A Miscellany 251
Validity of IUN Degrees
by: Rev. Jason Matthes, M.A.
To open a discussion on this article, please use the contact page to provide your comments
Hello. I was ordained here and received a Master of Agnostic Studies Degree. I would like to inform you about the legal status of the University of Nescience and their degrees.
A while back, The Universal Life Church went up against the government when the government challenged their ordinations. The following is excerpted from the court's decision in this case. The Universal Life Church is referred to as Plaintiff:
"...an Honorary Doctor of Divinity is a strictly religious title with no academic standing. Such titles may be issued by bona fide churches and religious denominations, such as plaintiff, as long as their issuance is limited to a course of instruction in the principles of the church or religious denomination... The statute is silent as to recognized honorary titles conferred for some meritorious recognition."
That means that the degrees from the University of Nescience are legit because they pertain to the religion of Apathetic Agnosticism, which is the religion of the Church.
If you'd like to read the complete case decision, it's filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, Civil No. S-1954.