As the Washington Post has reported:
On Wednesday at the Pentagon, [Defence Secretary, Pete] Hegseth 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.”
The Washington Post was shocked. Senior military figures were shocked. Forces' chaplains were shocked. I am shocked. There is no way on earth that Christian faith can be reconciled with this demand for wartime violence. The impression given is that we have returned to the crude belief systems that justified the Crusades.
Perhaps Hesgeth has. Perhaps the whole regime of which he is a part has. But the world has noticed, and to his credit, the US-born Pope has spoken out. As The Guardian has noted:
During a Palm Sunday mass in St Peter's Square, the pope said the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US was “atrocious” and that Jesus could not be used to justify war.
“This is our God: Jesus, king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” he told tens of thousands of worshippers. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
Quoting a Bible passage, Leo added: “‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.'”
The quote comes from Isaiah 1:15.
The question the Pope implicitly addresses is not just a religious one. It is, of course, ethical as well. As anyone with the slightest understanding of religion knows, faith is a matter of choice. To invoke religious belief as the foundation for universal action, which is what Pete Hesgeth is seeking to do as US Defence Secretary, is, then, preferably dangerous for a number of reasons.
He is at risk of alienating his own troops.
He is at risk of alienating public support for what his regime is seeking to do.
He risks heightening tensions around this conflict by turning it into a religious issue, which can only make its resolution much more difficult.
He risks exposing his own incapacity as a decision-maker by making it clear that the basis for his decisions is not rational but is instead a conviction that many might not share, or even profoundly disagree with, undermining his authority as a leader in the process.
He also reveals that he has not learned the lessons of history: military leaders have long avoided using religious claims as a basis for military action because they know they are divisive at a time when they are seeking unity.
What all of this makes clear is that the Trump regime is exceptional. It has abandoned democracy and the idea of representation and has put in its place the idea of theocracy and an imposed religious view. What is more, when doing so, it has chosen a very narrow interpretation of the Christian faith, with an absolutist view of what that religion might mean. The lens used aligns the interests of wealth, neoliberal capitalism, and exclusionary power with the supposed teachings implicit in the New Testament, when any reasonable reading makes such alignment absolutely impossible.
We are, then, I would suggest, not dealing with anything that might be aligned with Christianity, as the Pope's comments make clear. Instead, we are dealing with a human construct presented as an article of faith to justify a course of action that furthers the interests of a few, based on a quasi-justification that cannot be supported or sustained.
To put it another way, we are looking at fascism, where the alignment of political and religious interests is commonplace, and this is exactly what Hesgeth is doing. The difficulty is that Hesgeth has the power to command troops, and that power is being used to prejudice the interests of not only those troops and the country that they serve, but also the interests of the people in the countries that they are told are their enemies, and the people of the rest of the world.
We are all paying a very high price for the theocratic fascism of Donald Trump's regime in the USA.
The only question I have left to ask is, why are we going out of our way to continue to treat this regime as if it is our ally? Why, for example, is King Charles making a state visit to the country in April this year? When the USA is actively seeking to undermine our well-being, none of this makes sense, and the resulting lack of clarity in UK political leadership is also profoundly harmful at this point in time.
Those who seek high political office who cannot discriminate between what is right and wrong, and who are unable to properly identify threats, do not have a role to play in public life. Keir Starmer and his cabinet are clearly in this position. Their failure to oppose Trump and his fascism, and to call out its consequences, is perhaps the greatest failure on their record to date, and the reason why so many people in this country have now lost trust in them. It is time for them to go, and for a government to be created that can make clear that in the UK, we do not deal with fascists.
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May I make a slightly pedantic but important point about ‘style’
In the past we have referred to Soldiers, the plural of soldier who are individuals.
The tendency now across the board has been to use the term ‘Troops’ which it has been suggested diminishes the ‘individuality’ of those sent by referring to them as some sort of ‘collective unit’ whereas soldiers are someone’s father/mother/daughter/son etc
The irony inherent in the the Israeli/US attacks on Iran is laid bare by, as you say, the way that “the Trump regime […] has abandoned democracy and the idea of representation and has put in its place the idea of theocracy and an imposed religious view.”
Hesgeth is preparing for the unthinkable. That’s where this is leading.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the current build up to ground troops at the lead up to Easter is literally a call to ‘Christians’ to support this ridiculous crusade he has created inside his own mind. Unfortunately, I can see it playing well with a specific segment of US society and it’s desperately sad.
One tends to avoid trying to get ones head around what Hegseth says – a bit like being in a bad dream. He seems to be casting his own country as the mirror image of the Ayatollahs’ theocratic state <p>
As to Starmer – he is allowing B52s and B-1s to be loaded with 2000lb bombs at Fairford ‘RAF’ base to bomb civilians in Tehran , – a continuation of his complicity with the slaughter in Gaza and Lebanon.<p>
This is the culmination of 70 years of the ‘special (vassal state) relationship’ – Starmer may not even be in a position to extricate us from all this – the US is so embedded in our intelligence services, the military and the economy.<p>
According to the latest pronouncements from Starmer any military activity is to “defend British subjects” problem is, no British subjcts are under attack so it really is a continuation of UK subjugation to the almighty US/Israel war machine. BTW we are always being told how awful the Iranian regime is but I really don’t have any information with which to judge that.. can anyone recommend a good book that gives a true picture of the Iranian gov. after the 1979 revolution ( after they threw the US/Israeli supported Shah who I understand also had a reputation for brutality? Interesting to see that the Iranians seem to be sticking to bombing military. economic targets while as soon as Israel gets involved the civilian death count rises as they bomb hospitals, homes, schools etc. as they have been doing in Gaza for two and a bit years.
