Question about standards for degree programs.

Really? What a deal! How much are their MDiv and DMin? How much work is involved? Will I actually learn something?

 

Ted, haven't you learned anything from Mr. Kolter? Learning is secondary to the title.

 

Yes, the title is to impress people because they (hopefully) won't understand that you are just an academic fraud.

 

I think you're right this time as the definition (the plain meaning) of private institution has already been found out by MrLazy from other statutes. Without such definition, there are still arguable from different ways of interpretation!

 

Man, I'm jealous! Every time I try the "instant online ordination" at http://www.ulc.org I get the error message (complete with misspellings).

I did have better luck with http://www.ulc.net/ ordering the free ordination. I'll send out wedding invitations for the ceremony between my hamster and the furnace filter when I get the certificate.

While you're on the.net site, check out the bargain basement deals at http://www.ulc.net/index.php?page=shop. A $119.00 package that includes a clergy parking placard, certificates of baptism and marriage, AND an honorary doctorate degree? Rapture!

(Preaching soon at a Wal-Mart near you!)

Dave

 

Don’t get discouraged by the error message. The error message is clearly a sign that it is not meant to be. Not everyone (or every dog) has the capacity to become a ULC ordained minister.

I don’t know if I really want to spend the money to get my dog an honorary doctorate. I can’t even get her to take an interest in the ministry. She is just way too focused on bones and rawhides.

 

The real question in my mind is how classy is your hamster? Did he settle for a dirty filter or does he demand a new filter? It's an important distinction because afterall, academic frauds fall somewhere in between, at least in my book.

 

Well Bill, unfortunately he's young and headstrong. He met an older, more experienced "dirty" filter and was taken in by her "furnacely" charms.

I try to keep a perspective......it could be worse. He could have (shudder) been a "Diploma in Humanities & Letters from Rushmore University" holder.




Dave

 

The definition was already obvious to anyone who had enough common sense to read the darn thing correctly! It was never vaguely worded in the first place.

 

First let me state I am hardly opposed to unaccredited degrees I hold a fully legitimate Bachelors of Divinity from the University of London through their external degree programme. Also two doctorates from the Church of the Seven Planes seminary one in Theology and the other in Metaphysics both requiring a dissertation. That said I am aware of the Florida current laws and they are as follows.

The ruling on the above law is that any degree accredited from any body recognized in the United States by the Department of Education or a standardly considered body is legal. So yes you may use NA degrees legally as long as from an approved agency as in one of the two accreditors to accreditors.

Second I myself am pushing the State to require some form of work to earn a religious degree, I pointed out I don't care how poor the training is but selling a degree should be illegal. We must have standards and I think required work of some sort to get a degree is acceptable. It would not impact the ULC degrees or my church the CoSP or a Wiccan Seminary through correspondance. Another thing is to ban the use of honorary degrees as a legitimate degree or at least require a designation of Honoray before the degree, and not allow the title Doctor to be used with them in any case. Maybe I'm silly but a degree should have some sort of education and work involved shouldn't it. I'm not sure how this will go my state representative and senator are working on it.

 

Please provide a reference supporting your statement, because that is contradictory to the statute.

 

the thread that wouldn't die

 

Its not a reach here the statute as written doesn't include NA degrees but the state authorities likely just don't consider it an infraction. It may be but try to to court and win most judges will likely declare such degrees legal and justified since they are recognized by the Department of Education or another body equally valid to grant NA degrees.

In any case if I had such a degree I would just use it and if they did bring it up as a legal issue let them go to court. See if the law is sound on this matter after all a NA degree from a Department of Education approved accreditor would be hard to say is not as valid as a RA degree with the same agency approval to accredit.

 

Does Almeda University qualify as an exception to FSS: 817.567 (1) (e) -

"A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almeda_University

 

IMO, no it does not.

The reason is that Almeda does not offer degrees only for religious careers.

"A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program."

What the bold section means to me is that if they offer any degree that is not for a religious career, then they are not exempt under this paragraph. In fact, even their religious oriented degrees are no longer exempt under this paragraph because they offer degrees for non-religious careers.

 

Apparently "Frankenthread" is alive and well, Ted. Maybe garlic and a stake?

(Just kidding, folks....healthy discussion is a great thing, but the longevity in this subject is flabbergasting - beaten dead horse horse returns repeatedly as a zombie)

Dave

 

I was simply looking for information, isn't what this forum is for??

 

Hi Brian,

Yes that is what the forum is for. It just might have been a little cleaner to start a new thread. A link could have been included in the new thread to the old thread if you thought they were closely enough related. In this case I'm not even sure of that though.

Also I would assume that the zombie thread reference was a joke continuation from old posts in this thread rather than really a direct reference to your post. This is just an example of the pitfalls that accompany the resurrection of an old thread.

Regards,
Bill

 

Exactly - thanks, Bill. I honestly didn't mean any offense, Brian. That's one of the pitfalls of the written word (posting) vs. conversing - nuance, inflection, and sometimes intent (i.e.humor) don't always come through clearly.

The forum is certainly a conduit for information, and I sincerely hope you find your answers.

Peace, Dave

 

No harm - no foul.

I actually did start a new thread - along the lines of "florida felony degree" or something like that which led me here to this thread. Thanks again!!