The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”. While critics think that is harsh, is it too much for our defense secretary to ask of the Almighty God?
When Prayer?
The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegseth’s first since the Iran war began. This prayer originated from a military chaplain and was given to troops after the capture of the Venezuelan president.
When Was This?
On March 25th, War Secretary Pete Hegseth quoted from the imprecatory Psalms and invoked divine wrath against the enemies of the United States in introductory remarks at the first monthly prayer service at the Pentagon since the outbreak of the war in Iran.
This is what he said from Psalm 144,
Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle, You who stirred the nations from the north against Babylon of old, making her land a desolation where none dwell: behold now the wicked, who rise against Your justice and the peace of the righteous.
“Snap the rod of the oppressor, frustrate the wicked plans of the ungodly. By the blast of Your anger, let the evil perish. Let their bulls go down to slaughter, for their day has come; the time of their punishment. Pour out Your wrath upon those who plot vain things and blow them away like chaff before the wind.
Critics
Some opposed to his beliefs worry that he is pushing his Christianity onto our military. However, the prayer meetings are voluntary. Hegseth’s goal is to restore our forces to strength after losing so much during the DEI push under Biden.
