American College of Metaphysical Theology

Human ego can make us irrational. I remember one of my coworkers that worked in sales, the man was a very good sales man but without formal qualification. He was surrounded by PhDs as we worked in a research pharmaceutical firm, he decided one day to display one diploma that was given to him by encyclopedia britannica with the title of MSc in Sales that he obviously printed himself over the diploma with a laser printer, he wanted to make it look like a British degree. This just made him the laughingstock of the office, the guy left the company one day and I found his MSc in the garbage can as he realized that it was a complete idiotic idea to grant himself a title.

People do this all the time, they grant themselves degrees by buying degrees from ULC or other metaphysics schools just to show people that they are also college graduates and not less than those that went to real schools.

 

Yes - people with no lives. Well, I suppose it's less harmful than smoking, excessive drinking, gambling away the rent money, drugs, adultery, suicide -- and people do those all the time.

J.

 

The ego diploma market is not as harmful as the illegal drug market but it might be as profitable. People pay to be called Dr or Reverend, a linked in search can show the incredible amount of people that are engineers, accountants, etc that top their education with religious doctorates from virtual churches and proudly display themselves as PhDs or Reverends. For $199, why not? One can be called Dr and Reverend from the church of the club of Mickey.

Few months ago we had a fellow here that was asking for PhD advice and someone spotted a Doctoral degree in his online profile from the ULC. Apparently Open International University had sold more than one million diplomas, even at few thousand, this is a lot of money.
Maybe this is the reason why Donald Trump opened his own University, it just noticed that people were getting rich by selling worthless credentials.

 

Don't diss The Mouse! People will get VERY upset! :smile:

I never knew that before. I can't imagine why you - a person with real degrees, would ever do this. It beggars belief. I'm not impressed - not that it matters, I suppose. Oh well, it was your money...

Not quite. Don't think that institution sold credentials at all. It sold seminars, not degree-looking papers. I read that it was a vehicle to upsell to more and more expensive seminars, some costing many thousands.

Sex sells, they say. And greed sells too, I guess. Nil sub sole novum.

J.

 

There were actually two organizations that the media keeps conflating: Trump University was operated by the Trump Organization and the Trump Institute which was licensed out to individuals who could run seminars using the Trump name. I'm not aware of either organization claiming to award degrees or any credential. And the major reason why the NYS AG is so comfortable calling it a fraud is because Trump U violated the NYS education law by calling itself a University without a charter (reserved for non-profits).

Had he gone with Trump College, the Trump School or Trump Yeshiva we likely wouldn't be hearing any of this.

 

I actually used my metaphysics degree to become lay minister at a local metaphysical church. I was hire because the degree as my school supplied me with transcripts, grades and course descriptions, the hiring committee took me as a lay minister while most people have to do a two year training before taking this role. I only did this for few years but I enjoyed my time there.

The main issue with metaphysics churches is that they operate with little budget so all the positions are non paid. Even if you become a minister, the main source of revenue is weddings, spiritual healing and pastoral counseling that was something that really was not part of my original plan.In few words, you have to do it because you really love the field.

However, I see that most people that get these degrees do not really use them for their original purpose that is to serve in a church but use them to become psychologists, alternative medicine specialists or just to boost their resumes with a PhD title.

Metaphysics schools also play the same game, technically they should only train people to perform church roles but many of these degrees have business (e.g. metaphysical leadership) or psychologist (e.g. metaphysical psychology) career goals rather that clergy roles objectives.

In any case, I loved my metaphysical training just that I think you can get the same by reading free books. As metaphysical clergy roles are non paid, most people that join these churches do not take degree programs but learn in the church by attending classes and seminars. In Canada at least, most of these churches only have certificate programs and do not offer degrees for their training so you will not find people taking them to impress people in linked in like in the US.

 

Yes - Canadians wanting "degrees" to impress/fool others have to get them from the US. I want Justin to build a wall and make Trump pay for it! :smile:

J.

 

Yes - it's an old trick, not solely confined to metaphysics schools. Low-end unaccredited schools operating under religious exemption have often navigated into secular waters on purpose by injecting some religious connotation into the names of non-religious degrees - e.g. MBA in Church Management, M.A. in Psychology of Spiritual Counselling etc. IIRC, California is one state, among others, that has passed a specific law against this practice by religious-exempt schools. I still see it occasionally, in some other states.

J.

 

Barriers of entry are low, it seems that only cost few thousands to create a church in the US that does not have a building and can just be an internet church with no staff. Also, becoming a minister in many states is just matter of paying an ordination online and register as a priest or minister.

In Canada, actually becoming a minister is not that easy as it is control by provincial governments. Most churches require years of service and exams before granting an ordination that can be used to get a minister license.

 

I think that's as it should be. Wouldn't go over so well in the US I'd guess - separation of Church and State and all that. Here, it's mainly true, I suppose. In Ontario, to perform weddings, for instance, you've got to be clergy or judge, J.P. or municipal clerk. As to clergy...

"In order to become clergy a person must connect, get ordained and take all necessary training with a Government recognized religious denomination. Every denomination had to submit bylaws, rules and many written statements to the Registrar General in order to qualify for denominational status. Every denomination is obligated to abide by these bylaws or risk losing status."

It says so here: Become A Wedding Officiant in Ontario Canada But then here's the kicker:

"Now it is possible to connect with a handful of denominations in Ontario that will "give out" ordination and licensing with out consideration of proper training, accountability and performance quality..."

Pursuant to the above, the ULC advertises here in Canada, here: Canada Marriage Laws - Universal Life Church

They say pretty well all you have to do is show your ULC ordination docs in the Registrar General's office and you're good to go. What the...? :shock: :question: :question:

J.

 

ULC is not recognized by the Government of Ontario, you could perform a wedding but it won't be recognizes as a legal marriage. The list of recognized churches below:

https://files.ontario.ca/opendata/onlinelist_july22.xls

ULC has been on the news few times for selling ordination certificates, it seems that they operate from the US as the news spotted their Canadian address as a mail forwarding service. Many complaints have been raised by people that bought their credentials thinking that they can use it in Canada just to find out that they are useless.

A minister license is actually is a serious business, ministers are allowed to sign for passports, birth certificates and other government certificates.

There is no shortcut, one must follow training, exams and service to get a ministerial license at most churches. There are some low profile churches that you can join by paying fees but even these ones need at least two years of bible college and service in a church as I am sure the government has some controls to prevent them from just selling the ordinations.

My metaphysical church required at least 5 years of service to become a minister plus nominations, exams, etc and this was just a small metaphysical church.