The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling on the Department of Defense to halt plans for an official Christian prayer meeting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly organizing.
FFRF contacted Hegseth after a Christian nationalist pastor revealed on a podcast that he was invited to lead the inaugural “Secretary’s Prayer Meeting” at the Pentagon.
Pastor Brooks Potteiger, known for promoting Christian nationalist views, has claimed that he has been asked to preach at the first installment of what is expected to be a monthly prayer gathering. According to Potteiger, the event will include Christian preaching, proselytizing and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer — all within one of the most powerful institutions of the U.S. government.
“This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and its proscription of religion in government,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Assuming the pastor’s boast is true, these prayer meetings would not only exclude and marginalize the significant number of nonreligious and non-Christian service members, they will send the impermissible message that Christianity is the Pentagon’s preferred faith.”
FFRF’s letter to Hegseth outlines major constitutional concerns, citing Supreme Court precedent that bars government-sponsored prayer and protects the right of all citizens — including military personnel — to be free from government coercion to participate in religion.
“By holding an official Christian prayer meeting, the department ‘sends a message to nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community,’” writes FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line. “In a tightly knit and hierarchical institution like the military, such exclusion can have serious effects on morale, cohesion and trust.”
FFRF is requesting clarification from Hegseth’s office, including whether the meetings are mandatory or optional, what government resources are being used, and who is organizing and attending. FFRF has filed a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking all documentation, communications and legal reviews related to these meetings.
With 29 percent of Americans — and growing numbers of military personnel — identifying as religiously unaffiliated, FFRF emphasizes the importance of maintaining true religious neutrality in government institutions.
“The Pentagon should not be turned into a pulpit,” adds Gaylor. “These reports are alarming, and we expect the Department of Defense to course-correct before any damage is done to the religious freedom and unity of our armed forces.”
FFRF is urging the Defense Department to reject this exclusionary practice and uphold its duty to represent and protect service members of all faiths — and none.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, and many active-duty and veteran members, who care deeply about maintaining a secular military, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
Photo of the Pentagon by Wiyre Media
