Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imbued U.S. military actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.

He spoke of “overwhelming force” and the U.S. military’s unmatched ability to rain “death and destruction from above” on its “apocalyptic” Iranian foes.

Then, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing in the Pentagon, issued a call to the American people for a specific kind of wartime prayer. He asked them to pray for victory in battle and the safety of their troops.

“Every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches,” he said, “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

At a time when the U.S. and Israeli militaries are dropping thousands of bombs on a majority-Shiite Muslim nation, the explicitly Christian nature of Mr. Hegseth’s call stood out.

More than any top American military leader in recent history, Mr. Hegseth has framed U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America as bigger than politics or foreign policy. Often he has imbued these actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.

It is this view of a higher power, married to lethal American firepower, that Mr. Hegseth says gives him confidence that the United States will prevail in Iran.

“Our capabilities are better. Our will is better. Our troops are better,” he said in a recent interview with CBS News’s “60 Minutes.” “The providence of our almighty God is there protecting those troops, and we’re committed to this mission.” » | Greg Jaffe and Elizabeth Dias | Greg Jaffe writes about the expansion of the U.S. military under President Trump. Elizabeth Dias reports on the rise of a new Christian right in the Trump era. | Friday, March 20, 2026 | Friday, March 20, 2026

What Hegseth and the Trump regime are doing is unbelievably dangerous! By invoking divine purpose, they are turning this military misadventure into a holy war! Jesus Christ Almighty! How stupid is this? This will have grave consequences for the whole world. Where is this all going to end? How many innocent people will be killed as a result of this extremely dangerous nonsense? How many lives will be ruined? How much heartache, pain, and misery will be caused by this stupidity? — © Mark Alexander