The Reverend Moon, the AR 15 Church, and the Republican Party
Summary
Back in the early 1990s, the Unification Church demanded an apology from a brash real-estate mogul they accused of using the church as “a scare tactic” in a “morally reprehensible” effort to get Palm Beach, Florida, officials to grant his zoning wishes. But that religious sect, founded by Sun Myung Moon — and thus often derisively called the “Moonies” — has apparently since made amends with that owner of Mar-a-Lago. Now his son is leading a dangerous movement in MAGA Nation through his church--which often features AR 15s in worship rituals.
Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor & President since 2016, is an award-winning writer and sought-after expert on issues of religion, politics, and communication. He also hosts the award-winning podcast “Baptist Without An Adjective.”
In addition to articles and editorials for Word&Way, his writings have been published by CNN, Houston Chronicle, Kansas City Star, Louisville Courier-Journal, Religion News Service, Roll Call, Sojourners, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington Post, and many other outlets.
A Strange Unification: https://wordandway.org/2022/02/17/a-strange-unification/