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Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

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    Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

    During my quest of knowledge I completed a doctorate degree in ancient religions with the School and Church of Wicaa in the mid 90's. I received a certificate. I know it is illegal to say its a medical degree, but with SCW recognized as a religion is it legal to use my name with ph.d on it to use in my field of studies and books I will be writing?

    #2
    Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

    Doubtful. If its not an accredited college, then I wouldn't consider a legit Ph.D.
    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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      #3
      Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

      Originally posted by duncan1745 View Post
      During my quest of knowledge I completed a doctorate degree in ancient religions with the School and Church of Wicaa in the mid 90's. I received a certificate. I know it is illegal to say its a medical degree, but with SCW recognized as a religion is it legal to use my name with ph.d on it to use in my field of studies and books I will be writing?
      Is this the school?

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        #4
        Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

        It is not a nonsecular school, but religious since the federal government approved Wicca as a religion around 1968. It is a religious degree. You can not say it is a medical degree but it is religious. It will not count in the school educational system, but in its religious field it is. The School and Church of Wicca was founded by the Frosts. The Frosts petitioned the government to recognize Wicca as a religion.

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          #5
          Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

          It will probably only be recognized by institutions that have a personal affiliation with the school. I believe that's how non accredited schools in christianity work as well.

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            #6
            Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

            Is it legal? Errrr, maybe...

            Will anyone outside people that have attended that school honor it once they know where the degree comes from? Not betting on it. Accreditation is not a small thing. It means the school opens itself up to review and that an external agency has looked at its curriculum and decided to stake their reputation on the fact that the school in question is worthwhile. Without some form of accreditation, it becomes harder for the outside world to confirm that your degree is worth the paper it's printed on. There are some places that manage without accreditation from what I hear but it's harder to pull off. Being recognized as a religion does not equate to having the school accredited by an outside agency.
            life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

            Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

            "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

            John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

            "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

            Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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              #7
              Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

              Originally posted by duncan1745 View Post
              During my quest of knowledge I completed a doctorate degree in ancient religions with the School and Church of Wicaa in the mid 90's. I received a certificate. I know it is illegal to say its a medical degree, but with SCW recognized as a religion is it legal to use my name with ph.d on it to use in my field of studies and books I will be writing?
              Personally I'd say no as a recognition as a church does not equate to validation as an accredited school capable of awarding any scholarly degree's. The fact the Church was formed in 1968, acknowledged as a religion in 1972 and equal recognition in 1985 to other religions means nothing to its validation as an educational institution. To my knowledge and a search of schools no school of Wicca has been accredited by any source to award any type of recognized degree by a scholastic system. So basically any of their degree's would equate it to the degree's awarded by Rev. Moon I suppose.

              I'd also suggest that one aspect has nothing to do with another thus a recognition of being a religion has no influence upon it being a recognized school and accredited. Truthfully were I to read a book you've marked as you being a Phd then discovered it was from the church of Wicca and not an accredited school capable of awarding and recognition of a degree, i'd label you as a liar and deceitful and of no worth. In my opinion pagandom has already had enough psuedo doctorates and made up history without it being continued today.
              I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                #8
                Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

                CMS, College of Metaphysical Sciences is considered a religious non-secular school that is accredited in the state of Florida. The University of Metaphysics is considered religious also and both schools give out degrees. Though they will not be counted as credited in secular schools or the medical field, they are legal and show the person is a professional and studied. Long as you do not say it is "medical" but religious. If it were illegal then I don't know how they continue to get away with it.
                I'm just trying to help Wicca to be respected as a religion and perhaps there should be an organization that recognizes the worthy schools and provides a kind of non-secular accreditation. Ministerial licenses are given. I believe there are many Christian schools that are non-secular that provide minister degrees and B.A.'s, Masters, Doctorates. There is the Universal Church that provides minister degrees for like $20 and other groups that are diploma mills.
                If we have an association that holds to standards equal to that of our secular schools...let's say a American Wiccan Church and School Association that gives non-secular accreditations. Yes, the secular schools would not give it credit or the medical field, but in the religion Wicca it would count. And though the secular school system may not credit this or any other religious school, it is within the religion and I presume would be legal to have our titles or licenses be legal. This is what I am trying to see. If the UMS and CMS deem themselves as religious and give out legal non-secular diplomas, why can't the Wiccans?

