ClericThomas

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Posts posted by ClericThomas

  1. Well I'm a Militant Atheist, Pragmatic Atheism specific wise and a Skepticist (I deny all deities and don't believe Jesus even existed) so when I park near a church, temple or street ministry folks and preach the beauty of Atheism and denounce their faith I can do it as an ordained minister sticking the freedom of religion up their respective a**es being as ordained as they are under the law. I have my ID badge, clergy clip on, Skeptics Annotated Bible or other books and signs and voice amplifier and I give as good as I get.

    They don't like me but religious critics and such love me, and I at least find the ULC amusing I just wish they had more fun titles like God, Pope, Supreme Authority, Atheist Minister and such.

  2. No I'm a ULC Minister there is nothing barring an Atheist also being a minister here at all, I just focus on reason over faith which I consider a dubious way to find out the truth.

    And the credentials here were tested in court so have a certain layer of protection when I shove the 1st Amendment Protections up the tush of main stream religious people "street preaching" reason in front of churches and such on holy days and holding an ordination so its religious speech. At least unless the ULC pulls my authority and I never heard of that happening for sincere belief even if not per se religious.

    But since no one can give me an answer I think I will use D.U. after my name it seems to fit.

  3. That's nice but I've "enrolled" in the Doctor of the Universe degree so I can study some of the teachings of the founder. So is it a D.U. or D.Un. or U.D. or Un.D. or something else in common use by members of the faith. And its more to stick it to those with other religious degrees like Ken Ham showing one did not need to spend thousands of dollars for a religious doctorate. ^_^ 

     

  4. 4 hours ago, mererdog said:

    How do you objectively measure hurt? Meaning that if one guy says an action hurts and another says it does not, how do you tell who is right?

    I should have said harm. But for example who is harmed if two men or two women love each other and get wed, by harm I mean tangible harm not hurt feelings or moral objections based on religious bias but harmed. You murder someone you harm many people the murdered victim, their family who may have depended on their labor, society loses the productive person and even the murders family is impacted.

  5. Just for my clerical ID officially it will read Preacher Thomas Kolter, (degree abbreviated). And I really do like the degree I chose to go after even if its half curiosity at the founders beliefs and a bit of brevity since I find the idea of a religious degree as in non-secular laughable so why not prod at them with my just as legal to use in the USA church degree and a doctoral level at that for under $30. Now get a proper degree in a real area of study I respect those.

    But it was a simple question what to put down other people must also have them.

     

  6. 1. Does it hurt anyone else.

    2. Does it hurt me.

    3. Does it hurt society.

    4. Will the action do the opposite of #1, #2 and #3 these would be moral acts.

    Morality is an evolutionary advance of our community focused society as the dominate animal species on the planet.

    Examples:

    If two women are adults and want to marry it doesn't hurt anyone else or themselves, it doesn't harm society and in contrast supporting them is the opposite of them marriage being stabilizing is good, they forming a household and adopting would help society and therefore be good to support.

    If a man murders a woman it harms the woman and hurts society by removing the woman as a productive unit working, making and raising children possibly and hurts the woman's circle of loved ones including removing a social support in that circle. And it hurts the murderer removing them to a prison where they lose freedom, might get abused by other inmates and wouldn't be working and supporting their circle of loved ones. So its pretty impacting if one looks at that from both the murderer and victims perspectives. (They should be locked up and punished but it has a clear impact as well which I would call secondary to the superior impact of the innocent victim.

    Its generally how morality that works seems to work from my experience and freed of religious prohibitions which make no sense to me but seems to be there anyway.

  7. I have a question I sent for the Doctor of the Universe Degree so I can study the teachings of the founder and it sounded interesting. But you know how people use degrees after their name examples would be Ph.D for a Doctor of Philosophy or a MA for a Master of Arts so how do you do that for the Doctor of the Universe.

    I can think of some D.U. or D.Un. or U.D. or Uni.D. that would work but is there a common use already in place for this and other degrees offered other than the obvious ones like DBS for a Doctor of Biblical Studies?

    I'm just curious since on my church ID card I plan to have a new one with my religious title, name and then note the degree.