Speaking as an atheist, the whole of Hegseth’s diatribe is a affront to God and a timely reminder of how his son’s (apparently) good name is taken in vain by charlatans. It never ceases to amaze me how certain people somehow seem to think that God is directing their actions, that they have an exclusive hotline to the ‘man upstairs’ and are somehow chosen to do ‘his work’.
These charlatans and fascists do not pray. Instead, they just prey – on the worst of human behaviour.
‘His work’? Now I’m no expert, but I know a bloke doing ‘His work’. He’s called Richard Murphy! I could see Jesus of Nazareth sitting down for a coffee and chat with that fellow.
Has anyone watched BBCs ‘Storyville’ of May 2024 ‘Praying for Armageddon’?
You really should. ‘Prescient’ does not describe it. ‘Death cult’ anyone? Seriously?
Should I do a podcast with that bloke from Nazareth? 🙂
If you did that I would be REALLY impressed (and rather embarrassed & somewhat penitent right quick).
🙂
Maybe you could invite the “bloke from Nazareth” to attend your next “Politics for People” conference???
🙂
He’d get the old age discount
I will buy him a VIP ticket and pay all his traveling expenses!
Bravo, Richard. As an ex Catholic, and now a happy mix of Quaker/pagan, it’s clear that Hegseth and Miller truly are Christofascists- I don’t use the term lightly. I only hope the Democrats finally pull themselves together and confront Trump and his enablers in public. I keep reading that Trump is somehow immune because no-one has the courage to stand up and declare that the emperor has no clothes. I cannot understand this kind of fear. Starmer is the worst kind of coward. It’s plain that the US is no longer an ally. Yet he dithers on a tightrope of his own construction. What does he stand for? Whose agenda is he serving? But I’m hugely encouraged by Saturday’s huge protests worldwide and I think back to the civil rights and Vietnam protests, CND and the peace camps in the 80s, where I learned on the ground the power of non violent, prolonged protest. Yet police arrested Palestinian supporters again on Saturday, signalling Starmer’s authoritarian mindset. Where is the basic courage to stand up and say “NO” to the US? Yes, they are embedded in our defence and military. But that is a logistical issue- they are no longer allies and can and should be expunged, as they would be in time of war. Charles needs to refuse the visit, of course. There is a grave lack of basic moral courage among our leaders- they are not at risk of being shot or bombed. But I have hope that the wheel is turning and many of us ordinary folk are grasping the gravity of the moment and as Saturday showed, together, we are strong. Onwards! Thanks for your clarity, Richard- Clare H.
Thank you
“Charles needs to refuse the visit, of course.”
Can KCIII refuse the visit or must he take the advice of Keir Starmer????
All it would take https://youtube.com/shorts/0Xi4PHki1jY?si=9gdMjztl0U1OV09P
Thanks for this.
Perversely, as a follower of Jesus I’m quite pleased about Pete Hegseth’s latest horrendous heretical outpourings.
It seems to me that the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” that Jesus repeatedly warned his followers about, are beginning to suffer serious wardrobe malfunction.
Their sheepskin coats are getting very ragged and moth eaten, even a child can see that they are really slavering wolves.
It reminds me of the second half of CS Lewis’s final Narnia story, The Last Battle, when everyone can tell that Puzzle the donkey is wearing a lionskin, and isnt the real Aslan.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2016.1-4&version=CEV
and
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207%3A15&version=NIVUK
Slowly, oh so slowly, far too slowly, people are waking up. I think I will keep an eye on the Pope’s Easter Day sermon.
If anyone you know supports Christo-fascism do take them to Matthew 7 – or sit them down with any of the four gospels. All the articles and speeches that I come across, espousing Christian nationalism, Christian Zionism or Christo-fascism are very very thin on regerences to the life and teaching of Jesus. I wonder why?
“Slowly, oh so slowly, far too slowly, people are waking up.”
I hope you are right.
@RobertJ
Being a Methodist, I am Matthew 25:31-46 type of gal.
Gave food to the hungry
Gave drink to the thirsty
Welcomed the stranger
Clothed the naked
Took care of the sick
Took care of those in prison.
Read this from Steve Keen
https://x.com/ProfSteveKeen/status/2038227985338163675
You might not sleep so soundly after
A blog post is coming.
I expect, though, despite the truth of your commentary, that Russell Vought will be quite pleased with Hegseth. Project 2025 is all about imposing a technofascist, theocratic Christian fundamentalist, patriarchal rule on the USA and bringing forth something akin to Margaret Attwood’s Gilead, making Hegseth very aligned to those who are actually directing the political and administrative course of the nation.
Its vassals like the UK should be wary – they are next in line for the imposition.