I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wife...or Wife and Wife or Husband and Husband

I find it interesting in a sociological kind of way that in Las Vegas you can get married by Elvis, The Grim Reaper, at a drive up window or by the Justice of the Peace but you cannot get married by an atheist??? Apparently there is a state law that you have to believe in god in order to perform marriages. Over the years we have heard all kinds of arguments about separation of religion and state. No bible class on public school grounds.

There is an ongoing argument that more people have died in the name of religion than for any other reason. As far as my limited research can tell it is almost the same, about a billion died in religious causes and about a billion in conflicts that were not religious bases. So the question remains a billion more people would not have died if we would just let people live their own faith...whatever it be.

So, back to the case in Las Vegas (the land of anything goes) not allowing a person who is an atheist to marry anyone. Ultimately, I have come to believe that religion has nothing to do with how good a marriage is going to turn out. Although I do believe in a higher power I have a sense within myself that my higher power may be the same one that a Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon or catholic may believe in...it is just that we humans have written our individual rules that our higher power is better than yours. I had a full religious ceremony when I married almost 32 years ago. I do not believe that one event is what has made my marriage a good one. I believe it is the strength within ourselves to ride the wave of the good time and pick up the board when we wipe out.

It is hysterical in a dark humor kind of way that an atheist cannot get a license to marry someone but I could go on the Internet and become a minister of the universal church and perform that very same ceremony. Oh yeah....took me 10 minutes and according to the Church's serious consideration of my application I can now perform marriage ceremonies. How sacred is that?

PS. talk about religious discrimination...when I spell checked this post the spell checker corrected all the aforementioned religions to include a capital first letter except for catholics, they only warrant a small c! I have heard that catholics are really pagans in disguise!