Where do athiests get married?

“she doesnt even know much about being an atheist and she asked me stuff like what church is she supposed to get married in and stuff like that”

Religion doesn’t hold the copyright on marriage. Humans undoubtedly formed pair-bonds before Genesis was written (about 500 BCE).

Atheists can get married wherever they like. Outdoors is good, if you can trust the weather. People who believe in “higher powers” and the like may be able to find liberal churches or meeting houses where they can be married, either by a clergyperson, or a civil celebrant. It varies from country to country. In France they very sensibly have two ceremonies, one civil, one religious. Now that’s what I CALL separation of church and state!

aranaea said “I’m not sure what ‘level’ of atheism she is. Does she not believe in any higher power at all, or just not in a mainstream idea of God or a higher power”

If you’re atheist, you don’t believe in god or any kind of higher power, no heaven, no hell, nothing. If she didn’t believe in god but felt for the whole heaven, there-may-be-something-out-there kind of thing, then she would be AGNOSTIC.

Atheists can get married wherever they want, just have anything relating to god left out. Easy as pie. Oh, and tell your friend to research about religion before she just goes and makes a decision without knowing what she’s talking about. Although there’s nothing to really educate yourself about if you’re atheist.. which is why I’m a little confused.. you just don’t believe, simple as that.

Answer for Dolce84 Yes it is founder by religion you will find it in the 1st couple of chapters in Genesis. Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

My husband is an atheist and refused to get married in a church by a pastor. Although Im undecided on my religeon but completely believe in god I decided to respect him and get married by a justice of the peace in our town. We had a nice ceremony without the worry of the whole ceremony being centered around god instead of the two people getting married which was one of my husbands main concerns. I hope this has helped. :-)

If there is a desire to have a legally recognized “union” ( i call it this because marriage is specifically a vow each person makes to each other, being bound before God), then all she has to do is to go to a Justice of the Peace, a ship captain, a military officer, or a few others. Any person who has a legally recognized ability to officiate will do. and since she is an atheist she can have her ceremony anywhere she wants.

To dolce84:

Procreation was founded in economics, but marriage itself was founded in religion. Eventually, economics got involved too, but at first, the idea of being tied to one person was founded in religion. Even in biblical polygamist times, they were very clear about not cheating, you had to be married or have permission from your wife to have her handmaiden. The handmaiden was considered to be part of the wife’s property, so that was acceptable.

Atheists can get married anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Or you can find a person who will marry you without God being mentioned. It is very common. Just tell her Atheists can do the EXACT same thing as Christians.

I should probably clarify that question I asked, I didn’t really offer the complete statement which I meant to make.

I know some people who, when asked, say they are “atheists” (or non-theists) simply because it is the easiest thing for them to say. They do believe in a higher power or intelligence of some sort, but not a personal God, and depending upon who they are talking to atheist is the easiest answer to give. (I guess a simpler way of putting that is, does she say she is an atheist simply because, for example, she was raised Christian but does not believe in the Christian God)

A justice of the peace might be her best bet. In my opinion, marriage is mostly a legal arrangement, it’s how the two people feel about one another that really matters.

I’m not sure what “level” of atheism she is. Does she not believe in any higher power at all, or just not in a mainstream idea of God or a higher power.

I’m Unitarian Universalist, and there are several atheists at my church (among other religious backgrounds) If she does want a “church wedding,” maybe she could check out a UU church.

As stated, an athiest can get married anywhere. If she doesn’t want a church wedding, she could get married at a hall or a beach ect. The possibilites are endless.

Question to captainassassin: Are you sure that marriage was founded in religion? Being that religion varies yet exists in nearly every culture, I am more inclined to believe that marriage is founded equally in economics.

When I married I did a lot of research. Even though I’m an atheist I looked at wedding ceremonies from various traditions. My fiance wanted the ceremony to be meaningful for me so was very accomodating. She didn’t want a big ceremony unless I did.

We ended up doing a very simple ring ceremony though we transfered our Claddagh rings from our right hands to our left in the Irish tradition. We married in our living room with just a few friends and family present.

The officient we hired to marry us couldn’t make it and asked another one to fill in. The substitute officient married a couple earlier and apparently thinking he was done for the day enjoyed some libations at the reception and got rather drunk. He mangled our vows. My wife was angry but I assured her that years from now we would laught about it and indeed we have.

An atheist can get married where ever they please. If I were marrying a woman of faith and she felt it was vital to exchange vowels in a church than I may be willing to relent.

There isn’t one particular place for atheists to marry though. I nice outside wedding, perhaps in a back yard, the wilderness, on a mountain, on a barge.. What ever she thinks would be interesting.

I’m sure it would be easy to find a nice hall to have the wedding as well, perhaps the ballroom of a local hotel.

Plus a justice of the peace is all that is needed for a binding contract.

Well I’m an atheist, and in my family we go in fancy cars to the parent’s of the groom and brides homes and watch as the parents give their blessing. Then they go to a clear area where the couple can recite their vows and dance. You can refer to an area that’s alike to the marriage in “Freaky Friday”.

she seems like shes ore agnostic because the form of the question seems like she really is only ‘atheist’ because it was a spur of the moment or something

That was cool… I didn’t even HAVE to respond that time…

If she’s Athiest, then WHY get married? Marriage was founded in religion anyway…

Plan and simple. . . . Athiest get married anywhere they want too. . . Just likr everyone else. . . . .

lol You’re silly

just because you’re an athiest doesn’t mean you can’t be married in a church. personally, I would like to get married in the summer outside.

“If she’s Athiest, then WHY get married? Marriage was founded in religion anyway…”

…GOOD answer…

They can mary in atheist church…lol