Hegseth presents pro-life Christians with a conundrum.
Since the announcement of his appointment as Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has been sardonically referred to as a "DUI hire." However, alcoholism is no laughing matter. In fact, it’s clinically known as “Alcohol Use Disorder” (AUD) and is officially classified as a form of mental illness. Since 1956, the American Medical Association has identified alcoholism as a disease characterized by compulsive decision-making, impulsive behavior, and relapse.
Many of us can recall the now infamous clip from a Fox News broadcast on January 1, 2023, wherein Mr. Hegseth was in a dunk tank, fully clothed, chugging champagne from a bottle; his Christian Nationalist tattoos visible through his soaked shirt. Yet that wasn’t sufficient evidence to convince 50 Republican senators and Vice President JD Vance that the former television personality was too erratic to oversee our nation’s military.
Secretary Hegseth is the embodiment of compulsive decision-making and impulsive behavior. Take for example, the war with Iran.
Compounding the devastating effects of alcoholism, Mr. Hegseth seems to espouse a warped, bastardized Christianity which appears to have infected him with a serious spiritual sickness. His is a gospel of discrimination, dysfunction, and sociopathy that genuflects to a god of malice and cruelty.
During a recent speech at Marine Base Quantico, he spouted off an unhinged diatribe expressing his disdain for "fatties," "trannies," "beardos," "weirdos," "wimps," and "radicals."
In a recent television commercial funded by taxpayers, Hegseth proclaimed the military will act "decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy."
Though it stands in stark contrast to the very words of Jesus Christ, the spot is a veritable wet dream for misogynistic Christian Nationalist alpha males who slumber on testosterone-soaked mattresses.
In an article for The Atlantic entitled, “Pete Hegseth is Vice Signaling,” Tom Nichols writes:
“The term virtue signaling refers to an annoying moral peacocking that has less to do with politics than with self-gratification … But Donald Trump and his administration have embraced the Mirror Universe version of virtue signaling. They’ve pioneered the practice of ‘vice signaling,’ or saying insulting or odious things both as attention-seeking behavior and as a way of showcasing their supposedly transgressive political views. They aim to demonstrate strength by being willing to appall other people, much as schoolyard bullies insult their classmates to gain the approval of other bullies. It’s the same peacocking, but with uglier feathers.”
That “vice signaling” which Mr. Nichols speaks of presents pro-life Christians who voted for the President with a conundrum.
Michael B. Reardon is executive director of the Catholic Schools Foundation. In an op/ed for the Boston Pilot, he writes:
“Now is an opportunity to show that being pro-life requires care and respect for all people, even those with whom we disagree. This means having love, compassion, and understanding for those who have made the decision to have an abortion, those who struggle with gender identity, immigrants, and people struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues, those with terminal or developmental issues that impact their ability to function in the world. It means loving and respecting all people from conception to natural death.”
Though he is correct, Mr. Reardon’s approach to the “sanctity of life” stands in stark opposition to that of the Trump administration.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that being authentically pro-life means adopting a consistent ecological and whole-life ethic that respects creation and human dignity, rather than focusing narrowly on a single political, spiritual, or legal issue. While the traditional definition focuses on opposing abortion, like Mr. Reardon, my view extends to the elderly, terminally ill, individuals with disabilities, refugees, and those dealing with income inequality or mental health issues (including Mr. Hegseth). I believe that to be truly pro-life, one must align their personal, spiritual, and political values against practices that degrade our natural wonders and resources, as well as human life. This includes opposing capital punishment, racial and gender inequality, inadequate healthcare systems, corporate greed, war, and the mistreatment of single parents, migrants and the poor.
Though numerous organizations convinced voters he was pro-life, Donald Trump and his administration have provided a plethora of evidence to the contrary.
Whether or not you agree with my definition of being authentically pro-life, the fact remains: If you claim to be a pro-life Christian, yet you applaud the barbaric livestreaming of an execution, celebrate ICE raids on the innocent, support unprovoked wars, delight in genocide, and cheer when single parents are denied assistance, you're not "pro-life," you're pro-birth. You're also sadistic, deranged, and the moral antithesis of the very Christ you allegedly worship.
Woe to you.
