Universal Life Church

Interesting lineup of folks getting ordained today... Welcome to the Universal Life Church! 🫡 We can't promise ordination will help you navigate any... unexpected career changes... But it *can* help you officiate weddings and stand up for love, community, freedom of belief. And its free! Make Mother proud! Link in bio

Would you give up your fortune if you felt a calling to the priesthood? Scott Vincent Borba, co-founder of e.l.f. Cosmetics, is preparing to become a Catholic priest after walking away from a life of wealth, celebrity, and luxury. Borba entered the seminary at 42, leaving behind the fortune and Hollywood lifestyle he’d built as a former entertainer and beauty entrepreneur. “We ran around with the likes of Paris Hilton and partied with the Kardashians, just living the Hollywood life,” Borba said in an interview. “I was a poster boy for luxury living. I was not humble in any way. I was very prideful.” Now 52, he is set to be ordained later this month.

An annual event celebrating Eid at a Texas waterpark has become the center of controversy after critics alleged the event was being advertised for "Muslims only." When Governor Greg Abbott learned of this, he threatened to pull funding to the city of Grand Prairie if they didn't shut the event down. Now, the husband of the organizer is speaking out in response.

A pastor says a confidential source told him that religious leaders have been briefed by the government about the existence of aliens and UFOs and urged to "prepare your people" for what's about to come.

Local faith leaders in Alabama are calling for an end to three Confederate holidays recognized by the state, and they recently held a prayer vigil to build support for their cause. What do you think? Is it time for these holidays to be retired?

@LVM011 So glad to hear that! We're thrilled to have you!

Thank you for making it so easy and efficient to be ordained as a minister: I’ve been wanting to serve for a really long time and I couldn’t find the exact right vehicle to do so being an entrepreneur who works many hours. I truly appreciate the tremendous value you all provide by enabling us to serve. I found the whole ordination process very easy.

To get ordained!

Bishop Yvette Flunder, senior pastor of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ in Oakland, CA says “we need a Third Testament” because the Bible is “problematic.” What is your reaction?

A photo of an IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer shocked the world over the weekend. The Israeli government has since confirmed the authenticity of the image and promises to investigate the incident. Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the soldier's actions and promised disciplinary action. What is your reaction? x.com/netanyahu/stat…

Link to full blog post here: themonastery.org/blog/five-time…

Pope Leo XIV and President Trump are trading jabs over the war in Iran. Leo says it's unjust. Trump says the pope is "weak." It feels like a uniquely modern standoff – but popes and presidents (and kings, and emperors) have been squaring off for nearly a thousand years. A few favorites we cover in our latest blog: In 1077, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV walked barefoot through a blizzard and stood outside a castle for three days waiting for Pope Gregory VII to lift his excommunication. In 1809, Napoleon had Pope Pius VII arrested and held captive for five years. Pius still refused to fully submit. When Napoleon finally lost power, Pius went home a hero. In 1979, Pope John Paul II told a crowd in Soviet-controlled Poland, "Do not be afraid." A decade later, the Iron Curtain was coming down. The pope doesn't command armies, but history shows that moral authority has a way of outlasting the people who dismiss it. So what do you think? Should religious leaders speak up when they disagree with world leaders, or is geopolitics outside their lane?

Vice President JD Vance thinks that Pope Leo XIV needs to be “more careful” when “opining on theology." In particular, Vance believes that just war theory contradicts the Pope's recent comments opposing war. Some critics question whether Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has standing to question the Pope's interpretation of Catholic doctrine. What is your reaction?

Interesting lineup of folks getting ordained today... Welcome to the Universal Life Church! 🫡 We can't promise ordination will help you navigate any... unexpected career changes... But it *can* help you officiate weddings and stand up for love, community, freedom of belief. And its free! Make Mother proud! Link in bio

Jesuit priest James Martin criticizes the U.S. military's framing of the war in Iran as a divine conflict. Your thoughts?

However, the story is a little more complicated than that. We break down the controversy in our latest blog post: themonastery.org/blog/nba-playe…

NBA player Jaden Ivey, a former 5th overall pick, has been let go from the Chicago Bulls following comments he made in a social media livestream in which he criticized the NBA’s celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride month as “unrighteous.” Ivey now claims he was fired due to his faith.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth caused a stir when he used a biblical analogy to describe the rescue of a downed pilot in Iran. Critics say injecting such religious sentiments into U.S. military operations is a worrying sign that church and state are not so separate at the moment. Where do you stand?

White House spiritual advisor Paula White raised some eyebrows this past weekend when she compared President Trump to Jesus Christ at the White House Easter Lunch: "Mr. President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us." "Because of [Jesus's] victory, you will be victorious in all that you put your hands to."

Pope Leo rebuked war and its defenders during a Palm Sunday address that is making headlines. Leo said God will not listen to their prayers because their hands are full of blood. Some think his comments were directly targeted at leaders in the White House and the U.S. military who have drawn scrutiny for invoking God and prayer in discussion about the war in Iran.

Minnesota Rep. Mary Franson says she isn't worried about climate change because it's not mentioned in the Bible and her faith is in Jesus Christ. "If you've read the Good Book, you know how it ends, and it's not with climate change."

This poster was recently discovered inside a U.S. Army battalion headquarters overseas and was reported to a watchdog group by a service member. The discovery was made public by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), a nonprofit organization that advocates for the constitutional right of military personnel to be free from unwanted religious influence. According to MRFF President and Founder Mikey Weinstein, displaying the poster in a shared common area is a clear violation of Pentagon guidelines – and he isn't mincing words about it. "People should be court-martialed for allowing this," Weinstein said. What makes this discovery especially noteworthy is the broader context in which it emerged. Recent whistleblower reports accused U.S. military commanders of describing God taking a side in the conflict and have even invoked apocalyptic biblical prophecy in framing the mission to their troops. A group of lawmakers has called on the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate those allegations – a sign that concern over religious influence in the military has moved well beyond a single rogue poster. What is your reaction?