                Originally posted by monsno_leedra View Post
                Personally I'd say no as a recognition as a church does not equate to validation as an accredited school capable of awarding any scholarly degree's. The fact the Church was formed in 1968, acknowledged as a religion in 1972 and equal recognition in 1985 to other religions means nothing to its validation as an educational institution. To my knowledge and a search of schools no school of Wicca has been accredited by any source to award any type of recognized degree by a scholastic system. So basically any of their degree's would equate it to the degree's awarded by Rev. Moon I suppose.

                I'd also suggest that one aspect has nothing to do with another thus a recognition of being a religion has no influence upon it being a recognized school and accredited. Truthfully were I to read a book you've marked as you being a Phd then discovered it was from the church of Wicca and not an accredited school capable of awarding and recognition of a degree, i'd label you as a liar and deceitful and of no worth. In my opinion pagandom has already had enough psuedo doctorates and made up history without it being continued today.

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                  #9
                  Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

                  Yes. I've not checked on their site in years. They had a lot more information provided and seemed so much more active. The Frosts are in their 80's I think. There doesn't seem to be an email but only snail mail correspondence to them. A few years back they were thriving.

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                    #10
                    Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

                    The Feds don't centrally handle accreditation. Colleges operate with a great deal of autonomy which is why the general theme hasn't been

                    "No, that's illegal"

                    but instead amounts

                    "You can call yourself a PHD but no one is obligated to care."

                    A PHD is only as worthy as the reputation of the school giving it and it's difficult to pull off a
                    worthwhile rep if you can't get accreditation.

                    Past that do you have links to the pages for the colleges that you've mentioned and know the specific agency accrediting them?
                    life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

                    Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

                    "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

                    John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

                    "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

                    Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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                      #11
                      Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

                      Originally posted by duncan1745 View Post
                      CMS, College of Metaphysical Sciences is considered a religious non-secular school that is accredited in the state of Florida. The University of Metaphysics is considered religious also and both schools give out degrees. Though they will not be counted as credited in secular schools or the medical field, they are legal and show the person is a professional and studied. Long as you do not say it is "medical" but religious. If it were illegal then I don't know how they continue to get away with it.
                      I'm just trying to help Wicca to be respected as a religion and perhaps there should be an organization that recognizes the worthy schools and provides a kind of non-secular accreditation. Ministerial licenses are given. I believe there are many Christian schools that are non-secular that provide minister degrees and B.A.'s, Masters, Doctorates. There is the Universal Church that provides minister degrees for like $20 and other groups that are diploma mills.
                      If we have an association that holds to standards equal to that of our secular schools...let's say a American Wiccan Church and School Association that gives non-secular accreditations. Yes, the secular schools would not give it credit or the medical field, but in the religion Wicca it would count. And though the secular school system may not credit this or any other religious school, it is within the religion and I presume would be legal to have our titles or licenses be legal. This is what I am trying to see. If the UMS and CMS deem themselves as religious and give out legal non-secular diplomas, why can't the Wiccans?

                      http://umsonline.org/accred.htm

                      UMS Accreditations and Associations, AAMA, AADP, American Alternative Medical Association and American Association Of Drugless Practitioners Neither are accredited scholastic awarding organizations. ​ So in essence it means nothing as a degree.
                      I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                        #12
                        Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

                        Originally posted by duncan1745 View Post
                        The Frosts petitioned the government to recognize Wicca as a religion.
                        It doesn't work like that. The government does not recognise things as a religion or not. It approves organisations for incorporation as a tax-exempt group, in a category most often taken by Churches and other religious institutions. But this is not, strictly speaking, the government saying what is a religion and what isn't. Because of clauses in the First Amendment, the government cannot do that.

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                          #13
                          Re: Is a doctorate degee by the School and Church of Wicca legal?

                          Churches and religious organizations can issue certain degrees, but they are not scholastic degrees in the sense of those issued by a state or private university. You can call yourself Dr. John Doe, PHD, if you have one of these, but that and $20 will get ya a cup of coffee at Starbucks's. As long as you're not representing yourself in some fraudulent or other illegal manner, it's OK. Representing oneself as a doctor of alternative healing methods, for example, is, as far as I know, illegal everywhere, unless you have a university acquired MD, DO, etc.
                          I often wish that I had done drugs in the '70s. At least there'd be a reason for the flashbacks. - Rick the Runesinger

                          Blood and CountryTribe of my Tribe
                          Clan of my Clan
                          Kin of my Kin
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                          For the Yule was upon them, the Yule; and they quaffed from the skulls of the slain,
                          And shouted loud oaths in hoarse wit, and long quaffing swore laughing again.

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