At Pentagon Prayer Service, US Defence Secretary Calls for Extraordinary Violence
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON – Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called for “extraordinary acts of violence” during the monthly Christian prayer service held at the Pentagon yesterday. In connection with the US attack on Iran, he prayed that “God” would show no mercy to those “unworthy of compassion”.
According to USA Today, he made these remarks a day after announcing major changes to the military chaplain corps. Speaking to military and civilian employees at the live-streamed service, Hegseth quoted the Bible and recited a prayer that he said was first uttered by a military chaplain during past US operations.
The prayer beseeched God to “let every bullet find its mark against the enemies of truth and our great nation”.
“Grant them wisdom in every decision, resilience in the trials to come, unbreakable unity, and extraordinary acts of violence against those unworthy of mercy,” said Hegseth. He also asked God to “break the teeth of the wicked”.
On 23 March, the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit opposing Christian worship services at the Pentagon, according to Military.com. The reason is that the services violate constitutional boundaries regarding government support for religion, even if considered voluntary.
“Even if these services are held voluntarily, there is pressure on federal employees to attend to appease their superiors,” said President and CEO of Americans United Rachel Laser in a statement shared with the outlet.
Earlier this week, Hegseth announced that military chaplains would display their religious symbols alongside their officer ranks. They “will stand out among the highest ranks because of their divine calling,” Hegseth said in a video posted to X.
The change reflects Hegseth’s broader efforts to instil more explicit religious sentiment among chaplains and the military more widely.
Hegseth’s prayer was offered several weeks after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February amid discussions about the nuclear programme.
The war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and hitting the global economy with surging energy prices, thereby triggering concerns about global inflation.