The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) reports that it is getting a big increase in complaints from troops who are being told that Trump’s attack on Iran is the opening round of the End Times war: MRFF Inundated with Complaints of Gleeful Commanders Telling Troops Iran War is “Part of God’s Divine Plan” to Usher in the Return of Jesus Christ
“This morning our commander opened up the combat readiness status briefing by urging us to not be “afraid” as to what is happening with our combat operations in Iran right now. He 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. He said that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.” — MRFF active duty NCO client, writing on behalf of themself and 15 other unit members
MRFF has received over 200 calls from more than 50 military installations across all the services since Saturday reporting similar disturbing pronouncements from their Christian zealot commanders. [emphases in original]
Jonathan Larsen has more: U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus
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. [emphasis added]g
We have long been concerned about the increasing Christian nationalism in the armed forces (the Air Force has been particularly susceptible). Now it’s out in the open: “unrestricted euphoria” at the prospect of the world blowing itself to bits.
I want to keep this short, so I’m not going to go into the long and sordid history of Christianity’s fascination with destroying the only planet we live on (see here, especially chapter 8 — shameless plug). Suffice it to say that some of the armed conflicts the world has endured since the Reformation have been influenced to some extent by the belief that violent all-consuming war is a necessary precursor to the Second Coming.
I can practically guarantee that this aspect never entered Trump’s head. He doesn’t want to end the world; he wants to own it. And he certainly would never be attracted to any kind of Last Judgment, given the glee with which he has broken every one of the Ten Commandments. Pete Hegseth, on the other hand, was recognized even before he was sworn in as Defense Sec’y as a religious warrior: Pete Hegseth’s Crusade to Turn the Military into a Christian Weapon. Two weeks before he sent our planes over Iran, Hegseth invite[d] controversial Idaho pastor and self-described Christian nationalist to lead Pentagon’s monthly prayer meeting. Now we have lower-level commanders and NCOs exhorting (I almost wrote extorting, which might be more appropriate) our troops to kill for Jesus.
Anyone still want to bet this ends well?