  8. I'm not sure I joined as an Atheist member and mostly to abuse the same rules others use in mainstream and fringe religions to "preach against faith" and "for the advancement of the Truth through reason and the tools of science". But in the spirit of that I was considering giving fancy printed Indulgences forgiving their sins now, in the future and into eternity for the low price of $5 US off my own web site those dedicated to God.

  9. The free cell phone is a PHONE, what do you expect, can you make calls with it if so its working. I have a basic Tracphone now and its acceptable and I only receive and make calls, text and have voice mail that is more than enough.

    In my case my main skills is Busking, I might work 40 hours and get $100 on most weeks. $400 a month. A couple days a year better. So for me the $721 a month on SSI, Medicaid, food stamps, a cell phone is very attractive to me. What is said when I Busked in Europe I was treated as an Artist and tipped well I made in todays dollars around $2000 a month and got free meals, housing and other things as I traveled around here in this area I'm a bit better than a panhandler and well it shows. I even had people throw hot coffee, beer bottles and other things at me.

  10. while you have a valid point, re doing just what a corp would do, do you not see how puts you on a par with said corporations? You appear to fall into the complicated area of the the semi deserving poor. You are obviously clever enough to work the system, which means you are probably clever enough to work in the "system".

    There are those who feel if you can work, you should stuggle along with the rest of us, and eek out a minimal existence. That is, in large part, because, the way the system currently works, the burden of your support is falling to those who are only marginally better off.

    I don't have exact answers for this. Tax reform, moving more of the burden up the pyramid, seem like a good plan. Better screening and removal of corporate welfare would also help.

    I would work however there are three issues I have no references from an employer when I did work it was self-employment, and largely for tops Busking or doing a street craft and getting some money so no references or work record on paper for the last fifteen years puts me outside the system and when I did work I never popped the poverty line by any margin in fact I get more on SSI. Add in Medicaid which I need and the State refused to expand and other benefits I'm better off on SSI and working at Busking and such for cash to supplement off the books. That nets me something extra but not enough to survive on.

    And lets see this is the case my lawyer made before the judge would you hire me if: I use a wheelchair, can't type more than 1 wpm due to hand nerve damage, can't handle stress of complex work and have some issues with remembering things and this proven over a decade and backed by doctors and the State vocational rehab office. Likely not. The last straight job I held was fronting for a telemarketing room a long time ago and that was repeating the same script over and over sending people to sales people for the minimum wage and a small bonus and work like that is gone.

    But as a dedicated Idler and Slacker this is an ideal situation I can sit on my butt and get support, the way I live that money is more than enough as a base.

    And personally why work if the government will give me a check, SNAP, Medicaid, a free cell phone and charities are happy to toss in aid if I really would rather not?

  11. I'm with you

    valid objections to corporate welfare and other government spending is lost to me when you put your hand out like them. I don't care if you hate to work! get off your ass and work to keep yourself here on the planet. why should anyone carry your burden when you are able?

    or was this tongue in cheek? a very subtle joke?

    The government says I'm too disabled to work and I was born with cerebral palsy and have diabetes type two all I had to do was build on these and with a good lawyer a judge said I couldn't work backed by doctors. Fortunately pain and difficulties with complex situations mentally are kind of nebulous and adding those in as problems was easy. It was all done perfectly legal they never went into self-employment skills like my Busking or making jewelry or doing astrological charts as areas of work and I never offered this information since it wasn't asked for. And even my few former employers backed up my difficulty at doing assigned tasks as a reason for my being fired.

    I for one just did what corporations would do exploit the rules for their benefit, I did for mine. Blame the government for having standard for disability so broad you can drive a truck through it if you stick to the rules and I didn't need to lie I have foot and hand issues, and pain all I did was write it down and say I need pain management for it which my primary care provider does. No one delved into that much and I never offered voluntary add-on points at the advice of council.

  12. I for one HATE working and am on Medicaid, SSI, SNAP and anything else I can get public aid or private and have no issues as long as the government can piss away money on corporate welfare and a bloated military industrial complex. In fact no one should have to work at all or do more than a minimum level since technology should be doing most of the labor farms mechanized, factories all run by robots, medical bots and so forth and robots making robots. Humans should focus then on leisure. We have all the resources needed to house, clothe and feed every human now if we focus on meeting basic needs and limit wants to a reasonable level.

