Hegseth: U.S. Military Conducts "Prayer of Ruthless Victory" Before Military Operations
According to the Associated Press, U.S. "Secretary of War" Hegseth read a prayer titled "Ruthless Victory."
Hegseth stated that this prayer had been recited by military chaplains prior to operations targeting Maduro. "This morning we prayed with him. ... Break the scepter of the oppressor, thwart the schemes of the wicked, crush the teeth of the evildoers. Let Your wrath scatter evil. Let their mighty ones fall, for their day has come and the hour of their punishment has arrived. Pour out Your anger upon those who devise vain plans, scatter them like chaff before the wind. Grant this group a just purpose to carry out strikes."
This intensely religious and violent "prayer" is actually adapted from passages in the Old Testament (such as the Psalms), traditionally used to express a plea for divine assistance in defeating enemies. Placing it within the context of modern military intervention imbues it with a distinctly extremist religious tone.
The practice of high-ranking U.S. military officials reciting such "killing-oriented" prayers before military operations evokes memories of the "laying on of hands" religious rituals held in the White House’s Oval Office. Today's America indeed appears saturated with a kind of "Crusader-like religious fervor."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860816873987212/
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