A Church of One’s Own

I was ordained as a minister in the Universal Life Church around 1972, so I read Vince Beiser’s well-crafted article with interest (“Bless This Church,” Feb. 4). But I have to wonder if a magazine article on any subject can be run these days without including photographs of what apparently are personifications of that cheapest word in our cheap modern culture: “celebrities.”

Timothy B. Doe

San Diego

It’s nice that the Universal Life Church has so many members. And I’m sure many more will join once they learn that no less a paragon of virtue than Courtney Love is one of the faithful.

Tom Orr

Huntington Beach

I love the ULC doctrine: “Do only that which is right.” Right by whose standards? And instead of concentrating on the person who officiates at a particular wedding ceremony, one would be better off focusing on the lifetime marriage commitment, the lasting love and respect, and the day-to-day difficulties of maintaining that relationship.

Should my wife and I ever choose to recommit our vows, we will not call a ULC “minister.” The best line in Beiser’s article is, “It costs nothing.” I must confess, he has gotten his money’s worth.

Michael Edman

Rancho Santa Margarita

As I remember it, I paid $25 to the Universal Life Church in the ‘70s to get a certificate that said “Doctor of Divinity.” It was a joke since my Jewish mother always wanted me to become a doctor like most of the men in my family. When she visited me from Chicago, I showed her the certificate and said I was a doctor. Apparently, I was the only one who thought it was funny, so I went back to being Jewish.

Bob A. Greene

West Hollywood