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Democratic Pastors Run To Reclaim Jesus From Trump's Republican There's been particular revulsion at the way Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth holds Pentagon prayer meetings and uses stridently religious language to justify the US war against Iran. (Barrons 7.11.26)READMORE>>>>>> Americans want to rebuild the wall between church and state The gathering, ostensibly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, was dominated by Christian nationalist leaders, and included some Trump Cabinet members, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is the subject of religious discrimination complaints from active troops for his constant invocation of Jesus Christ, and for Hegseth’s “voluntary” monthly prayer meetings at the Pentagon. House Speaker Mike Johnson also attended the rally, as did the Rev. Franklin Graham and the Rev. Robert Jeffress, who has embraced the label “Christian nationalist.” “If being a Christian nationalist means loving Jesus Christ and loving America,” Jeffress said, “count me in.” (Actually, that is not what it means at all. More on that in a moment.) (LA Times 5.31.26)READMORE>>>>>> Trump Begins Branding America’s 250th Anniversary as a Christian Celebration Speakers at the event, which I checked out on Sunday, included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who controversially used a prayer service to ask God for “overwhelming violence against enemies” in the US war against Iran. Trump also addressed attendees via video.(Mother Jones 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>> White House to host mass prayer event to promote Christian origins of the US
Trump administration will join a prayer gathering criticized for promoting Christian nationalism Organizers expect thousands of people to attend Rededicate 250, which will include worship music, prayers and speeches from Cabinet heads and other Republican officials, along with religious leaders and others. Trump and several other speakers are addressing the crowd by video, while others will speak in person. The scheduled participants include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “Our founders knew two simple truths,” Hegseth said in a promotional video for the event featuring a montage of Cabinet secretaries. “Our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. And a nation is only as strong as its faith,” added Hegseth, whose use of Christian rhetoric to justify the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran and in other official settings has drawn scrutiny. (Fox21 5.14.26)READMORE>>>>> No Quarter? American Evangelicals and Political Violence In a March 13 press briefing on the escalating war in Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted of the prowess of American military capabilities in contrast to the destruction of Iran’s “meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before.” To further emphasize this point, he went on to say, “We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.” Many critics singled out the “no quarter” qualification, noting the potential for escalating desperation during combat. Moreover, many registered alarm at the prospect of refusing surrender to combatants, as “no quarter” is a wartime reference tied to allowing enemies to lay down arms. Ultimately, such a violent declaration of wartime policy, which deviates from precedent, raises the question of what lies behind this approach. This Spotlight Analysis examines views on political violence and its relationship to the religious right and American evangelicalism. (PRRI 5.9.26)READMORE>>>>> Did the founders create a Christian nation? No, but religion did shape their thinking They have an ally in the White House. President Donald Trump is promoting “America Prays,” culminating in a May 17 gathering on the National Mall in Washington. Cabinet officials are issuing Christian messages in their official capacity. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proclaimed that “America was founded as a Christian nation … in our DNA.” (Houston Chronicle 5.3.26)READMORE>>>>> May 2, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES
 Zorek
The Associated Press reports that Iran's supreme leader vowed Thursday in a defiant tone to protect the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile capabilities, which President Donald Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war's shaky ceasefire. In a statement read by a state television anchor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is "at the bottom of its waters" and that a "new chapter" was being written in the region's history. Ayatollah Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over as supreme leader following the killing of his father in the war's opening airstrikes. His remarks come as Iran's economy is reeling and its oil industry is being squeezed by a U.S. Navy blockade halting its tankers from getting out to sea. The world economy is also under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all crude oil is transported. On Thursday, the global benchmark for oil, Brent crude, traded as high as $126 a barrel. That shock to oil supplies and prices is putting pressure on Trump, who is floating a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by the U.S.'s Gulf allies to export their oil and gas. Under the plan, the U.S. would continue its blockade on Iranian ports, while coordinating with allies to impose higher costs.
