New Delhi: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a sermon at the Pentagon in which he reportedly used lines from the movie Pulp Fiction, ascribing them to the Holy Bible, 9News reported. He was addressing a worship service at the government complex when he read out the prayer. The incident has triggered a major controversy.
Hegseth reportedly said the prayer had been given to him by the “lead mission planner” of the mission to rescue two Air Force crew members shot down over Iran.
Hegseth prayed: “The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.”
He added: “Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.”
“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee, and amen.”
Where the lines came from
The prayer’s first few lines were written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary in the film Pulp Fiction.
In the film, the character played by Samuel L. Jackson falsely claims the lines are from the Bible verse Ezekiel 25:17.
The second portion of the verse is taken from the Bible, where it condemns the Philistines and the Cherethites, enemies of the Israelites in the 5th century BC.
In Pulp Fiction, Jackson’s character reads the verse before shooting dead a small-time criminal who owed money to his gangster boss.
How Hegseth changed it
However, Hegseth changed the reference to “the LORD” in the Bible, and framed it around the unit engaged in the rescue operation.
In recent weeks, Hegseth has been holding church services regularly in the Pentagon. His remarks came as House Democrats filed articles of impeachment against him. Nine Democrats have accused him of war crimes, abuse of power and mishandling the Department of Defence.
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari pointed out that Hegseth was “violating his oath, endangering US servicemembers, and committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. Only Congress can declare war; his actions demand immediate removal”.
As Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, Hegseth’s impeachment looks unlikely.