All posts tagged "Religion"

The right's long-held claim to Christianity in American politics is coming apart, and one faith leader says he's enjoying every minute of it.

Pastor Paul Brandeis Raushenbush told columnist Jennifer Rubin and lawyer Norman Eisen on Wednesday's episode of "Coffee with Contrarians" that Democratic candidates who openly talk about their Christian faith, many of them seminary-trained, are rattling a right wing that assumed it had a lock on religion.

Rubin raised the issue, telling Raushenbush that faith "is not the property of any one group of people" and that it has been "wrongly appropriated by the far right." She pointed to Texas Senate candidate James Talarico as part of "a new flourishing of faith in the big tent coalition that is pro-democracy."...

Religious statements made by members of Donald Trump's administration are harming the Republican Party, a political analyst has warned.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a Pentagon prayer service featuring a fabricated Bible verse directly from Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction. Hegseth introduced the prayer as CSAR 2517, which is actually Ezekiel 25:17—the fictional passage recited by Samuel L. Jackson's character Jules Winnfield.

The prayer included Hegseth's modifications, replacing movie dialogue with military references. The incident sparked widespread ridicule from legal experts and lawmakers, with critics questioning Hegseth's fitness to lead the military while weaponizing Christianity to justify warfare....

Department of Defense head Pete Hegseth will take part in a Bible reading project just days after an embarrassing Pentagon prayer group reading.

Hegseth, who has been at odds with military chaplains in the last few weeks over comments made about the war in Iran, will provide a reading along with President Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The New York Times confirmed Hegseth's inclusion in the project, with Ruth Graham writing yesterday, "Participants include the secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth; and the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy....

Department of Defense head Pete Hegseth has been ridiculed for delivering a Pentagon prayer service that featured a fictionalized Bible passage.

A clip of Hegseth speaking to the Pentagon staff has since been circulated on X, with Hegseth heard reciting the verse delivered by Samuel L. Jackson in the film. Hegseth introduced the prayer as CSAR 2517, which stands for Combat Search and Rescue, according to Public Witness. CSAR 2517 is in fact Ezekiel 25:17, a passage delivered by Jackson's character, Jules Winnfield, in Pulp Fiction.

Former Republican Party representative and outspoken critic of Donald Trump, Adam Kinzinger, shared his thoughts on the Hegseth speech. "Oh. My. Lord.", he posted....

Department of Defense head Pete Hegseth has delivered a falsified Bible verse to a Pentagon congregation.

Hegseth had previously been accused of alienating military chaplains by weaponizing Christianity to justify the Iran war and creating an atmosphere of fear for those who refused to comply with his ideological demands.

At a previous Pentagon prayer service, Hegseth invoked religious language to justify military violence, saying, "Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision … and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy."...

President Donald Trump just exposed the religious right's "devil's pact" with his performance at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.

In an analysis from David Smith, The Guardian's Washington bureau chief, Smith pointed out how Trump, whose Christian faith and religious life has been questioned in the past, hurled insults at political enemies and took swipes at “transgender insanity” throughout his speech in Washington, D.C. And despite these moves, and previous acknowledgement that he might not be the most faithful follower among Republicans, the right-wing Evangelicals have continued to support him.

This week, Trump recalled how Baptist Robert Jeffress gave a frank reaction to him, Smith reported. ...