Is there a Doctor in the House?

*rant*
Last night, we went to a pagan sponsored event in Our Fair City. This event managed to cross cultural lines and was held at a major historic landmark. It was marketed to the city as a Halloween celebration. Thus it drew a large crowd, not necessarily just pagans looking for a way to commemorate Samhain, but revelers of all sorts who were looking for an excuse to par-tay on the biggest party night of the year. There were bands, aerial artists, professional dancers, and the event was quite lovely and fun.

The two women who organized the event, own a local pagan book store, and both use the credentials of "Reverend". In addition, one of them calls herself Dr., and puts the initials DD after her name. DD stands for Doctor of Divinity. There are quite a few pagan clergy across the nation who go by the title "Reverend", and many who refer to themselves as Dr.s.

So what's the problem? Well, first of all, there are no Hogwarts type academies for Pagans to attend to obtain these titles by recognized and accredited bodies. Okay, there is a Witch School in Illinois, and Oberon Zell-Ravenheart has published a Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard. I think Zell offers some sort of online course for further study which covers many of the things in the book such as history of magick, various Gods and Goddesses, honoring the turning of the seasons, significance of the elements, and phases of the Moon etc. But no college or university offers a degree in divinity for pagans to obtain. Now a pagan may go through a traditional Doctor of Divinity school and obtain the degree that way. They would have to earn doctoral level credits in religion and philosophy and whatever other requirements the program has.

But you know what? If you want to call yourself a "Reverend" and perform marriages, funerals and preach to your own little church...there is a much easier path. Why spend scads of money at a University when you can get a credential for free? Friends, all you need to do is sign up with the Universal Life Church! It's so simple. All you have to do is this:

Send them (email is fine) your name. Here are the instructions to do just that:

A) Please only put your true and legal name. Nicknames will invalidate your ordination.
B) Please use only factual information in this serious religious rite.
C) Please double check your name and email address.
D) Please capitalize where appropriate, as this is how our records will show from here on out.

And that's it!!!

Within 24 hours, you too can be an ordained minister. Go forth and marry people. Go forth and conduct rites of ceremony for you are a Reverend!

And if you want a DD degree? Well sure, you can spend lots of money, take actual courses, study, hand in term papers and take tests...but why bother, when all it takes is Life Experience? Are you alive? Well then you qualify for a DD degree from
these organizations!

There is InstantDoctorateDegree.Com where:

Looking for a quick and instant Doctorate Degree (DD?) Put a stop to your search! Instant Degrees provides just the solution you need!

Based on your life experience, you can earn fully accredited and genuine doctorate degrees. Yes, that’s right! In just 5 days, you will receive your instant doctorate degree via DHL. No delivery charges!

Your instant doctorate degree will be just like any other traditional degree, without the words “life experience” or “online” written on it.

Or check out the St Luke Honorary Doctor of Divinity Program!

Saint Luke Evangelical School Of Biblical Studies will award you an honorary Dr. of Divinity degree in recognition of your life experience. This will qualify you to use the title of "Rev.Dr." before your name, or the initials "D.D." after your name. For example:

Rev.Dr. John A. Smith
or
Rev. John A. Smith, D.D.

To order your Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, please include the following items:

1. Your name as you wish it to appear on your degree.
2. A brief testimony about your personal experience as a Christian. This can be about how you were saved, the difference Christ has made in your life, how you led someone to Christ, or any personal experience involving your faith.
3. Check or money order for the suggested contribution of forty dollars made out to "St. Luke's".
4. Be sure and include your return address.

FORTY DOLLARS!!! That's all you need to get an honorary DD. I mean, your degree ought to be worth at least as much as the paper it's written on, don't you agree?

Let's see, at last count, my student loan was up to $20K. I don't know if I will be borrowing more, but it's entirely possible. And I have spent the last year, and looking to spend the next two rearranging my life to study and do a doctoral capstone project to earn a clinical doctorate in audiology (an AuD) degree, which is not to be confused with a PhD, which is a different thing. But, the AuD is a legitimate credential, earned by actual cash from an accredited university, with lots of blood, sweat, and tears (ie course work, class participation, and comprehensive exams on the entire 36 graduate level credit hour program). The AuD is now the entry level requirement to call yourself an audiologist, and for new students it takes at least eight years in college to earn it. (First you obtain a bachelors degree, then you go into the four year audiology program.)

It tees me off to no end, that there are people running around sporting doctoral degrees that they "earned" by sending their name and maybe 40 bucks to some online Quack School.

I am quite certain the ladies mentioned above earned their credentials by sending in their names to Universal Life.

And by the way, why do pagans, who have been persecuted since the dawn of Christianity, want to be called "Reverend"? It would be like Holocaust survivors forming a group and calling it the SS or something.

All right...so maybe it's just sour grapes on my part. I am toiling away, working on a degree to earn the right to be recognized as a Dr in my field and by the patients I will serve. I know I am doing it the right way, and my credential will actually mean something...but I find it absolutely outrageous and misleading to the general public that you can get a doctorate from Snake Oil U and go forth and present yourself as a Doctor Reverend and not be questioned about it.

*/rant*