U.S. troops have yet to start operating like a well-oiled machine as they seek to fulfill their Trump-mandated mission of attacking Iran to accomplish . . . something, although no one in authority seems able to articulate what the goal actually is. Even Secretary of State Marco Rubio does not seem sure if America launched its latest foreign adventure because of an order from its president or the whims of Israel's charged war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu.
At least our troops know they represent a pluralistic society where attending church generally is considered a good thing, but as a matter of constitutional directive, "Congress shall makeno law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." In other words, where and how to worship is your choice, and no one should be forcing a particular religious doctrine down your throat. Oh wait, according to dozens of complaints from U.S. troops, that already is being done -- in that not-so-pluralistic paradise of Iran.
How is this happening? It seems U.S. military leaders want troops to chew on some peculiar religious ideas that sound like they came from the Book of Revelation. And that of course, in the words of the late Johnny Carson, is "some wild, weird stuff."
How weird is it? Independent journalist Jonathan Larsen, a former producer for Chris Hayes and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC tries his best to tell a strangely un-American tale. Right-wing crusader types have been itching to force their religious vision on their unwilling citizens for decades now, and Larsen informs us it is actually happening on the watch of that noted theologian Donald J. Trump. Under the headline "U.S. troops were told Iran War Is for "Armageddon," Return of Jesus," Larsen writes:
A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer.
From Saturday morning through Monday night, more than 110 similar complaints about commanders in every branch of the military had been logged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).
The complaints came from more than 40 different units spread across at least 30 military installations, the MRFF told me Monday night.
The MRFF is keeping the complainants anonymous to prevent retribution by the Defense Department. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to my request for comment.
There is grim irony in Larsen's words. The military became a bulwark for civil rights in America when President Harry Truman issued a pair of executive orders in 1948 that desegregated the military and prohibited discrimination in federal agencies. But the need to prevent retribution by the Defense Department suggests the Pentagon is knowingly violating the First Amendment's religion clauses, likely at the direction of Secretary of War (SOW) Pete Hegseth. Given that Hegseth has a reported history of being intoxicated on the job and has been accused of sexual assault, perhaps Americans should insist the SOW refrain from presenting religious instruction to troops.
How dubious are the religious messages being relayed to our fighting forces? Larsen provides insight:
One complainant identified themselves as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in a unit currently outside the Iran combat zone but in Ready-Support status, deployable at any time. The NCO said they were Christian and emailed the MRFF on behalf of 15 troops, including at least 11 Christians, one Muslim, and one Jew.
The NCO wrote to the MRFF that their commander “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”
That sounds like something ripe for parody on The Simpsons. This, however, is real, and it gets weirder, Larsen reports:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has enshrined evangelical Christianity at the uppermost levels of the U.S. military, airing monthly prayer meetings throughout the Pentagon. Last year, the Pentagon confirmed to me that Hegseth attends a weekly White House Bible study. It’s led by a preacher who says God commands America to support Israel.
Monday’s email from the NCO said that their commander’s remarks “destroy morale and unit cohesion and are in violation of the oaths we swore to support the [C]onstitution.”
The head of the MRFF seems astonished that he is having to address such an issue in 2026, especially when you consider that the Uniform Code of Military Justice forbids the injection of religious beliefs into official military instruction or messaging. Welcome to the Era of Trump, Hegseth, and Hypocrisy on Steroids, America. Larsen writes:
MRFF President and Founder Mikey Weinstein, a veteran of the Air Force and the Reagan White House, told me that since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran early Saturday morning, the MRFF has been “inundated” with similar complaints:
These calls have one damn thing in freaking common; our MRFF clients [service members who seek MRFF aid] report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders and command chains as to how this new “biblically-sanctioned” war is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian “End Times" as vividly described in the New Testament Book of Revelation.
Many of their commanders are especially delighted with how graphic this battle will be, zeroing in on how bloody all of this must become in order to fulfill and be in 100% accordance with fundamentalist Christian end of the world eschatology.
Weinstein cited constitutional and Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) prohibitions against injecting religious beliefs into official military instruction or messaging.
He said, “Any military members seeking to take advantage of their subordinates by advancing their blood-soaked, Christian nationalist wet dreams upon the flames of this latest non-Congressionally sanctioned attack against Iran, should be swiftly, aggressively and visibly prosecuted.”
Weinstein added that the MRFF receives similar complaints about Christian eschatology — end-of-the-world theology — “whenever this shit blows up with Israel in the Middle East.”
To be sure, the introduction of end-times thinking into the military predates the arrival of Trump and Hegseth. Larsen reports:
After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, for instance, the MRFF reported a complaint about an Air Force commander who said at a briefing that, “[T]he war between Israel and Hamas has all been foretold by the Book of Revelation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and no-one can do anything about that.”
After 9/11, Pres. George W. Bush referred to the American “crusade” against terrorism, evoking the ancient clashes between Christian crusaders and Muslims. Bush’s language was seen as potentially inspiring Muslims to take up arms against the U.S., if it proclaimed itself a Christian army waging war on Islam.
French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine said, "One has to avoid falling into this huge trap, this monstrous trap" set by al Qaeda with the 9/11 attacks. Bush dropped the term “crusade.”
Given that Trump has shown little regard for our nation's rules, regulations, and norms, it probably should be no surprise that religious indoctrination of our troops has ramped up on his watch -- even though he personally seems to have virtually no understanding of even basic religious principles. Larsen writes:
While Christian nationalism has simmered in the military for decades, Hegseth has ended even the pretense of official intolerance for it. Trump, too, has cast himself as a champion of Christian exceptionalism, embedding it within divisions of the executive branch.
As I revealed last year, Hegseth sponsors the weekly White House Bible study that preaches support for Israel.
Some Christians claim biblical prophecy requires Israel to exist for Jesus to return. But Hegseth’s Bible study leader, preacher Ralph Drollinger, teaches that the reason to support Israel is that God still blesses Israel’s allies and curses Israel’s enemies, even though Israel killed Jesus (this smear, the historic root of antisemitism, has been rejected by every major religion).
After Israel’s attack on Iran last year, Drollinger dedicated two weeks of lessons to preaching support for Israel. His lessons went out to White House cabinet members and members of Congress even as Israel, too, was lobbying for U.S. engagement.
Hegseth has also initiated monthly prayer sessions, most recently featuring Doug Wilson, the far-right Christian nationalist. He has also brought in other preachers from his personal circle, rejecting any attempt at making the meetings ecumenical.
Hegseth himself also speaks at these meetings, proselytizing his personal religious beliefs. “This is … I think, exactly where we need to be as a nation, at this moment,” Hegseth reportedly said, “in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.”
While the MRFF historically has been able to get the Pentagon to swat down Christian incursions into the military, the Trump administration is openly disdainful of military norms and law. It remains to be seen whether and how wholesale Christianization of the Iran war will be opposed by officials inside the Pentagon, or political and legal advocates for secular values outside it.
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