Heaven and Hell

After following another circuitous route, I've come across some interesting stuff...

Reuters had a story on the selling of hell.com or rather, the not selling of the domain... it's been up for auction several times and nto been taken yet. So, having had a look at it, the next step would be to look at heaven.com - nothing much to report there. Apart from the link at the bottom of the page to here. 'Click here to become ordained' says the link...

Here's the main bit of blurb:


Rose Ministries is a non-denominational ministry committed to the rights of the individual to experience the divine according to their own personal beliefs.

John states, in the New testament, that "you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

We believe women have the same right to be ordained as men. (See Judges for supporting scripture.)

As a minister ordained by Rose Ministries you can start your own church, officiate at weddings, or conduct any religious ceremony. Whether for a single ceremony or as a business, ordination grants you the full rights and privileges accorded ministers and priests of any major religion. With the credentials granted as part of your Rose Ministries ordination, you can legally provide all manner of religious services, and form a church, as a full or part-time business. You can qualify for tax-free status, and even accept money for your services.

So ordination is, to them, all about whatever you think of God, experiencing God according to your own beliefs, rather than any doctrinal foundation? Then the quote from John 15 with a dodgy link to their purpose... the point of it being that ordination, or bearing fruit, or being a Christian isn't about our choosing, but about Jesus choosing us and sending us. How does he do that if we suddenly decide to get online-ordained?

Interesting, then that they cite Judges for the ordination of women... is it the whole of Judges? Or are they trying to draw a link from Deborah being a judge to ordaining a woman to be an elder in the church?

Then the big business paragraph cracks me up... on all the financial privileges such an ordination affords - tax free status, and running a church as a business... dear oh!

So I clicked through... for the bargainous price of $30 you can get the basic ordination package - which gets you - Official Ordination; Certification of Ordination imprinted with your name and title; Wallet ID card imprinted with your name and title; Presentation Folder to protect your credentials.

It suddenly puts three years in Dublin into perspective!

Oh, and for the post-grad students, you can get a PhD for $89... based on life experience!