‘No Quarter, No Mercy’: Pete Hegseth’s Militarized Faith
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced congressional scrutiny over his 'no quarter, no mercy' remarks, which some interpret as advocating war crimes under the Geneva Conventions. The comments come amid backlash over a U.S. bombing in Iran that killed 175 people, mostly schoolchildren, sparking protests and condemnation from Pope Leo. Hegseth's religious advisors, including Douglas Wilson and Brooks Potteiger, have framed military actions as divinely sovereign, raising concerns about the influence of militant Christian theology on U.S. foreign policy.
- ▪Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was questioned by Rep. Seth Moulton about his 'no quarter, no mercy' statement, which may violate the Geneva Conventions.
- ▪A U.S. bombing in Minab, Iran on February 28 killed 175 people, mostly children, and has been attributed to faulty intelligence and potential AI errors.
- ▪Pope Leo condemned the bombing and the broader war, while Hegseth's spiritual advisers, including Brooks Potteiger and Douglas Wilson, framed military actions as under divine sovereignty.
- ▪Hegseth has invited his pastor Douglas Wilson to pray at the Pentagon and has invoked religious justification for the war with Iran.
- ▪The Guardian published a report linking Hegseth’s military stance to a militant Christian theology rooted in Calvinist beliefs.
- ▪Some experts warn that merging such religious ideology with defense policy could have serious implications for U.S. conduct in international conflicts.
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Foreign Affairs ‘No Quarter, No Mercy’: Pete Hegseth's Militarized Faith The pope doesn’t run American foreign policy. Why should Doug Wilson? (Photo by Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty Images) <div class="o-image__issue-wrapper"> <img class="o-image__image" srcset="https://tac.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TAC_Jack_Hunter_mug.jpg?auto=format&crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=crop&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=32 32w, https://tac.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TAC_Jack_Hunter_mug.jpg?auto=format&crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=crop&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=32 32w, https://tac.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TAC_Jack_Hunter_mug.jpg?auto=format&crop=faces%2Centropy&fit=crop&ixlib=php-3.3.1&w=32 32w,…
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