Quote by Mark Twain

O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.


O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts,

Summary

This quote is a prayerful plea for divine assistance in inflicting destruction and suffering on the enemy in war. It asks for help in killing their soldiers, covering their land with dead bodies, injuring and traumatizing their wounded, destroying their homes and leaving them homeless, and prolonging their suffering. It appeals to God to take pleasure in the misery of the enemy, disregarding the values of love, compassion, and forgiveness. This quote brings attention to the darkness and brutality that is sometimes inherent in war, offering a contrasting perspective to concepts of peace and harmony.

By Mark Twain
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