this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2026
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politics

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Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon.

He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department’s promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and troops should embrace God, potentially risking the military’s secular mission and hard-won pluralism.

Now the defense secretary’s Christian rhetoric has taken on new meaning after the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran, an Islamic theocracy.

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[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Wait, is the "Secretary of War" admitting it's a war?

[–] Sonicdemon86@lemmy.world 16 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Just call it like it is. This is a crusade, just not sanctioned by the pope this time.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

It's Ya'll-Qaeda's crusade.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 1 points 4 hours ago

Hopefully the crusaders go into the desert, and never return. Alas, the likes of Pete Hegseth wouldn't dare to set foot in any place where he could lose it.

[–] thefluffiest@feddit.nl 13 points 14 hours ago

So we have American Christian zealots and Israeli Jewish zealots together fight Iranian Muslim zealots.

Meanwhile the rest of the world just watches this circus of idiots and wonders how we ever ended up here

[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 28 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

A fake christian who just uses it to manipulate. I'm not christian but I recognize a manipulator and the soft brained snowflakes who blindly follow anyone making the right grunts and hoots of their faith.

[–] Throbbing_banjo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

My brother in Baphomet, they're all fake. Religion exists solely to manufacture consent for authority. That's it.

[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 6 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Religion, government, business, a non profit, it doesn't matter what it is, people will assume a position of authority in whatever power structure that has space, and corrupt it. It's not unique to religion. It's only because religion has been corrupted by people desiring power, that people hate religion. But in that same vein, the fight should be about dismantling power structures and creating equality. Which, would be in line with some religions, ironically.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 2 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (2 children)

No, in your list only religious people told me I was going to hell when I was 12 because I wouldn’t disown my lesbian parents. The kind of corruption and evil entitlement that people get is indeed unique to religion.

[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 3 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Nope, my MAGA coworker hates gay people and is staunchly Athiest.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Ask him if he's also pro life? If he is he has to support gay people. They get less abortions than anyone!

[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I'm sure he'd pivot away to something else, considering that he pivoted from talking about trans rights to try and say "I shouldn't have to worry about walking with my daughters down the street and walking into two dudes making out." Basically suggesting that gay and trans people are the source of moral decay in the U.S.

The guy is the literal poster child of boomer moral decay, by the way. Digustingly obese, entitled, racist, MAGA.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

To be fair, I wasn't being serious. That's a Cliff Cash joke

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Your coworker being the religious equivalent of a log cabin Republican doesn’t change anything as far as I can see, the MAGA movement is still fueled by Christian overtones.

[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

The kind of corruption and evil entitlement that people get is indeed unique to religion.

That sure as hell sounds like goalposts shifting to me.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 0 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I’m not goal post shifting. Nor am I interested in having a conversation about who’s an asshole opinion stinks worse. Have a good day.

[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works -2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

You absolutely did, but let's take your statement to its logical conclusion.

Roughly 85% of the world is religious. By your definition, they are simply all evil. So why then would you care about Venezuela being bombed, Iran being bombed, literally anywhere being bombed — they're evil! Anywhere that has religious people is fair game, because religion is evil.

It's almost like making blanket generalizations about most of the world is just fucking stupid. Weird how that worked out.

[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

What role did religion play when my sisters ex partner, who was an atheist, beat the shit out of her and raped her? Please explain, as my life experiences are clearly limited.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 0 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

What does that have to do with anything I said? Nobody was talking about domestic abuse.

[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I'm sorry, I thought we were interjecting personal experience as conjecture.

In direct response to your original comment, you have proven my point exactly. People who were in a position of power/authority abused it. It doesn't matter what the modus operandi is when the fundamental consequence is the same. People want power, people get it, people abuse it. It's not inherently unique to any one thing in humanity, it's ubiquitous.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 0 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

You made a list. I was commenting on the list elements vs each other, not anything that wasn’t on the list. My comment was not intended to prove or disapprove any point since yours and mine were both opinions.

[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

No, in your list only religious people...

You started off your comment by saying no. This indicates a negative position. Since you responded to my comment, I can only assume you are taking a negative position against my comment.

Then you followed that position up with anecdotal evidence, not responding to the key position I maintain; that this is not unique to religion, but every structure in which power and positions of authority exist. If it exists, it can be corrupted. Again, modus operandi, does not matter, since that is inherently a key part of my position.

If you were just commenting a personal experience, then why did you start off with, "No"? What is your position in this debate? Because, I am finding myself further, and further lost.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Disagreement isn’t proof or disproof or even an attempt at such. At this time I’m completely lost as to your point. You didn’t say every structure, you made a list and I felt that one of those things was not like the others. That one of those things does have a unique form of evil attached to it. I really don’t understand why you’re trying to add more to this conversation than actually exists.

[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 0 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I did say every structure through inference. You are still disagreeing with me. If you can't see it, so be it. I'm Audi

[–] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 hours ago

Ooh, hi Audi, I'm BMW! I also go too fast, and have inscrutable motivation!

[–] Pricklesthemagicfish@reddthat.com 6 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Can't miss out if you dedicate yourself to all the religions!

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Then you die and find Anubis weighing your heart and he's all "Surprise, Motherfucker!".

[–] waddle_dee@lemmy.world 0 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

And I'm like, "Huh, I figured pirating was gonna weigh something but that seems a little much"

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 1 points 11 hours ago

Weighs as much as the bits that are written to disk.

[–] HalfAFrisbee@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago

No true Scotsman.

[–] leaky_shower_thought@feddit.nl 18 points 16 hours ago (3 children)

“We’re fighting religious fanatics who seek a nuclear capability in order for some religious Armageddon,” Hegseth said of Iranian leaders. “But from my perspective, I mean, obviously I’m a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith, rely on God.”

i believe more that he is a man of spirits than faith.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 1 points 4 hours ago

I think he is projecting what he wants to do: Using American nukes to cause the rapture.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 6 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

As Johnnie Walker 2:5 says…

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago (2 children)
[–] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

3:17, St Pats and all

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

Miller High Life 4:20

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 10 hours ago

Holy projection... Pretty sure Iran would only want nukes for the protection a country gets by simply having them. I've never heard anything about them wanting nukes for a religious Armageddon.

On the other hand, Hegseth and others have been very fucking clear that this shit is about stupid biblical prophecy.

[–] Soulphite@reddthat.com 4 points 17 hours ago

Pete Kegsbreath is as Christian as Kenneth Copeland... which is to say exactly nill. It's a facade. They're both exactly opposite of Christian.

Anti-Christ.

[–] notsure@fedia.io 2 points 17 hours ago

....and he sayeth unto them, "fight no more, you are brothers" was apparently lost on the lowly maggotty species of humanity...