Religious Violence Archives - Universal Life Church Monastery Blog

"Mortar Jesus" Poster Raises Alarm In U.S. Military

March 23rd, 2026

A black-and-white poster showing Jesus firing a mortar round was recently discovered inside a U.S. Army battalion headquarters. It’s the latest in an ongoing controversy about religious zealotry in the U.S. military.

Political & Religious Controversy 99 Comments

Is This a Holy War?

March 11th, 2026

As war continues to rage in Iran, some are concerned we could be headed for another faith-inspired conflict similar to the Crusades – but this one with more advanced weapons, and potentially devastating consequences.

Political & Religious Controversy 48 Comments

What is a Fatwa? Experts Say Salman Rushdie Attack Obscures True Meaning

August 19th, 2022

Islamic scholars are hoping to clarify the true meaning of the word fatwa, which they say has been distorted by the notorious fatwa issued against author Salman Rushdie in 1989, which calls for his death.

Political & Religious Controversy 46 Comments

School Apologizes for Teaching that Jews Killed Jesus

March 10th, 2021

"Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to be guilty," and the depiction of Jews as a bloodthirsty mob are not things you'd expect your child to learn at school. One mother was shocked to find out that was indeed the case.

Political & Religious Controversy 94 Comments

French Teen Receives Death Threats After Viral Video Mocking Islam

February 14th, 2020

A French teen is at the center of a national controversy after she criticized Islam on Instagram. For that rant, she received hundreds of death threats, begging the question: Should we be able to blaspheme with impunity?

Political & Religious Controversy 51 Comments

Vigilantes Flood Streets of NYC to Fight Anti-Semitism

January 6th, 2020

Following a slew of anti-Semitic attacks in and around New York City in recent weeks, a group of vigilantes known as the Guardian Angels is taking to the streets to provide protection to the Jewish community.

Political & Religious Controversy 32 Comments

Study: Fearing Reprisal, One-Third of Jews Publicly Hide Their Faith

October 25th, 2019

A recent survey shows that a significant portion of Jews are avoiding wearing the Star of David, skullcaps, and other religious markers in public, fearing reprisal due to increased antisemitism.

Political & Religious Controversy 36 Comments

Following Mass Shootings, Churches Arm Congregants

August 26th, 2019

After a seemingly never-ending series of violent attacks on religious institutions, some churches aren't leaving anything to chance. Meet the churches who are arming their congregants.

Christian 105 Comments

Fearing Overlap with White Supremacy, Group of Christian Leaders Renounce Christian Nationalism

August 12th, 2019

A group of influential Christian leaders recently endorsed a letter renouncing Christian nationalism. They say the link between Christian nationalism and right-wing extremism is too strong to ignore any longer.

Christian 115 Comments

Churches Beefing Up Security in Response to Recent Attacks

June 4th, 2019

After a flurry of violent attacks, churches are increasing security measures. But not all agree that armed guards and metal detectors are congruent with Christ.

Life and Death 22 Comments

The Universal Life Church proudly welcomes all who feel called to get ordained, regardless of creed. We enable all faiths; Christian, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Pagan, Wiccan, Atheist – and more – to join our growing non-denominational congregation. Underlying everything we do is a simple core belief: that we are all children of the same universe.

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