This is taken from GOOGLE April 1, 2026: (first paragraph only)

 "U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sparked controversy by leading a Christian prayer at the Pentagon on March 25, 2026, requesting "overwhelming violence" and that "every round find its mark" against enemies in the Iran war. The prayer, which also asked for "righteous targets," has been criticized for mixing religious rhetoric with military doctrine, raising concerns about the separation of church and state, and violating norms of military neutrality.."

On November 27, 1095 Pope Urban II made an impassioned speech, calling upon Christian Europe to take back land conquered by Muslims in the East. "God wills it," was his cry. It was the start of the first Crusade. 

This is no different from Current American Christian Nationalists like War Secretary Hegseth, who also identifies with the order of Knights Templar. This fascination extends to his tattoos, one of which states, "Deus Vult," meaning God will's it. He dares to invoke Jesus even as he prays for American bullets to hit their mark. 

Folks like Pete Hegseth do more wrong in the feeble and blind attempt to deliver a Crusade than projecting any Christian message of hope and redemption. This is not the "shining example" John Winthrop challenged the early Americans in 1630 to exemplify. They were to be a "city on a hill," a phrase often used afterward by leading Americans Like President Ronald Reagan.

The phrase came from Winthrop's sermon, "A model of Christian Charity." Is this really the Christian focus people like Hegseth want America to stand for? This Easter, can we celebrate the Risen Lord who conquered death as well as all the evils of the world? This is a direct contrast to the War Secretary's invoking of Jesus to justify his Crusade.

Winthrop's "city on a hill" borrowed from, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and projected the idea of light shining through the darkness. The city was an example of Christian Charity. Individually, it was a call to live righteously, by example.