Good piece by @michelleboorstein.bsky.social with thoughts from military officials & others on how Hegseth is dangerously changing norms with his worship services & religious rhetoric: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...

Excellent @newrepublic.com piece by @gregsargent.bsky.social on Pete Hegseth's violent & dangerous theology: newrepublic.com/article/2083... Nice to be included in piece to note Hegseth's recent prayer at Pentagon was “kind of a Mad Libs mash-up of biblical violence.”

Important context here: This answer was in response to a question about Pope Leo, in which a reporter asked if the White House has any response to pontiff’s comments over the weekend that “God does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war.” Leavitt…doesn’t appear to address that at all here?

It will be nice when NY Times learns about the phrase "Christian Nationalism." Really helps explains things right now!

😒 "Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward." -Jesus (in Matthew 5:5)

Appreciate this. Find information on all the Pentagon (& Labor) services here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/government...

Excellent @newrepublic.com piece by @gregsargent.bsky.social on Pete Hegseth's violent & dangerous theology: newrepublic.com/article/2083... Nice to be included in piece to note Hegseth's recent prayer at Pentagon was “kind of a Mad Libs mash-up of biblical violence.”

Important piece from @gregsargent.bsky.social drawing on Reign of Error, @julieingersoll.bsky.social, @briankaylor.bsky.social, and more: Pete Hegseth Just Revealed the Real Roots of His Sadism and Rage newrepublic.com/article/2083... via @newrepublic.com

Pete Hegseth just held a prayer service in which he appealed for God's help in killing our "enemies" with maximal violence and brutality. Hegseth's bloodlust and sadism are drawing sustenance from his particular brand of far-right Christianity. 1/ (new piece from me) newrepublic.com/article/2083...

Good SWAJ episode as usual, & I appreciate @bradleyonishi.bsky.social shout-outs to my reporting on Hegseth's violent prayer & Crusader imagery on his Bible: www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/wee...

It's weird that Trump posted this. And it's sadly revealing of Graham's broken theology. He's concerned about Trump saying a prayer but not about the death & injustice inflicted on people by Trump. That's the repentance needed!

Pope Leo on Palm Sunday: “This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood’ (Is 1:15).”

Today I chant, "No Kings." Tomorrow I'll shout, "Hosanna!" Nice weekend for #NoKings & #PalmSunday www.youtube.com/shorts/NtqGp...

My remarks from #NoKings 2 last fall on "No Kings, No Christian Nationalism": www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUz...

Rubio denounces Iranian government for being led by "religious fanatics." Huh, wait till he hears about Hegseth's prayer yesterday! publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/at-pentago...

Hegseth's violent prayer (that I broke news of: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/at-pentago...) is getting lots of attention. But missing from other reports is his Bible has a Jerusalem Cross & "Deus Vult" on cover, matching his tattoos & Crusader theology: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

250 is the wrong number for "One Nation, Under God." That would be 72: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/70-years-u... Also, while banner might be meant to make conservative Christians happy, it messes that up by putting a comma after nation. They hate that (& will often even cut out pause in Pledge).

Pete Hegseth, who likes to call himself the “Secretary of War,” today prayed that God would pour out righteous wrath by helping “break the teeth” and kill the “wicked” enemies “who deserve no mercy” and should be “delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them.”

The bunny, the bunny, oh, I love the bunny… ifykyk

Blowing up people in a boat fits with Hegseth's violent prayer today: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/at-pentago... Bad theology kills!

At the Pentagon today, Hegseth "prayed that God would pour out righteous wrath by helping 'break the teeth' and kill the 'wicked' enemies 'who deserve no mercy' and should be 'delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them.'" via @briankaylor.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/publicwi...

At Pentagon worship service today, Hegseth cast Iran conflict as holy war, asking God to pour out righteous wrath by helping "break the teeth" & kill wicked enemies "who deserve no mercy" & should be "delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them" publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/at-pentago...

This month's rescheduled Christian worship service at Pentagon set to occur today. At some of past services, Hegseth has read from his Bible that literally has Crusader imagery (Jerusalem Cross & "Deus Vult") stamped on cover (thus matching his tattoos): publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

New DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin was just sworn in on what looks like a Maxwell Leadership Bible. By contrast, Pete Hegseth took the oath on a Bible with Crusader symbols stamped on it: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

If you want to see who's fighting for religious liberty rights of those in the military, don't look to viral headlines but who is actually suing the Pentagon over the hosting of Christian worship services. That's @americansunited.bsky.social! publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/au-sues-de...

