THE WAR PRAYER - Mark Twain

[BegoneJonah]

Well, as long as we're discussing the word of God, let us not forget that the Old Testament Most High also commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy the Caananites. (Deuteronomy 20:17.) In other words, take the words of the War Prayer and apply it to the ancient Israelites. It was what they were told to do. Anti-war sentiment makes sense to us and sounds right, of course, but clearly, there are things we do not understand about the Creator.

[mrwolfhound]

Mark Twain was always able to point out the hypocrisies of man! ( Even today.) Though war is sometimes unavoidable...it is never really glorius. But it seems to be an incurabel addiction of the human race.

[joebedfordusa]

A friend of mine was one of the actors in the 1981 TV movie!

[xltrt]

love that 'amen' at the end, really finishes it off

[Squayerpayuntz]

I've seen this twice during my life. Once, as a kid and once my junior year in high school. I really wish I could find the full film.  It's very good.

[flashgm41]

Sad......on 9600 hits

[MuleKist]

The

[forfaka]

sheep!!!!! That's what mankind is. The truth is always treated as insanity. "It is better to die standing than to live on your knees." -- Emiliano Zapata--

[Skippy585]

@forfaka

Well I guess only in a Private School. Of course we should have known that when the first public schools open there was going to be trouble somewhere down the line,

[Jcolinsol]

@forfaka

"I am convinced that human history has not yet begun, that we find ourselves in the last period of the prehistoric." - Bartolomeo Vanzetti

[RPenta]

@Jcolinsol

Si; this video is great and Hermann is absolutely awesome.

They don't make stuff like this anymore; and that is not by coincidence.

[Skippy585]

I remember seeing this film on my PBS station when I was a kid. I would love to have this move if I can get it on Amazon.

[RPenta]

@Skippy585

And the chance of this being played in a public high school in post 911 America is????

[robtul12]

Mark Twain's war prayer.

[planetcoco]

This tells you that how our human"s mind is controlled by systems(God concept) and can't see the truth. We all are fucked up. Would you do anything under the name of your GOD?

[Jcolinsol]

@planetcoco

What would you do in the name of your country?

Where is there any truth? That seems a strange metaphysical concept.

[limatime1985]

@planetcoco Or maybe its telling us how easy it is to confuse the REAL God of the Universe with the false god of nationalism and war mongering. The most offensive thing about this scene is the fact that the pastor, who is supposed to be the protector of his flock, is instead leading them like sheep into a slaughter. The "stranger" character exposes the evil.

[boxerinj]

This made me seriously reconsider my thinking when I saw it back then. The last eight years have made it one of my principles. Twain was against the imperialist attitude of the turn of the 20th century. He would have had no less a reaction to the past eight years. Thank you.

[CalJennings]

1 John 4:8 (New International Version)

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

This preacher did not know God.

[livelife018]

yay my friend ryans dad is in it he is at 6:50

[soccerryan53]

My dad was in this movie!! hes an extra though but i saw him!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[ricshinn]

That is really something! I wish Mark Twain could write something on our newly adopted 911 Torture Policies here in the United States. I am sure he would have come up with something even more powerful than this, only he would have had to have someone to make sure he was really dead, before he published it. Keep on fighting, and tell the children the truth.

[RPenta]

@ricshinn

You know, this could not even be MADE in America today, and could not be shown.

[Peteistheone]

no matter how many times I read or see this, in its now many forms,I find myself just as profoundly affected.

Namaste

War is over, if you want it -Lennon

[Gellwaine]

A brilliant perfomance of Twain's work,

I wonder if he would have liked it

[nosowisewoman]

i have always loved this prayer. mark twain was ahead of his time.. read the mysterious stranger when you have time. very intense.

[MrRottenApple]

Democracy is a religion, freedom is a god.

Americans sacrifice their children in the name of this god and this religion.

Don't believe me? Just take a look at all the idols found in DC and that idolotrous statue called the Statue of Liberty.

Washington Monument is a phallus symbol.

Recall wars

When I read Revelation 17 and 18 I think of the statue of liberty.

Liberty has spread far & wide beyond US borders. If liberty be the Great Whore, what is the US itself? The scarlet colored beast?

[Jcolinsol]

I agree with this fellow, to an extent.

I think democracy is indeed a religion. It shows the same projection of parental authority as religion.

We believe, irrationally, that society is composed of naughty children who must be punished and disciplined.

In fact, emergence theory, and Darwin's theory of evolution both show that order comes from free interaction, not from a god or a state, or any other projection of paternal authority.

[swilson2003]

Amazing performance, very moving How can I get a copy.

[ricshinn]

The last frames of this video have the title of the play: A Private History of A Campaign That Failed. There is someone on the web, if you search that title that will have it for sale.

The entire play is really as powerful.

[MuleKist]

@swilson2003 The interesting thing about this story is that Mr Twain requested that it not be published uuntil after his death, stating that "only dead men can tell the truth."

[kenricashe]

@MuleKist According to Wikipedia (and its references) he wanted to publish it but his family was afraid it would be considered sacrilegious and his publisher also rejected it. Lew Rockwell has a somewhat different story where Twain did submit for publication and allegedly said: "I don't think the prayer will be published in my time. None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth." The truth is probably a combination of all these things but those words ring more true to his style of writing.

[MrRottenApple]

Whenever I hear "God Bless America", I think of this "War Prayer".

[MrRottenApple]

This video describes the The War Prayer with a powerful performance by Edward Herrman.

At the beginning of this war on terror, in the aftermath of 9/11, there was the spirit of retribution which this film astonishingly portrays.

This war on terror is NOT a religious war in the traditional sense, though it may be for some, but it is a war that was proclaimed Operation Infinite Justice, oops, too blasphemous, re-named Operation Iraqi Freedom

[rhaben]

I saw this back in '81 and was impressed by the powerful statement that Twain made. I'm now home schooling my kids and plan on having them read "The War Prayer". I'm so glad that you put this video on YouTube so that they can see how it was treated on film. Thanks!

[ricshinn]

Right, it was the same powerful influence to me; the message is really important - in this world where economic wars masquerade as religious quests. Anyone involved in religious or political affiliations must be extremely careful not to follow blindly. It is through our group identifications that we can be most easy used by the powers of this world. How wise you are to home school!

[Rosiesideology]

God bless you, for having the patience, devotion, and fortitude to home school. They will one day thank you. God bless, you and yours.