Drooling Over the "End Times"

[Recusant]

It's been a journey for me. There was a long period of my life when I deeply despised Christianity. It took decades to come to a point where I could view it with some measure of equanimity. Not complete equanimity by any means. It still is abhorrent to me, as are Islam and Judaism as well for that matter. The "People of the Book" all believe they have a direct line to their deity through their scriptures, with the unreasoning certainty that can bring. The holy certainty of some believers can produce some genuinely ugly stuff, and we needn't dwell on that here. The topic of this thread is bad enough.

I've been chronicling the rise of Dominionism in the United States in the thread in the Politics board, but haven't really mentioned the strong presence of Christian nut-bags in the US military. It's not benign by any means.

"U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for 'Armageddon,' Return of Jesus" | Jonathan Larsen

A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God's plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was "anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth," according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer.

From Saturday morning through Monday night, more than 110 similar complaints about commanders in every branch of the military had been logged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).

The complaints came from more than 40 different units spread across at least 30 military installations, the MRFF told me Monday night.

The MRFF is keeping the complainants anonymous to prevent retribution by the Defense Department. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to my request for comment.

One complainant identified themselves as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in a unit currently outside the Iran combat zone but in Ready-Support status, deployable at any time. The NCO said they were Christian and emailed the MRFF on behalf of 15 troops, including at least 11 Christians, one Muslim, and one Jew. (Full email printed below.)

The NCO wrote to the MRFF that their commander "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."

[Continues . . .]

[Icarus]

Basing military tactics and command on the "inerrant word of the bible' will get a lot of us killed. 

Religious kooks in positions of authority will get a lot of us dead.

[Icarus]

Every thing needs a password.

[GreenBlaze]

I think Donald Trump is doing what he thinks is right and I am not sure of this as he went without the UN and didn't rest this on the thoughts of other member states. He has blocked the UN and left that organisation. I like self determinism, a country's right to self determine themselves. According to the Bible, Jesus does not know when he will return for the 2nd coming. More countries are meant to join him freely. God does not direct wars like he used to. They are bringing Jesus' name into dispute by saying that he has been anointed by Jesus if he was not. End times will happen I believe, but it will not be by force. If wars happen for pre-emptive causes, religion does not need to brought into it.

Iran was doing some atrocities, but I didn't see where they were an imminent threat to the US. I would have preferred that he went through the UN. Only his country can prosecute him or after he has stepped can he be prosecuted for crimes by the International court at the Hague if there are any. I know that getting UN authority can be protracted.

Israel I feel for them..they are surrounded by countries at odds with them which can make them seem vulnerable.

The military have a right to have a faith. It is Trump who has sent them to war and they need a cause to fight for to to survive it.

The article seems not official, where is the original interview...It featured in the UK as well. It sounded like somebody was praying.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/03/us-israel-iran-war-christian-rhetoric

[Icarus]

I suspect that Trump, in his infinite wisdom, failed to ask for advice from his military brass. After all he would know better than any of those Generals and Admirals who have spent their adult life studying the intricacies of sound military tactics and practices.

 

[Recusant]

The report is that Trump got advice from the top military--against attacking. Of course he ignored that. Also of course, he claims that the report is "100% inaccurate".  For those of us who've been paying attention that's nearly the same thing as him confirming the report.

[Recusant]

The military have a right to have a faith.

Do military commanders in your opinion "have a right" to impose their faith on those they command?

[GreenBlaze]

The military have a right to have a faith.

Do military commanders in your opinion "have a right" to impose their faith on those they command?

Are you saying like a general is praying with his military staff junior to them and telling them how to conduct themselves or to think ? If this is it someone may pray for moral, but they cannot expect everybody to have their beliefs and also they should not use the Christian faith to try and legitimise war. I spoke about this topic with a minister yesterday and they said that Christ does not want this and that Trump needs right minded thinking if he thinks that Christ has legitimised him to go to war.

[Icarus]

Greenblaze, I respectfully doubt that your minister has a direct line to Jesus. To claim that "Christ does not want this" does comply with Christian dogma.  On the other hand, Second guessing the mind of a person from 2000 years ago could be inexact.

For what it's worth, I agree that most of us do not wish to participate in the wanton destruction of another mans life or property. 

[Dark Lightning]

True enough for me, but I'd like to make a couple of penalty-free exceptions.

[GreenBlaze]

edit

[GreenBlaze]

Greenblaze, I respectfully doubt that your minister has a direct line to Jesus. To claim that "Christ does not want this" does comply with Christian dogma.  On the other hand, Second guessing the mind of a person from 2000 years ago could be inexact.

For what it's worth, I agree that most of us do not wish to participate in the wanton destruction of another mans life or property. 

I didn't imply that my minister has a direct line to Jesus. Don't take my words so literally on this. You can try and work out what he may have wanted from the teachings in the Bible. She does though have the Holy Spirit to help guide her-but she never prayed over this and that was said from their own thoughts which was in line with my own.

[Recusant]

Do military commanders in your opinion "have a right" to impose their faith on those they command?

Are you saying like a general is praying with his military staff junior to them and telling them how to conduct themselves or to think ? If this is it someone may pray for moral, but they cannot expect everybody to have their beliefs and also they should use the Christian faith to try and legitimise war. I spoke about this topic with a minister yesterday and they said that Christ does not want this and that Trump needs right minded thinking if he thinks that Christ has legitimised him to go to war.

I'm referring to the article quoted in the OP, not some hypothetical scenario crafted as a rhetorical riposte. There may have been prayers uttered by the commanders, which in my opinion is questionable but beside the core issue. The core issue being that the commanders are attempting to frame the attacks on Iran as a holy war and rope their soldiers into that confabulation. Not just any holy war but THE BIG ONE from their mythology.