The United States' war in Iran has heightened existing concerns among some service members about the influence of Christian nationalism on the military under Pentagon chiefPete Hegseth's leadership.
The country began carrying outjoint strikes with Israelon Feb. 28 thatkilled Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.At least1,230 people had been killed in Iranas of March 5, along with scores of other deaths around the Middle East.
Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, told USA TODAY on March 4 the organization had received "far greater than” 200 complaints related to religious freedom from service members across more than 50 military installations since the war broke out.
One such complaint allegedthat a commander told non-commissioned officers in a March 2 briefing that PresidentDonald Trumpwas “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”
The Pentagon did not respond to USA TODAY’s inquiries as to whether it investigated or verified the complaint, nor whether commanders are permitted to make such comments to subordinates under Hegseth’s leadership.
Hegseth has touted an explicitly religious vision for the military, demonstrated through efforts such asmonthly Christian worship services at the Pentagonand speeches likeone at the National Religious Broadcasters conventionin Nashville, in which he said, "The virtues (Christianity) extols are not just for the sanctuary but for the public square."
In interviews with USA TODAY, retired military chaplains and a leading expert on faith in the armed forces said such efforts mark a shift from how the Pentagon has approached religion in the past. More overtly Christian messaging could diminish cohesion by alienating those without such beliefs, they said.
The Pentagon referred USA TODAY to a video Hegsethposted to Xin December, in which he described a perceived “weakening of our Chaplain Corps” as “a real problem facing our nation’s military.” USA TODAY had requested an interview about the chaplaincy program and provided a list of questions about religion and the military.
In the video, Hegseth lamented what he said was the military’s misguided shift away from explicit references to God in favor of broader spirituality over the years. There was only one reference to God in the Army’s spiritual fitness guide, Hegseth said, adding that the document would be disregarded moving forward.
Hegseth citedthe words of President George Washington, whoestablished the Chaplain Corps in 1775: “The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger.”
Source: Drudge Report
