Praying for War? Faith Without Accountability is a Dangerous Game

In a recent opinion piece on WORLD (WNG.org), Pete Hegseth calls on Americans to pray for the military during this time of war. While praying for the safety of service members is commendable, Hegseth’s approach glosses over the deeper issues that fuel conflict and the heavy toll it takes on democracy and human lives.

Prayer in wartime requires more than rote recitation or patriotic fervor. It demands humility—an acknowledgment of the complex realities behind military engagement and the consequences of policies that put soldiers in harm’s way. Hegseth’s piece misses this crucial point, offering a simplistic narrative that risks enabling ongoing abuses and miscalculations by those in power.

At a moment when the Trump administration’s track record on military intervention, transparency, and respect for democratic norms is under intense scrutiny, calls for prayer should not serve as a shield for unchecked authority. Instead, they should inspire rigorous questioning of who benefits from war, who pays the price, and how we hold leaders accountable.

We owe our troops more than prayers. We owe them truth and justice. And we owe the American people a clear-eyed reckoning with the costs of war and the failures of those who wage it. Anything less is a disservice to democracy and the values we claim to protect.