(ED NOTE: Iran and Hegseths military game are blockading each other at Hormuz..I guess whoever blinks first wins? Hate to say it but Iran is playing chess and Trump's playing checkers.....FORECAST: Higher gas prices. It's almost $5 here in some spots.) April 30, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES
Zorek
USA Today also reported: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth faced questions on the Iran war from Congress for the first time since the twomonth conflict began, as President Donald Trump warned the Middle Eastern country to "get smart soon" and make a deal that meets U.S. demands. In his opening statement before the House Armed Service Committee, Hegseth celebrated the U.S. armed forces and blasted critics of the war as the military's "biggest adversary." At the same hearing, Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon's acting comptroller, said the war in Iran has cost around $25 billion to date. Confronted by California Rep. Salud Carbajal about the estimated cost and how much more the United States plans to spend on the conflict in the future, Hegseth replied: "The question I would ask this committee is, what is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?" Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, also pressed Hegseth on the economic cost of the war to American taxpayers. "You're saying that your operation is preventing a nuclear Iran. Will you acknowledge that there is an economic cost to the American people for doing what you believe is necessary?" Khanna asked, adding the war will increase costs by $5,000 for American households. The Pentagon's $25 billion estimate of the cost of the war was "totally off," he said. "It's the incompetence," he added. Hegseth retorted that the cost of gas in Khanna's home state of California was twice as expensive due to "horrible policy." Khanna shot back: "You said you"
(This was just a crap show. Hegseth was angry most of the time🙄) – The Pentagon reports to Congress that the war with Iran has cost approximately 25 billion dollars so far. (Trumps endless war is going to keep draining money from USA.🙄 ) Secretary of War Hegseth tells Congress that the US destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability last year, but that the current war began because Iran still had nuclear ambitions. With this, he suggests that there was no direct, immediate nuclear threat, but rather a conflict over future intentions. (It was just one of many contentious congressional hearings where those congress is supposed to hold into accountability...get mad, deny, and do a lot of whataboutism🙄) In a rare interview, a leader of the world's largest right-wing group talks to NPR Since taking up the post of Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has moved to put his personal stamp on all things religious in the military. But his actions have caused concern among service members. In early April, Hegseth forced Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army Chief of Chaplains, to retire early, and the position remains unfilled. Critics say Green was a respected leader and seasoned Army chaplain who should not have been let go.Hegseth, a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, has consistently sought to introduce his evangelical Christian faith into military proceedings—a move that has raised concerns for some. (Daily Beast 4.25.26)READMORE>>>>> Most MAGA adhere to the 'Church of Trump' — not Christianity I find it a bit dizzying to watch people who used to venerate religious leaders of all stripes now smack-talk the pope and commit what some have characterized as blasphemy.The past few days have featured the vice president of the United States lecturing the pope on morality and church doctrine; Sean Hannity making it official that he worships at the Church of Trump; Pete Hegseth quoting made-up verses from “Pulp Fiction” as if they were actual scripture; and Donald Trump styling himself as Jesus Christ. A few years ago, one might have wondered how these acts of contempt toward Christianity would go down with the religious right, but after 10 years of cultishness, it would be foolish to expect many defections. Still, as someone who came up in the conservative movement, I find it a bit dizzying to watch people who used to venerate religious leaders of all stripes now smack-talk the pope and commit what some have characterized as blasphemy. JD Vance took several swipes at the vicar of Christ. On Fox News, he advised that, “In some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality.” That’s some high-octane condescension, but if he had stopped there, it would only have registered as normal MAGA insolence. But Vance wasn’t finished. Speaking the next day at a Turning Point USA event, Vance rebuked the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Christians (including himself: Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019) for his theology! The pope was wrong about just war theory, Vance insisted, and he then scolded the pope, saying, “In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology. (Chicago Sun-Times 4.25.26)READMORE>>>>> Pete Hegseth’s holy war: the militant Christian theology animating the US attack on Iran Nine months and six days before a Tomahawk missile tore through the gaily decorated classrooms of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, ripping apart the bodies of schoolchildren, teachers and parents, the personal pastor of the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, delivered a sermon at the Pentagon. “There’s a temptation to think that you’re actually in control and responsible for final outcomes, especially for those who issue the commands and do the aiming and the shooting,” preached Brooks Potteiger, Hegseth’s closest spiritual adviser, at the first of what have become monthly Christian worship services at the Department of Defense. “But you are not ultimately in charge of the world.” (The Guardian; 4.10.26)READMORE>>>>>> Inside the church of Pete Hegseth, the man who has been leading the US through war By the time I arrived at Pete Hegseth's church, the entire block had been cordoned off by police officers and the National Guard. Across the road, protesters screamed incoherent messages into megaphones directed at the brick building. Sirens cut through the demonstrators as a convoy of seven black Suburbans pulled up, lights flashing. The US secretary of defense, his wife and their seven children emerged from their vehicles and were whisked inside by Secret Service agents. "You can go in now," an officer told me once the Hegseth family had disappeared. (abc.au; 4.9.26)READMORE>>>>>> Opinion | How did senators miss Hegseth's religious zealotry? The Interfaith Alliance, the Washington-based organization of religious groups founded more than 30 years ago, warned during the December 2024 confirmation hearings that Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth, nominated by Donald Trump to be secretary of defense, was a dangerous Christian nationalist. It noted that allegations of sex assault and public drunkenness should be enough to disqualify him to lead the U.S. military, but so should his deep ideological commitment to extreme Christian nationalism. That belief, the Alliance argued, "would pose a serious threat to the right to religious freedom enshrined in the U.S. Constitution (The Intercept 4.3.26) READ MORE>>>>>> |
January 16, 2026, the Office of the Secretary of War sent an email to Pentagon employees inviting them to a “Christian prayer and worship service” the following Wednesday. The invitation, featuring a graphic resembling a tombstone against an American flag backdrop, was nothing new. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has held such services monthly since taking office. What was new: the email also went, unsolicited, to defense contractors. And it made its way to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). Within hours, MRFF began receiving panicked calls. “For the first time that we’re aware of, it went to DOD contractors,” MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein told GPAHE. “If you’re probably at Martin Marietta, General Dynamics, Boeing, you start wondering if we don’t make an effort to be there by not going, will we turn out to be a tarantula on a wedding cake?” The expansion of Hegseth’s prayer campaign to the private sector marks a new front in the religious transformation he is waging at the Department of Defense, one that threatens the constitutional bedrock of religious pluralism that has sustained the American military since George Washington’s Continental Army.
