This is the Secretary of Defense of the United States, concluding an official military briefing by directing the American public to pray — in a specific religion, to a specific savior — for a war that has killed thousands, including children.
Jesus taught that the peacemakers are blessed. He said to love your enemies. Nowhere in the Gospels does he instruct his followers to bomb their enemies and then ask schoolchildren to pray for it — while 165 Iranian schoolgirls have been killed by our strikes.
What Hegseth is doing is a perversion of faith dressed up in the language of faith. Invoking Jesus to bless the people doing the killing — while the killing is happening — is not Christianity. It’s Christian Nationalism. It uses the cross as cover for a policy agenda Jesus would have stood against.
Pete Hegseth has been doing this since day one.
He has hosted monthly worship services at the Pentagon. He has told assembled troops to be “on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
His department posts Bible verses over images of fighter jets and missile systems on official social media. The name of Jesus is being used, repeatedly and deliberately, to bless an unauthorized war.
.png "A screenshot of a Tweet by Aaron Rupar that shows the quote by Pete Hegseth with video attached.")