We Americans are soon embarking on a new era under the newly elected president, Donald J. Trump. I was among those who did not support him and now believe that based on his projected nominations to his cabinet, the Trump administration is revealing its misguided actions. I am thankful for our democracy that, unlike many nations where opposition or criticism of the government is not allowed, we have a long tradition of free speech, free assembly, and a free press where the government may be criticized.
As the new administration begins, it is important for government representatives, the free press, and ordinary people to openly oppose what does not appear right and is dangerous for our nation. We are almost equally divided between those voting for and against Donald Trump for president, only 1.5% of the popular vote was the difference in the election. He certainly does not have a “mandate” to do whatever he wants.
As an initial example of misguided leadership, we only have to look at Trump’s choice to be secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth. My problem is not based on his service as a major in the Army National Guard or service in Iraq and Afghanistan. My problem with him is first based on his character involving reports of his treatment of women and his drunkenness. However, as an American who loves our democracy and its diversity, I am especially troubled by Hegseth’s ideology, particularly his Islamophobia combined with his “Christian nationalism.” He carries on his arm the tattoo, “Deus vult,” which means “God wills it.” This is the famous phrase that Pope Urban uttered to promote the Crusades against Islam that began in the 11th century and continued in the 12th and 13th centuries. I am a Christian, but I am not proud of the Crusades and believe that they created animosity in the Middle East toward Christianity that lasted to the present.
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It is true that Muslims had made it almost impossible for Christian pilgrims to go to Jerusalem. However, in the bloody Crusades that ensued, the Crusaders killed many people, sacked Constantinople on their way to the Holy Land and then, worst of all, massacred the people of Jerusalem. Despite some initial successes in the effort to reclaim the Holy Land, the Crusades turned out to be a colossal failure. For me, as a Christian, even greater than the ultimate military failure of the Crusades was their failure to truly represent what Christians claimed to represent, namely Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. The Crusaders carried the cross on their chests while they killed people. For people in the Middle East and for many other people, Christianity came to represent political-military power. The colonial era that followed the Crusades after 1500 C.E continued this misrepresentation of Christianity. Hegseth considers himself a Crusader.
Continuing association with white supremacy and Christian nationalism, Hegseth has “Chi-Rho” tattooed on his arm, which represents the first two letters of “Christ.” The fact, of course, is that Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, made no claim to political power and specifically rejected being an earthly king when people would have made him a king (John 6:15). Jesus claimed “all authority in heaven and on earth was given to me” and then sent out his disciples to make disciples of all “nations.” However, “nations” does not mean what we think of now as nation states, but rather “peoples” or “ethne” in Greek. Jesus clearly did not give a mandate to create political power centers, but rather people who would “obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Mr. Hegseth’s or anyone else’s promotions of Christian nationalism is a distortion of Christian theology. Legally, it is certainly not within the Constitutional authority of an American government official to justify views on a theological belief or claim the authority of God for views and actions. The attitude of Hegseth and the views and actions he encourages are extremely harmful and dangerous for our nation. Let us hope that the senators of the U.S. Congress will have the courage and wisdom not to approve the appointment of Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.
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Robert Montgomery
The Rev. Robert L. Montgomery, Ph.D., lives in Black Mountain.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Trump’s pick of Hegseth for secretary of defense is misguided
