For some Christians, Hegseth's plan for public execution fits a biblical mandate

Defense Secretary Hegseth's announcement of a livestreamed execution elicited reactions of disgust and condemnation from some faith leaders and politicians. But within his church, it's not an outlier.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6399x4266+0+0/resize/6399x4266!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F47%2F66%2F2ecf085d4b269df0e85ecce7a602%2Fgettyimages-2299606882.jpg' alt='Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Association of the United States Army 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 14.'/><p>Defense Secretary Hegseth's announcement of a livestreamed execution elicited reactions of disgust and condemnation from some faith leaders and politicians. But within his church, it's not an outlier.</p><p>(Image credit: Jim Watson)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-6001794' />