    We should have been phasing out work well before now, Capitalism is so evil.

    Yes I'm a proud Atheist and Socialist. :thumbu:

  13. I'm an atheist and a socialist so I don't see the issue why do you need to reconcile anything if you don't like the ULC over its diversity then go somewhere else. If anything my path is void of any belief in a creative power of the universe whatever guise that is focusing on rationalism and in that beauty of science and the fact I can accept - I don't know - as a reasonable answer to a question.

    How did reality start? I don't know. It just is how it all started likely is well over anything we could prove as simple human animals.

    But that doesn't mean acting unethically or not trying to make the world better.

  14. Congradualtions! :thumbu:

    As for legal you are ordained as a minister so generally anything a minister can do you can do if no license is required. That means generally counseling and performing marriages. All the other authority and common practice is custom and privileges afforded to ministers. Even if your title is Prophet. :coffee:

  15. That's why I suggest any degree from the ULC go after your name - DD, DUL, PhD, etc.

    That would still be illegal in a state unless you meet that states requirements. Its true most states and territories won't go there but Oregon has. To even use a degree at all the state must officially approve the unacredited degree, even if religious. And only a few schools have opted to do that. Your far batter off not ,in that state, using the degree after the name and buying the title for the front since one can argue, is a title similar to Reverend or Rabbi or some other one. Even if that is Reverend Doctor.

  16. That's why I suggest any degree from the ULC go after your name - DD, DUL, PhD, etc.

    There is one state this is a problem Oregon that tightened its rules for using a degree.

    Oregon, like many other states, does have an exemption for religious degrees. However, it's not an automatic or general exemption: it only applies to certain schools that have specifically applied for the exemption, and that have been found in compliance with the requirements as defined by state law. At present, only 7 schools are listed as qualifying for the religious exemption in Oregon.

    A school that seeks to qualify under the Oregon religious exemption must meet a number of requirements and accept a number of limitations. These are listed under Oregon Revised Statutes 348.604 and 348.605.

    This Oregon ODA page on religious exemptions also lists the various other states which do and do not have such exemptions. It seems possible that an unaccredited religious school could bypass any restrictions, even in states without a religious exemption, simply by using some term other than "degree" for its religious credentials.

    Might I suggest the ULC change this to allow the earning of a degree or a diploma in the subject that would give members more options when earning these and using them. One trick might be to buy a relgious title with doctor in it such as Reverend Doctor with the degree in that state and just never use the degree professionally. But the degree if even legally issued may be illegal to USE in a given location.

  17. I was just noting used in general a state or nation may not recognize the ULC degrees and so you could note note them. In the US I agree that is very unlikely but say in another country. If you say get the religious title Reverend Doctor though that would be no different than a Priest or Rabbi I would think.

  18. Just to give my opinion th title Doctor as in for a degree may be contested if the degree is from our Church and could be illegal in some areas to use if you state Rev.Dr. in your title on its own. Mostly outside the US from my research. But if you get the SPECIAL CHURCH TITLE Reverend Doctor since its a relious title sactioned ,akin to priest or rabbi, it would be allowed to be used before your name. Most countries can't dictate titles inside a church hierarchy it seems outside of very fundmentalist ones.

  19. I never liked special dress for clergy my favorite mainstream minister (an Anglican of all things) is a biker that performs his services in his biker clothes with his wife, of course those are around other bikers or other folks. So I would favor whatever you feel comfortable in with maybe the ULC Clergy Clip-on if doing formal work and if you want to wear a suit that is fine.

    I can defend this what did most of the Prophets and people in the bible wear, and Muhammad and others whatever was culturally worn I'm pretty sure John the Baptist was not running around in red robes and vestments. Jesus either or Joseph Smith and other examples.

  20. Well I originally got ordained just to get ordained, nothing noble since I was still exploring religion and reality.

    Lately since I'm working on my own spiritual path what better place to talk about it as I work in the basics, that and since I can get many special titles to represent this it makes it a nice church. Adter al the founder of a religious path is often the Prophet for it so I recently ordered that title.