that will take away from the "church". This all based off of belief in a book written by.....Man. Not God. I am not bashing your belief, I am simply stating that belief in a higher power is all one has. Or not. depending on your belief. I believe that the church and it's overly paid ministers need to re-evaluate their belief in god or the almighty dollar. "

" Where in the bible does it mention I need to be "ordained" to be a minister? "

" Jesus and His "ilk" didn't have a degree. "

" Reformation. Great call, Martin Luther. Let's divide the Church. And then divide again. And again, and again, and again, etc. Anyone surprised that it has led to this? You can be your own minister. You can be your own church! Rules? There shalt be no rules! "

" Marriages are done under the authority of the state. Anyone who does a marriage ceremoney must be recognized by the state. Not all of those people a affiliated with any religion. People have options. Let us all leave everybody else alone and let them execise the option that works for them. We can learn to be tolerant. "

" While I agree the internet often dilutes the meaning of degrees, I think in this case it does nothing more than liberate the masses. The problem that the reverend has is that it allows a new venue in which the "church" has no control Presumably, the people getting married by these "online ordained" ministers are aware of the tenants of their belief system. Ultimately, a system of faith boils down to a few, if not one fundamental question. Is there a god and what is his role? One doesn't need counseling from a minister to consider this very basic idea. In fact, the dogma that has developed over the last 2000 years actually inhibits people from actually asking this question of themselves. As for your brainsurgery analogy...well its not much of one. Science represents the human interpretation of our universe (that's what my Ph.D. told me). Whether or not a given education qualifies someone as a brain surgeon is something that can be measured in a very quantifiable fashion. That can not be said of religion or spirituality. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of belief systems in the world and none of them is put on a pedestal as an absolute standard. Furthermore, why should the online minister be prohibited?? Can't people simply choose not to go to them?? The pomposity in this letter is the exact reason why your church even exists today Reverend. Maybe you should step back and consider your own churches history. "