Having Hegseth the Crusader hold a "Trump Bible" is funny (though technically it's Lee Greenwood's Bible). But in reality, Hegseth holds a Crusader Bible with a Jerusalem Cross & "Deus Vult" stamped in the cover. That really proves point of cartoon! publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

It turns out Pete Hegseth doesn’t merely read the Bible like a Crusader. We just discovered that he actually has a Crusader Bible with the cover essentially made in his own image — the Jerusalem Cross and “Deus Vult” included. Learn more here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

Breaking news: @americansunited.bsky.social sues Department of Defense & Department of Labor over government worship services: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/au-sues-de...

Rep. Ogles has AI slop imagining himself, Hegseth, & Rubio as Crusaders. Don't know about Ogles & Rubio, but Hegseth actually has Crusader symbols on his Bible: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

You have likely seen the Crusader tattoos on Pete Hegseth's body. But @briankaylor.bsky.social just discovered that they are also stamped onto his Bible.

well, this is messed up. also it's weird to me how these bibles are simply vanity pieces, made to look old/ important but yassified

Again, a Jerusalem Cross on it's own is found in various Christian contexts. It's the addition of "Deus Vult" — and Hegseth writing about his awareness that the phrase was the battle cry of crusaders in his book, which was literally titled "American Crusade" — that adds some, uh, context.

Pete Hegseth’s Bible, like his body, is stamped with two Crusader tattoos. Yes, there's a Jerusalem Cross & "Deus Vult" on his Bible: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

You've seen the Crusader tattoos on Hegseth's body. They're also stamped onto his Bible! publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

EXCLUSIVE: Pete Hegseth’s tattoos of the Jerusalem Cross and “Deus Vult” are frequently invoked as literal signs of his Christian Nationalism — and rightly so. But the same symbols on his Bible were overlooked until now.

You've seen the Crusader tattoos on Hegseth's body. They're also stamped onto his Bible! publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...

I’m pretty sure that by the Charlie Kirk death response standard Trump has to be fired

Today’s issue of A Public Witness heads down to Georgia to consider the devil in the details of the race to determine who will be the next Republican nominee for governor.

Happening now: Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders just tried to meet w/Speaker Johnson, calling on him to censure fellow Republicans such as Rep. Andy Ogles for recent anti-Muslim rhetoric — such as Ogles tweeting “Muslims don’t belong in American society.” No meeting — they prayed in his office.

Hegseth jokes about killing Iranians & then tells Americans to pray "in the name of Jesus Christ" for the war. It's not job of gov't to tell us when/how to pray. But after his remarks this morning all I could think of was Mark Twain's brilliant "The War Prayer" americanliterature.com/author/mark-...

What's a Christian Nation look like for Hegseth and Wilson? New from me @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/douglas-wi...

Seriously, take Chavez name off everything, EVERYTHING.

UPDATE: Pentagon has rescheduled for 2nd time worship service w/ Michael W. Smith. Announced for today & then moved to tomorrow. Now it's postponed again but they haven't said date. But I'm told Smith will still be performing. Keep up with services here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/government...

Today’s issue of A Public Witness considers the danger of letting government outlaw a religion and the warnings about who could be next on the target list after Muslims.

Great to see this win for religious liberty! Also, I like to highlight that not only should Arkansas not force posting of Ten Commandments in public schools, but version they want to require isn't even found in any Bible! dogma.wordandway.org/rewriting-th...

ICYMI: Michael W. Smith performing tomorrow during Pentagon monthly worship service. This a big deal; he's been widely popular among evangelicals. Also suggests the Pentagon services are growing to include bigger guest performances.

Hearing that monthly Pentagon worship service tomorrow will feature Michael W. Smith, 1 of biggest Christian music stars of past 4 decades. Dec. service included music by Matthew West & Anne Wilson, & last month had Matt Hammitt, but Smith much bigger: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/government... 1/

Crazy crazy story. Times of Israel reporter ( English language Israeli news site ) gets escalating death threats to change story that’s at center of big polymarket bet. www.timesofisrael.com/gamblers-try...

Our fresh religion news roundup features the week’s best journalism — from our site and others.

#ChristianNationalist worship leader Sean Feucht sued by businessman who gave $250,000 for Feucht's "Kingdom to the Capitol" rallies but alleges $ was instead used to buy personal property: roysreport.com/donor-sues-s... I reported from 1 of the rallies: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/a-capitali...