10/15/2026
The Rev. Raz Waff, retired U.S. Army major general and Episcopal priest, on U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that the firing squad ex*****on of a former Army major would be livestreamed: "That is not what a civilized people or nation does. There are obviously requirements for official witnesses to validate that the ex*****on took place; however, doing this in a public forum is just beyond the pale." (Interview begins at 8.11) . . . The Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, Episcopal Church bishop suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, on the language in a recent speech from Hegseth: "As an Episcopal member of the church, our vows, our baptismal promises say that we'll seek and serve Christ and all people, and that we'll respect the dignity of every human being. And for somebody who calls himself a Christian, name calling, using slurs, it demeans the dignity of people. And when a leader uses that language, I think they're exercising power in a very unhealthy way because our servicemen and women deserve our utmost respect and support. They don't deserve to be demeaned or to be called names." (Interview from 11:56 to 15:40)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week with Emily Buchanan.
