Is the war against Iran a religious war?
Martin Luther King said, " nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere, ignorance, and conscientious stupidity." You would think in a war that involves Muslim nations, a Jewish state and America where the predominant religion is Christianity, political leaders would avoid defining it in religious terms at all costs.
Unfortunately, the war against Iran has been described in religious terms by the American Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Comments by Hegseth such as " Our capabilities are better. Our will is better. Our troops are better. The Providence of our Almighty God is there protecting the troops, and we're committed to this mission" may sound innocuous but to some of America's allies, such as the gulf states including Saudi Arabia, adding a religious element to the war is potentially problematic for people such as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Religious pluralism has always been part of America's military culture. In a nation as diverse as America, it has served it well. Recently however, it has been reported that some military commanders have begun using Christian eschatology language to describe the war against Iran.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation was " inundated with complaints, receiving more than 100 grievances from US military personnel stationed at dozens of sites across the Middle East" according to journalist Jonathan Larson. According to one complaint one NCO said, " President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the sign of fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to earth." This rhetoric is not only potentially problematic for Muslim states but also for the non-Christian yet religious members of America's armed forces.
“The Providence of our Almighty God is there protecting the troops, and we're committed to this mission.”
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
While America's military is reportedly seventy percent Christian, the majority do not adhere to the war being described as Armageddon. In a response not related to the war, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said, " it would be fine if Israel took essentially the entire Middle East because it was promised that land in the Bible."
The use of Christian eschatology as read in the Book of Revelation has been used especially by conservative evangelicals. For many theological scholars, too often its usage is tantamount to fearmongering and coercion. To add salt to the wound it has been reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been referring to Iran as Amalek which is the enemy of Israel in the Torah.
Key Context
America's military is reportedly 70% Christian — yet the majority do not support characterizing the Iran conflict as a religious war or Armageddon.
Hegseth is trying to rewrite American religious history. His comment that America was founded as a Christian nation is anti-historical. There is no doubt that the predominant religion in America is Christianity, but the US Constitution clearly states, " congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
James Madison wrote " the purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from the shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries." In 1797, President John Adams signed a treaty with Tripoli which included the words, " the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."
While some of the founding fathers were Christian, many were deist or theistic rationalists who rejected the deity of Jesus and stories of his miracles.
Thomas Jefferson even wrote the Jefferson Bible — "The life and morals of Jesus of Nazareth" — in which he excluded the miracles including the resurrection.
100+
Grievances filed with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation by US personnel in the Middle East.
This is an example of the expansion of Christian nationalism — defined as the merging of Christianity and American hegemony — as well as dominionism, which is the belief that Christians should take control of society's institutions.
To be clear, the Iranian regime is not an innocent regime. It has killed thousands of their own citizens. This is not to absolve the United States from guilt given their overthrowing of the democratically elected government of Iran in 1953. Nonetheless, the dilemma this presents to the Muslim world whose support the US is counting on is that if it is defined as a religious war, America may find the Gulf states reluctant partners despite their dislike for the Iranian regime.
The Stakes
While it is a growing faction, there are those who do not believe the United States needs a Christian version of Sharia law. There have been many predictions of Armageddon throughout American history — and defining this conflict in those terms risks alienating key regional allies.
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