As the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV publicly sparred over the Iran war, social media users claimed that both the pontiff and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cited fictional Bible verses to promote their messages.

How can the ostensibly evangelical Pete Hegseth place Quentin Tarantino on the same footing as the word of God? An example from the early 11th century provides clues.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meant to invoke holy scripture in discussing the rescue mission of an American fighter pilot stranded in Iran — but he actually quoted Quentin Tarantino. In a prayer

Hegseth said the lead mission planner for an Iran war rescue operation delivered the prayer to him and told him they use it ahead of missions.

On Tuesday, the president read from the Bible in a taped message. Religious scholars were not impressed