Whee! The People

by Matt Kaufman

We all know lots of folks don't want to hear about God, even (or especially) in life's big moments, like weddings and funerals. So it's no surprise to hear that there's a growing number of "secular officiants"... people who (Slate Webzine reports) "create religion-free life-cycle rituals commemorating everything from birth to death, puberty to menopause," targeted at "atheists and the 'spiritual but not religious' alike."

For a taste, check out SecularCeremonies.com (Motto: "Religion-free, Dogma-free Ceremonies to Mark Significant Personal Milestones"). They'll do all the "normal" stuff (the weddings, the funerals)-and then some. For instance, they've got divorce and separation rituals (because "relationships don't really end they just change form"). And, of course, they've got "commitment ceremonies" for homosexuals, transgenders and the "polyamorous" (If you don't know that word, just think "not monogamous.")

And just what are folks "committed" to? Surprise: pretty much whatever they feel like. In a "humanist wedding," says secular officiant Terri Mandell-Campfield, couples make "agreements to govern their marriage and these agreements can be anything the couple chooses. Anything goes."

Except, of course, an appearance by an uninvited Guest.

This article appeared in Citizen magazine. Copyright © 2004 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.