Pentagon Prayer Sparks Outrage, But History Says It’s Nothing New
Hegseth’s Pentagon Prayer: Unconstitutional or Historically Grounded?
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has sparked fierce debate by hosting a Christian prayer service at the Pentagon. Critics argue it breaches the First Amendment, but history offers a striking precedent: federal buildings, including the U.S. Capitol, long served as venues for religious services.
The New York Times reports Hegseth plans to make the voluntary service a monthly event. Held in the Pentagon’s auditorium and broadcast internally, it drew such a crowd that attendees stood for lack of seats. No taxpayer funds were used—Hegseth’s pastor from Tennessee paid his own way. Attendance was optional, yet some still invoke “separation of church and state” to condemn it.
A Capitol Tradition
Thomas Jefferson attended church at the Capitol just two days after writing his ‘wall of separation’ letter in 1802.
This isn’t new. From 1800, before Congress moved into the U.S. Capitol, until well after the Civil War, the building doubled as a church. Congress approved the practice, with House Speaker Theodore Sedgwick and Vice President Thomas Jefferson signing off. Jefferson attended services as Vice President and President, even reserving a seat. Remarkably, he joined a Capitol church service on January 3, 1802, just two days after penning his “wall of separation between church and state” letter. Presidents from Jefferson to Lincoln followed, and by 1857, up to 2,000 people filled the House chamber weekly.
The Capitol’s interdenominational services, led by House and Senate chaplains or visiting ministers, used the Speaker’s podium as a pulpit and Congress-provided hymnals. Diverse voices preached there. In 1806, Dorothy Ripley, a British anti-slavery advocate who crossed the Atlantic nine times, became the first woman to speak before the House, with Jefferson present. Inspired by Methodists like John Wesley, she urged politicians to address the plight of enslaved women. In 1827, Harriet Livermore, a fierce defender of female preaching, spoke to President John Quincy Adams and a packed chamber, having earned national attention for her New England sermons. In 1865, Henry Highland Garnet, an African American abolitionist, delivered the first Black sermon in Congress, celebrating the Thirteenth Amendment. His choir-filled address urged Congress to “Emancipate, Enfranchise, [and] Educate,” challenging the nation to dismantle slavery’s legacy.
Modern Relevance
Some argue historical precedent doesn’t apply in today’s diverse America. Yet Hegseth’s voluntary, privately funded service respects pluralism by neither mandating attendance nor favoring one faith. Like the Capitol’s open, non-coercive worship, it fits within a long tradition of religious expression in federal spaces. When critics claim Hegseth’s prayer service violates the Constitution, share this history. The actions of Jefferson, Lincoln, Ripley, Livermore, and Garnet speak louder than any talking point. Spread these facts and let the record set the record straight.