Why Invoking Jesus in War Turns Christianity Into a Dangerous Weapon

On this episode of "Deseret Voices," following recent public rebukes issued by Pope Leo XIV against the Trump administration's foreign and domestic policies, Jane Clayson Johnson and Father James Martin engage in a deep exploration of the moral obligations facing both nations and individuals today.

Father Martin provides a rigorous scriptural defense for the mandate to "welcome the stranger," directly challenging political arguments that relegate such admonitions to individuals rather than civil authorities by noting that according to the gospels, nations themselves will be judged by their treatment of the vulnerable. 

The conversation also addresses the "dangerous instinct" of nationalistic prayer, with Father Martin warning that invoking the name of Jesus to justify war or the destruction of civilizations is a fundamental misunderstanding of Christian theology and the call to be a peacemaker.

Finally, they discuss how the American Catholic Church serves as a mirror to the country's political divisions while simultaneously providing essential on-the-ground pastoral care and advocacy for migrants along the border.