The Media Research Center war on critics of President Trump’s war in Iran continued as the war went into its second month:
- Morning Joe’s Lemire Implies US Defeat in Iran Without Ground Invasion
- ‘Crazy’ The View Co-Host Suggests Trump Sending Child Soldiers to Iran
- Morning Joe’s Lemire Implies US Defeat in Iran Without Ground Invasion
- Spoiler Alert: ABC News Was NOT a Fan of President Trump’s Address on Iran
- Amanpour Parrots Regime Hacks About Trump’s Assault On ‘2,500-Year Old Civilization’
- PBS Ready To Declare Defeat In Iran: ‘We’re Losing Every Day He Continues’
- CBS Sprints Through Update on Rescued Airman to Bash Trump Talking Tough
- CNN: US May Break Geneva Conventions; Say Pilot Rescue Was Too Costly
Nichiolas Spinnato spent a March 31 post complaining it was pointed out that secretary of war Pete Hegseth dragged religion into his war effort:
During Monday’s episode of The Situation Room on CNN, co-host Pamela Brown and CNN religion commentator Father Edward Beck teamed up to attack War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Christian terms throughout his tenure, especially during the recent conflict in Iran. Fr. Beck called Hegseth “unqualified” and pushed Christians, especially Catholics, to rethink their alignment with Trump Administration policies pertaining to defense and immigration.
Notably, Brown recently completed a documentary on “The Rise of Christian Nationalism,” which lost most of its attention base due to the Iran conflict.
The segment was in response to comments from Pope Leo XIV that called for the end of war and said God “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.”
[…]The military is religiously neutral — allowing religious freedom — that doesn’t mean it’s “secular” in that no one should pray in the military or speak in religious terms. Fr. Beck connected the war back to the crucifixion of Christ, as if the U.S. should let itself be crucified in some sense by Iran?
Spinnato concluded by raging at the priest for being true to his faith: “So we’re supposed to accept this is a totally unbiased priest who gave his unbiased opinion on the unqualified defense secretary. Only on CNN.” Since when are priests supposed to be unbiased about a war?
The next day, Alex Christy played comedy cop on Stephen Colbert for similarly complaining about Hegseth’s imagery:
As the Iran War continues, CBS’s Stephen Colbert hyped the idea on Tuesday that God is not listening to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Late Show host made his remarks while referencing recent comments from Pope Leo, but the historical and scriptural justification for their condemnation was highly selective.
Colbert introduced a clip of Hegseth by lamenting, “our secretary of war crimes explained why it’s okay to blow stuff up: ‘Cause God likes it. ‘Cause here he is last week at the Pentagon, praying.”
The “secretary of war crimes” bit was made in reference to President Trump’s threats to hit Iranian electrical and desalination plants, both of which Iran has already hit. As it was, in the clip, Hegseth prayed, “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity and 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.”
Amid booing from the audience, Colbert reacted, “Yes, boo all you want, we all remember the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said, ‘To him who strikes you on the one cheek, ask, ‘Do you know where you are?” You’re in the jungle, baby! You’re gonna die!'”
Christy went on to justify Christian imagery in war:
At no point over the past month has anyone in the administration claimed this war is a Christian holy war. The fact that the U.S. is conducting operations alongside Israel and Iran is attacking other Muslim nations should be proof of that.
Whether it was Pope Pius V at Lepanto, Jan III Sobieski of Poland before lifting the 1683 Siege of Vienna, Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, or Franklin Roosevelt during D-Day, leaders have frequently prayed to God asking for victory during history’s most critical moments.
Still, the Bible says there is a time for peace and a time for war. The man who will soon be traveling to Middle-earth should know that. If Colbert wants to argue this is not a time for war, he should do that instead of trying to portray Christianity as a pacifist religion.
Why is Christy so determined to frame the war in Christian terms? He doesn’t say.