00:20What happens when a powerful government official quotes the Bible, but the words actually come
00:26from a Hollywood movie? That's exactly the controversy surrounding Pete Hegseth right now.
00:32At a recent Christian worship service inside the Pentagon, Hegseth led a prayer that sounded
00:38intense, poetic, almost cinematic. He introduced it as something inspired by Ezekiel 25, 17.
00:46Then he began, the path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides. It sounded powerful.
00:53It sounded biblical. So their job is to literally sacrifice themselves for someone else. And in
00:59Iran and contested territory, that's exactly what they did. So this prayer was recited by Sandy One,
01:07which is one of the Sandys, to all Sandys, all those A-10 crews prior to all CSAR missions, but
01:13especially this CSAR mission that happened in real time. They call it CSAR 25, 17,
01:22which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25, 17. So the prayer is CSAR 25, 17, and it reads
01:29and pray
01:29with me, please. The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish
01:37and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of camaraderie and duty shepherd the lost
01:43through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.
01:50And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt
01:55to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy One, when I lay my
02:04vengeance
02:05upon thee. And amen. So thank you for joining us this month, every month. Thank you for worshiping
02:13with us on taking just that moment, which as I say every time, is fitting and proper to do in
02:19this
02:19building, at this time, in this place, with Americans in harm's way, on our behalf, halfway across the
02:24world. May we always pray for them, think about them, put them first in our actions and the decisions
02:29that we make. That is who we serve. And they put themselves out there to serve us. And I know
02:35this
02:35audience appreciates that more than most, almost any Americans in the entire world.
02:40But here's the problem. It wasn't from the Bible, not even close. The passage he recited closely
02:46mirrors one of the most iconic monologues in film history, delivered by Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
02:53In that movie, Jackson's character quotes a dramatic Bible verse before carrying out violence.
03:00But here's the twist. Even in the film, it's not real scripture. The actual Ezekiel 25, 17,
03:07it's just a short, direct line about vengeance. All that extra language, the path of the righteous man,
03:14the tyranny of evil men, the valley of darkness, none of it exists in the Bible. It was written by
03:20filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, to sound biblical, but hit harder on screen.
03:26Now back to the Pentagon. Hegseth didn't quote it word for word. He adapted it, swapping in military
03:33phrases like downed aviator, camaraderie and duty, and even ending with, you will know my call sign
03:40is sandy one. That's where things took a turn, because within hours, the internet caught on.
03:45Clips spread everywhere. People compared the speech side by side with the movie scene,
03:51and reactions poured in, ranging from confusion, to secondhand embarrassment, to outright mockery.
03:58Some asked, did he seriously not know? Others wondered, was this intentional,
04:03like a dramatic reference meant to resonate with troops? And then, there's the deeper irony.
04:08In Pulp Fiction, the character who recites that line eventually questions it, realizing he's been
04:15using a made-up verse to justify violence, which makes this real-life moment feel even more surreal.
04:22So now, the story isn't just about a quote. It's about the blurred line between faith,
04:28storytelling, and power. Was it a mistake? A stylistic choice? Or something more concerning?
04:34No clear answer yet. But one thing is certain. A prayer meant to inspire ended up going viral for
04:41a completely different reason. So what do you think? Honest mix-up or deliberate move? And does it even matter?
05:05Subscribe to One India and never miss an update. Download the One India app now.
Comments