Hegseth Invokes Faith In War – A Tradition With Deep Roots

America’s openly Christian Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is a lightning rod for liberal critics, attacked for things big and small, but mostly for things dumb. The latest?

Hegseth, who sports both a large Jerusalem Cross tattoo on his chest, and the words “Deus Vult,” “God Wills It,” a Crusader battle cry, on his arm, is now being pilloried for using “Christian nationalist” and supposedly apocalyptic rhetoric in discussing our war against Iran. (RELATED: ‘Death To America’ Post Ignites Outrage As Accuracy In Media Returns Billboard Truck To Columbia)

This scary rhetoric includes quoting Psalm 144 — “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war.”

Left-wing MS NOW railed that “last week, Hegseth took matters to a new level when he prayed for U.S. troops to inflict ‘overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. … We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ.’”

Retired Major General Randy Manner, a harsh Hegseth critic, and frequent MS NOW guest, expressed alarm that Hegseth’s blending of religious ideology with warfare could damage unity within the diverse U.S. military.

(If I hear the idiotic phrase “diversity is our strength one more time” …)

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported:

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.”

The NYT added:

Mr. Hegseth stands out as the civilian leader of the world’s most powerful military in his willingness to blur the line between a metaphorical war, waged in a spiritual domain, and actual combat.

I’m not sure what The Times meant by that last bit, but while Hegseth may be more emphatic and frequent in his declarations, throughout American history, prominent presidents and generals have employed Christian rhetoric to frame, justify, or provide moral solace during wartime.

This includes our most recent Republican presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and, of course, Donald Trump.

And our political leaders invoking God and Christianity in war goes all the way back to our founding.

As commander in chief during the Revolutionary War, General George Washington issued a General Order in 1776 stating his “hope and trust” that every soldier would “live and act as becomes a Christian Soldier” to defend the country’s liberties.

He frequently invoked the need for “Divine favor” and required troops to attend Sunday services when possible.

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln extensively used biblical allusions to interpret the horrific conflict as a form of “Divine Retribution” for the sin of slavery. In his Second Inaugural Address, he noted that both the North and South “read the same Bible and pray to the same God,” but concluded that “the Almighty has His own purposes.”

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) led the nation in a radio broadcast prayer, asking “Almighty God” to protect “our sons” and the “civilization” they fought for. He also recommended Bible reading to all service members as a source of strength.

During the Cold War, Ronald Reagan famously characterized the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” and framed the Cold War as a moral and religious struggle against “godless communism.”

Following the 9/11 attacks, during our war on terror, George W. Bush used religious language to frame the stakes of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, at one point controversially using the word “crusade” and citing scripture to describe the conflict as a struggle against “evil.”

Most recently, Donald Trump, Hegseth’s boss, has invoked religious concepts and participated in public prayers with evangelical leaders for the success of U.S. troops in the war against Iran. (RELATED: Pentagon Eyes Laser Defense System To Protect Trump Officials)

But it hasn’t just been American politicians employing religious language and imagery in wartime, some of our greatest generals did also.

During the Civil War, General George McClellan, a devout convert, ordered the observance of the Sabbath throughout the Union Army, requiring services whenever military demands allowed.

In his D-Day message during WWII, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower called on the Allied forces to “beseech the blessing of Almighty God” upon the “noble undertaking.”

And then there was old “blood and guts,” General George S. Patton, during World War II. Known for his intense personal belief, Patton didn’t shy away from publicly asking God for good weather to allow him to destroy the enemy.

He famously ordered his chief chaplain to compose a prayer for good weather during the Battle of the Bulge, distributing 250,000 copies to his troops.

These examples show that Hegseth, rather than being a strange Christian nationalist outcast, is simply following a noble American military tradition.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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