James Martin, a Jesuit priest and the editor-at-large of America Magazine, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Hegseth proclaimed that God is on the side of U.S. troops in President Donald Trump's war in Iran.
Hegseth gave God “all the glory” for America’s military actions in Iran, which this week agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Israel after Trump threatened to destroy all of Iranian civilization in its entirety in remarks legal scholars and observers said constituted threatening war crimes.
Hegseth said:
“Our troops, our American warriors, deserve the credit for this day. But God deserves all the glory."
"Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings and strikes carried out under the protection of divine providence. A massive effort with miraculous protection. Dude 44 Bravo spoke for all of us: ‘God is good.’”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
These remarks earned a swift remark from Martin, who replied:
"So God loves only American troops? Not innocent people who lost their lives in Iran? Where was God's 'miraculous protection' for them?"
"This is the inevitable result of believing that God is on 'our side.' It's making a false god in our image: a god who despises Iranians."
You can see his response below.
Martin's response came after an Iranian medical official told reporters that over 3,000 people have been killed since the Trump administration, in joint coordination with Israel, authorized strikes against Iran on February 28.
Many have praised him for speaking out—and criticized Hegseth themselves.
Martin has previously called out Republicans for appropriating, mischaracterizing, and perverting the Christian faith.
For instance, several years ago, he came to the defense of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg after the Catholic League claimed in a tweet that Buttigieg's marriage to his husband—educator, author and activist Chasten Buttigieg—is a "legal fiction."
The organization linked to an article in which it criticized Buttigieg for defending his marriage in an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, who suggested Buttigieg should not have taken his husband as part of an official delegation to the Netherlands for the Fifth Invictus Games.
Bill Donohue, the Catholic League's president, said Buttigieg doesn't actually "have a husband" because he "has been disqualified by nature."
In response, Martin said that regardless of whether people agree or disagree with same-sex marriage, Buttigieg "is married in the eyes of the state, and his church, as much as anyone else is." He criticized Donohue further, saying that "to claim otherwise is to ignore reality."
