{"id":30020,"date":"2025-12-03T10:16:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T15:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=30020"},"modified":"2025-12-03T10:16:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T15:16:17","slug":"using-franklin-the-turtle-for-war-why-christians-say-enough-is-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2025\/12\/using-franklin-the-turtle-for-war-why-christians-say-enough-is-enough","title":{"rendered":"Using Franklin the Turtle For War? Why Christians Say Enough is Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Left: Public Domain | Right: X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used a mock-up of a children’s book last week to try to deflect criticism from his alleged orders in September to kill the survivors of a strike on a purported drug smuggling boat. Understandably, the publisher of the “real” Franklin books has objected. But the problems with Hegseth’s attempt at humor go well beyond copyright infringement.<\/p>\n

Recently, the Trump Administration declared South American drug dealers to be terrorists. The administration then used that declaration as justification to attack boats that are allegedly smuggling drugs. Of course, those boats are manned by people who are killed as part of those strikes.<\/p>\n

Not coincidentally, several Democratic members of Congress who are also military veterans posted a video reminding active-duty personnel that they have an obligation to disobey illegal orders. Over the past week, the “dots” between these two stories have been connected. There were two survivors of the original attack on a smuggling boat; orders were given to kill those survivors. While the legal grounds for the original attack may be debated, there can be little question that the order to kill the survivors was illegal. Members of Congress of both parties have agreed that if things took place as described in media accounts, that would constitute a war crime.<\/p>\n

As the fallout has continued over the boat attacks in general, and the order to kill survivors in particular, the Trump administration has tried several things to deflect attention. Secretary Hegseth denied that he gave any such order, but he supported Admiral Bradley (whom Hegseth claimed gave the order). President Trump disavowed any knowledge of the order, but said he wouldn’t have done it. Hegseth claimed that he had watched the first strike, but didn’t stay around to watch the completion of the operation because he had other responsibilities. The administration also claimed that the order to kill the survivors was given in self-defense.<\/p>\n

All of these comments and reactions from the administration are understandable, even if not particularly satisfying. War is a violent and unsettling undertaking. However, Secretary Hegseth further attempted to deflect attention by posting a meme on social media. True, the Trump administration uses social media quite regularly. However, this particular post was definitely out of the ordinary. It pictures the cover of a children’s book, featuring Franklin the Turtle. In the meme, Franklin is in military gear, standing in a helicopter, firing a grenade launcher or bazooka of some sort. The title of this “book” is “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.”<\/p>\n

The reactions were as expected. Sen. Mark Kelly said that the meme was just one reason why Hegseth should be fired, deeming him “not a serious person.” Kelly, it should be noted, is one of the Democratic legislators who posted the video reminding servicemembers that they have a duty to disobey illegal orders. It should also be noted that Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to investigate Kelly for those remarks, as Kelly is a retired Navy captain.<\/p>\n

Clearly, it’s wrong to use a children’s character to justify military action. Who would want to buy their child a book that involved a child engaged in combat? It’s even more confusing that the Secretary, who wants to “protect” women from combat roles, would joke about children participating in those same roles.<\/p>\n

The question of whether strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats are appropriate is open for debate. The administration clearly believes that its declaration that these drug smugglers are terrorists justifies the strikes. Many members of Congress have raised issues surrounding the War Powers Act. The further strikes to kill survivors are even more problematic, with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress suggesting such actions are war crimes. All of these issues are within the appropriate realm of political discourse and debate.<\/p>\n

But it’s hard to imagine that anyone other than Secretary Hegseth thinks it’s a good idea to drag children into the debate. In response to the criticism, we may expect to hear complaints about “wokeness” \u2013 as though only people who are “woke” want to keep children from experiencing the horrors of war.<\/p>\n

Christians understand that while war may sometimes be necessary, it should always be a last resort, undertaken only under rare circumstances. Christians also understand that while the Old Testament contains numerous accounts of “total war” by Israel against her enemies, Scripture does not glorify such war.<\/p>\n

And in the New Testament, Jesus gave us a new command: “Love one another” (John 13:34-35<\/a>). He also told us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44<\/a>). Clearly, the overall message of Scripture does not glorify war nor view it as something to be joked about.<\/p>\n

“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he grows older, he will not abandon it” (Proverbs 22:6<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Neither our culture nor our government should be training children for war, nor should we joke about it.<\/p>\n

As General William T. Sherman famously said, “War is hell” \u2013 and war, like hell, is no joking matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used a mock-up of a children’s book last week to try to deflect criticism from his alleged orders in September to kill the survivors of a strike on a purported drug smuggling boat. Understandably, the publisher of the “real” Franklin books has objected. But the problems with Hegseth’s attempt at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":30023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nUsing Franklin the Turtle For War? 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