World

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has alienated a critical group within the military establishment — religious leaders and chaplains — by weaponizing Christianity to justify the Iran war and creating an atmosphere of fear for those who refuse to comply with his ideological demands.

According to Washington Post analyst Michelle Boorstein, Hegseth's inflammatory rhetoric at a recent Pentagon prayer service has triggered serious alarm among military chaplains and senior officials who view his approach as a dangerous departure from Pentagon norms.

At the 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."

The language represents a troubling shift in how the Pentagon frames military operations, according to military leadership.

"The Pentagon's shift from previous historical norms is dangerous, according to multiple former high-ranking military officials, heads of chaplain corps, some veterans groups, current Pentagon staff and current officers," Boorstein wrote.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner, who trained hundreds of interfaith military chaplains and served as second-in-command at the National Guard from 2011 to 2012, has been hearing from active-duty chaplains about systematic retaliation.

"Manner said he has talked with 'dozens and dozens' of active-duty chaplains in recent weeks who say those who don't identify with Hegseth 'are being marginalized.' They feel they can't voice their concerns to their own superiors, and feel their work as the primary advocate for troops' spiritual, mental, and moral health is being threatened."

The situation has become dystopian. "I've had people tell me they're not included in staff meetings," Manner added.

Pentagon insiders describe the atmosphere as chilling. An anonymous Department of Defense source characterized the environment as "terrifying," noting that personnel working under Hegseth fear being punished or fired for failing to embrace his Christian nationalist worldview.

An unnamed member of a recent Joint Chiefs chairman's leadership team articulated the constitutional threat directly: "I don't approve of cramming your religious faith down people's throats, and when the top of the chain couches these operations in this hyper-Christian tone, it flies in the face of the freedom of religion that the Constitution enshrines and that our men and women in uniform sign up to defend."