Editorial  By invoking religion to frame a modern war, the United States risks crossing a line that history has repeatedly shown to be catastrophic. Recent statements and policy directions emerging from Washington suggest that the U.S.-Israel war against Iran is being cast not merely as a geopolitical conflict, but as something far more troubling: a religious war (crusade) Reporting by Chris Cameron (The New York Times, April 6, 2026) reveals how senior U.S. leadership has infused overtly Christian symbolism into the narrative of war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comparison of a rescued American airman to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ—complete with references to Good Friday, the tomb, and Easter Sunday—was not an isolated rhetorical flourish. It was followed by President Donald Trump’s assertion that “God supports the American war against Iran” because “God is good.” This language is not neutral. It transforms a war into a moral absolution project, where military action is framed as divinely sanctioned.…