A person’s wedding day is meant to be one of the happiest days of his or her life, but, as anyone who has gone through it knows, the stress involved in the preparation can be absolutely overwhelming.
Under the law, a marriage is a simple process. Provided a couple meets the requirements of their state, they obtain a marriage license, and once that license is signed and filed with the state, the couple is married. Who is permitted to sign that certificate, to solemnize the marriage, is determined by the state and varies across the country.
In every state, religious ministers and certain government officials, including judges, may sign a marriage license. For a person being married in a church, mosque, or synagogue, or by a priest, imam, or rabbi, that religious person may solemnize the marriage and make it legal. For the non-religious, however, who do not want a religious celebrant, they are limited in their choices to the list of government officials, who may restrict the time and place of their availability, and may even include religious elements to the ceremony against the couple’s wishes.
While the non-religious or religious may select a celebrant with an online ordination, such as that provided by the Universal Life Church, the Church of Body Modification, or the Church of Bacon, this fails to solve the problem. The reason such ordinations are accepted by the states is because the organizations that offer them profess to be religious. Even when a registered Humanist celebrant is permitted to solemnize marriages, it is based on the premise that Humanism is a religion.
CFI doesn’t agree. Humanism isn’t a religion. And, more importantly, a non-religious person should not have to pretend to be religious in order to solemnize marriages, and non-religious couples shouldn’t have to have a religious ceremony or an impersonal one with a state official. We believe that those celebrants we train and certify to solemnize marriages should be legally permitted to do so across the nation. The current situation in most states discriminates against non-religious celebrants and non-religious couples, and, as such, is unconstitutional.
Our Goals
CFI’s goal is to ensure that every non-religious couple has the legal option in their state to choose a non-religious marriage celebrant, who does not have to pretend to be religious in order to have the state’s permission to marry them.
There are two ways in which this can be done, and CFI supports both, depending on the circumstances in the state:
- Legislation: CFI works with state elected officials to amend the marriage statutes in that state to permit CFI certified secular celebrants to solemnize marriages.
- Litigation: CFI brings suits on behalf of CFI certified secular celebrants and non-religious couples to compel their states to cease unconstitutional discrimination against the non-religious and to permit CFI certified secular celebrants to solemnize marriages.
Success Stories
- Indiana: following a loss in the trial court, CFI appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and received a ruling that Indiana’s law was unconstitutional by preventing CFI certified secular celebrants.
- Illinois: CFI brought suit and achieved a ruling that Illinois’ prohibition on secular celebrants was unconstitutional.
- Michigan: while CFI’s suit was dismissed as moot, this was because the Michigan state government represented to the court that it believed that Michigan’s current law already permitted secular celebrants to solemnize marriages.
- Oregon: as a result of legislative change, secular celebrants may solemnize marriages in Oregon.
- District of Columbia: as a result of legislative change, secular celebrants may solemnize marriages in D.C.
Current Lawsuits
- Texas: CFI brought suit challenging Texas’ exclusion of secular celebrants. Following a negative decision by the trial court, the case is currently awaiting decision on an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Get Involved
- Become a secular celebrant. Take the training and become certified by CFI to perform marriages, funerals, and baby welcoming ceremonies for the rapidly growing non-religious population.
- Offer to act as a plaintiff in your state if you are already certified by CFI
- Work with CFI on persuading your state legislators to change their discriminatory laws
News and Updates
Center for Inquiry Files Suit in Texas Seeking Legal Recognition for Secular Celebrants
October 28, 2024The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is going back to court to challenge the privileged status granted religious organizations and individuals under Texas marriage law. In a new lawsuit filed Friday in United States District Court, CFI is demanding legal recognition of marriage officiants who are trained and certified through its groundbreaking Secular Celebrant program. Currently, …
Texas Secular Celebrant Case Appealed to Fifth Circuit
December 19, 2019Center for Inquiry Seeks Equal Treatment for Nonreligious Wedding Officiants Nonreligious couples in Texas deserve the same right enjoyed by their religious neighbors; the choice to have their marriages solemnized by an officiant who represents their life stance and beliefs. Earlier this year, a U.S. District Court denied this right, a decision now being appealed …
Secular Celebrants Trained in Michigan
May 31, 2017A group of nine enthusiastic and community-minded freethinkers successfully completed their training as Secular Celebrants on May 13, when CFI Michigan hosted Reba Boyd Wooden, director of CFI Indiana and head of the CFI Secular Celebrant program.