Many thanks to Pat Butler for taking time out to explain how he came to found the Church of the Red Ram.

This is not my first experience with homegrown religions. Back in my college days, I secured ministerial credentials from the Universal Life Church, which grants ordination from its California headquarters. I used to have the credential around here somewhere, but it's been long lost for nearly two decades at this point.

I last dared to call myself "the Rev. Leigh Hanlon" back around the time I shot "River Expedition," my ill-fated collegiate attempt at documentary filmmaking. (The link to the movie doesn't work, by the way.)

As I recall, you could request just about any designation on your credential: father, mother, sister, brother, the reverend, reverend mother, cardinal -- for all I know, I could have called myself pontifex maximus.

The church does insist on real names, though. "Frivolous names will be rejected whenever we notice them," the church warns on its website. "If your parents had a sense of humor when naming you, we may reject your application initially, but upon explanation, we will reconsider." (Surely this is joyous news for Moon Unit Zappa.)

I'm not the only one fascinated by the prospect of no-study ministerial certification. According to Wikipedia's entry about the church, my fellow ministers include The Beatles, Art Bell, Johnny Carson, Tony Danza, Sharon Stone and Wolfman Jack.

Universal Life Church website

Universal Life Church on MySpace

Don't miss Pat's jaw-dropping account of the guy who had sex with a cow.

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