The Universal Life Church Blog

The Universal Life Church Monastery is the only interfaith ministry worldwide that opens its doors to all who seek to become an ordained minister or wedding officiant. We enable all faiths; Christian, Jew, Mormon, Pagan, Wiccan, Baptists, and Atheists to join our Church. We are a non-denominational congregation of children from the same universe.

How Does an Atheist Minister Officiate a Wedding?

March 29th, 2010

It may at first seem contradictory for an atheist to become an online ordained minister in order to officiate his friends' wedding—after all, marriage is, at least for the traditional Catholic or Christian, a holy sacrament and a compact between br Continue Reading »

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Mary Magdalene—Queen Consort and Chief Apostle?

March 25th, 2010

The women in the canonical New Testament are often relegated to feminine stereotypes such as mother (the Virgin Mary), temptress (Salome), and prostitute (Mary Magdalene)—the placid, doe-eyed nurturer, the lusty, bloodthirsty dancer, or the obsequious, Continue Reading »

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Church, Technology, and Web-based Ministries

March 22nd, 2010

When Gutenberg's printing press was invented in the fourteenth century, it allowed a whole new generation of literate churchgoers the opportunity to interpret the teachings of the Bible themselves rather than rely on priests as intermediaries to do so Continue Reading »

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Freedom Of and From Religion

March 17th, 2010

Since part of Universal Life Church Monastery's doctrine is freedom of and from religion, and since issues surrounding religious freedom are a direct concern of the church, it seems only appropriate to cover the recent ruling by a U.S. federal appeals Continue Reading »

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Paralyzed Cop to Get Ultimate Wedding?

March 15th, 2010

Law enforcement officers hold dangerous jobs, and the injuries incurred from violence naturally make us indignant against the perpetrators, while the workplace accidents often seem meaningless and inexplicable. They are, after all, only doing their dut Continue Reading »

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Interfaith Efforts to End AIDS

March 10th, 2010

In a recent post on the role of religion in HIV prevention, we discussed how religious attitudes can either hinder or facilitate education and awareness about the disease, either helping or marginalizing patients. Pressure on religious leaders to educa Continue Reading »

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Church Rights, Homeless Outreach, and Zoning Laws

March 4th, 2010

The conflict between church interests and local zoning laws is not a new phenomenon; in the United States, communities have often sought to restrict church building expansions and, perhaps to a lesser extent, church activities in the public realm. The Continue Reading »

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ULC Minister Officiates Wedding inside Apple Store

March 3rd, 2010

It seems as though wedding trends are constantly being superseded by even newer, more outlandish ones, reflecting the continual evolution of the modern wedding. Ministers in general—and not just in their capacity as wedding officiant—have had to ad Continue Reading »

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Is This Lawmakers' Church Exempt from Filing Tax Returns?

March 2nd, 2010

Three blocks from the U.S. Capitol and just a half-block from the Cannon House Office Building sits an old Victorian townhouse from 1880 the occupants of which have long secluded themselves there virtually unnoticed. The house, known simply as C Street Continue Reading »

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In Jin Moon Seeks to Reinvigorate Unification Church

February 24th, 2010

Just after Valentine's Day, Unification Church leader Sun Myung Moon solemnized the marriages of over seven thousand young couples in Seoul in yet another of the church's signature mass-weddings. Many church leaders believe the ceremony will be the last wed Continue Reading »

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