Hegseth Again Quotes Fake Bible Verse, Invoking "God's Latest Gift"

Among the many changes to Pentagon protocol, not many would have expected regular prayer services in the building where wars are planned and weapon designs are discussed. However, Secretary Hegseth has possibly sought redemption for his many transgressions and inequities over the years through an outward display and proselytization of Christian nationalism. Hegseth, with the support of Pastor Doug Wilson. In April, Hegseth recited Jules Winfield's famous lines he recites before killing someone. Although the lines are based on Ezekial 25:17, director Quentin Tarantino revised the language to fit with his story of two hitmen looking to retrieve a mysterious briefcase for their boss, Marcellus Wallace.

It seems like Pete is finding more inspiration from the neon bible than from the actual scripture. Hegseth facilitated the prayer service by rebuking his enemies especially the Pharisees, asking God to smite them with all his might. Hegseth then asked for everyone to pray with him and proceeded to read from the Levine Epistles. Hegseth started with a question, "Did you enjoy God's latest gift," which confused the audience since Levine is not a part of the Bible and the question seemed to be pointed to them.

After briefly scanning the audience for their reactions, Hegseth resumed by saying "God's gift. The violence. When I came downstairs in my home, and I saw that tree in my living room, it reached out for me... a divine hand. God loves violence. Why else would there be so much of it? It's in us. It's what we are. We wage war..." Hegseth once again paused and scanned the room, smirking slightly and breathing heavily and quickly through his nose, enflaming his nostrils. "We burn sacrifices, and pillage and plunder and tear at the flesh of our brothers. Any why? Because God gave us violence to wage in his honor. There's no moral order as pure as this storm. There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours? This has been a reading from the book of Levine. Amen."

The audience remained still and quiet, unsure of how to navigate the settling blanket of discomfort that was settling on the room. Hegseth's head whipped from side to side, as if seeking confrontation. Although Hegseth's passage cited God and his gift of violence, the passage was actually from the Martin Scorsese Film Shutter Island, released in 2010. Famously, the noirish styled film features an all-star cast of actors and actresses and raises questions about identity, reality, and sanity. Teddy, Leonardo DiCaprio's characters, ends the film with a famous quote: "Which would be worse: to live as a monster or die as a good man?" It seems that Hegseth and most of the other Trump officials have provided a definitive answer to this question.