March 8, 2026: The Guardian reported: Critics say brash, bombastic Fox News host out of his depth to guide US military through murky new Middle East conflict Brash and bellicose, he sounded more like a cartoon bully than a sombre statesman. “Death and destruction from the sky all day long,” Pete Hegseth, wearing a red, white and and blue tie and pocket square, bragged to reporters at the Pentagon near Washington. “This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”
March 21, 2026: Sunday Times reported: We should put less faith in religion and more in the power of doubt, But while we castigate these fanatics, I think we should at least pay attention to a milder form of this disease seeping back into the West. Look at Pete Hegseth on Friday telling Americans to pray for US troops “on bended knee with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ”. Look at him in a recent 60 Minutes interview conceptualising the bombing campaign of a Shia nation in avowedly religious terms: “The providence of our almighty God is there protecting those troops.” Look at him last month speaking to evangelicals at the White House, some of whom have called the current conflict a “holy war”, saying: “There’s a direct throughline from the Old and New Testament to … the United States of America.” (Sunday Times; 3.21.26)READMORE>>>>>>
March 21, 2026: The Independent reported: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has consistently infused his conservative evangelical beliefs into the Pentagon, raising questions about the military’s secular mission. Since taking office, he has hosted monthly Christian worship services for staff and overseen promotional videos featuring Bible verses alongside military footage. Hegseth often asserts the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, urging troops to embrace God, a stance that potentially risks the military’s secular mission and hard-won pluralism. This religious rhetoric has gained new significance following the recent conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran, an Islamic theocracy.
March 23, 2026: Verdict Justin reported: War Secretary Hegseth has permeated the Pentagon with his religious right beliefs, from prayer meetings to constant reminders here and abroad. He lectured foreign leaders, saying “We face an essential test . . . whether our nations will be and remain Western nations with distinct characteristics, Christian nations under God, proud of our shared heritage with strong borders and prosperous people.” That is not to mention his Christian right tattoos! For those interested in what the Bible is telling evangelicals about the Iran war, you can start with Ezekiel 38:18-19 and the war of Gog and Magog. Suffice it to say that Israel and Persia (Iran) play a role, and Persia is one of the bad guys. For believers like myself, whose faith demands the separation of church and state, I’d much rather see our President being advised to wage war and imperil soldiers’ lives on secular terms, e.g., the safety and security of all Americans. Neither I nor the vast majority of Americans have a vested interest in moving forward with a minority of Americans’ Armageddon timeline.
March 24, 2026: Baptist News Global reported: This brings us back to the current moment. where we see Christian nationalism on the rise in such ways that it’s hard to comprehend. We have “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth quoting the Psalms while justifying an illegal invasion in Iran. We have others cheering on the war because it aligns with their view of eschatology. Just this week we had a congressman post a video of him and other leaders of the Trump administration as Crusaders. Evangelical Christians in particular are the group most likely to reject refugees and social programs and support war. Although the definition of what it means to be a Christian should be broad, at some point ethics and morals matter. Can we say that just because you believe in the doctrines of the Trinity and the virgin birth you are actually a Christian or a Christian church?
March 24, 2026: People For the American Way reported: Last week, Christian nationalists Joshua Haymes and Brooks Potteiger urged their fellow right-wing Christians to pray "imprecatory psalms" against James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from Texas. Talarico is a Presbyterian seminarian who has openly cited his Christian faith in support of his progressive political positions, much to the outrage right-wing Christian nationalists. Potteiger, who was the pastor at the church attended by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Nashville, Tennessee, and will soon take over the Washington, DC church founded by Christian nationalist Doug Wilson, warned that Talarico is "a wolf" who is working to "distort what Christianity is in order to lead people away from Christ, toward the teaching of demons."
March 25, 2026: The Hill reported: Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D) responded with “love” after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pastor suggested he should be “crucified.” “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills,” Talarico wrote Tuesday on the social platform X. “You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you,” he continued. “I love you more than you could ever hate me.” Evangelical pastor Brooks Potteiger, who serves as a close spiritual adviser to Hegseth, lambasted the Democratic Presbyterian seminarian for his interpretation of the Bible and defense of transgender minors during a recent podcast interview. |