Russell Vought, Pete Hegseth, and Redefining Witness

https://wng.org/opinions/clean-words-and-clean-witness-in-the-white-house-1764033683

There are so many astonishing articles being written these days - it's impossible to keep up.

This World Magazine article from back in November 2025 continues to amaze me.

We are supposed to be impressed with Russell Vought who doctrinally is a Christo-MAGA heretic, and in terms of ethics has hitched his wagon to one of the more immoral administrations the US has ever seen - and that's saying something. In the capitalist empire that is America, the deceit is so thick it can be cut with a knife, that is if you can see past all the piles of bodies. In terms of the Church, the American Empire has proven disastrous as its ideology has infected the Church and metastasized - leading untold millions to perdition with their Bibles in one hand and the American flag in the other. Vought is not only part of this, he's actually a more extreme expression of it and so it shouldn't surprise that the apostasy that is American Christianity would celebrate him, and looking past his blood-soaked ethics and his willingness to trample anyone who opposes him - as some kind of ethical model for emulation. It's tragic, absurd, and obscene all at once.

Capitalist ethics despises the poor and weak (as figures like Ayn Rand and Von Mises make clear), but this is alien to the New Testament. Vought is at best confused and the advocate of a syncretist ideology. The Christianity of the New Testament is alien to him as is made clear by his rigorous professions of 'Christian Nationalism' and the like.

Indeed, the Evangelical world in emulating the culture - the very culture that produced Donald Trump has developed a gutter ethic and style of talk. It's not surprising. What a sad commentary that the person who doesn't curse and engage in coarse talk is the one who stands out.

But this is also the culture that produced a bloodthirsty demoniac like Pete Hegseth who glories in killing and equates the ethics and ideals of fascism with Christianity. And he too is not only tolerated but celebrated. And reviewing Hegseth rhetoric we are reminded that there are other types of 'filthy' and evil talk - even if it doesn't directly involve what is considered swear words. In Hegseth's case he literally is cursing and (without meaning to) blaspheming. He is demonic.

The additional layer of absurdity that I found with this article is that it was penned by a pastor based at Cheyenne Mountain - home of NORAD. The fact that Colorado Springs is both the American centre of Evangelicalism and a major military centre is no accident and though the notions and cultures should be contradictory, in the compromised context of American Christianity, the two opposing kingdoms and ethics exist in perfect harmony.

In fact the author (Matthew Capone) pastors a PCA congregation that might as well be an extension of the US military as the Pentagon obviously dominates it culture and therefore its values. Almost every church officer is connected either directly or indirectly to the military or its larger industrial complex. It's a vile testimony of compromise.

Once again, I'm thinking of Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump and the fact that I'm supposed to be impressed by these denizens of the sewer - if only they wouldn't cuss and swear.

It's ridiculous. The idea of a 'clean witness' in connection with a church like that is also absurd. Thank you for defying Christ and dishonouring God - but at least you don't use bad words.

In terms of the Church, businessmen who are known to break their word and violate contracts tend to be looked down upon - and yet because Vought does this in connection to Right-wing politics and the accompanying agenda in connection with the state - he's celebrated.

Likewise, his divorce would have been enough to discredit him in the past but the Church has sold out on this issue and so now we can speak of a clean witness without any irony or shame. I don't know the circumstances of his divorce and I'm well aware of how Presbyterians and certainly New Calvinists tend to play a little fast and loose with the issue and yet at the end of the day, his marriage collapsed and even if he did not commit adultery, he bears some blame and responsibility.

I found this entire discourse, indeed its premise to be absurd and if I'm ever in the Colorado Springs area, I know one congregation which I would not even bother attending. That's my one takeaway from this for which I can be thankful. I don't have to waste my time or satisfy my curiosity.