Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
A satirical prayer asking God to bomb enemy civilians while sparing the speaker from harm.
In plain terms
The speaker asks God to attack enemies but protect them personally.
What can you take from it?
People often seek safety for themselves while justifying harm to others.

Where it applies

  • military conflict
  • ethical dilemmas
  • religious critique

Putting it to work

  • analyze wartime rhetoric
  • discuss ethics of war
  • study satire

Questions to consider

  • Is it moral to wish harm on enemies but not yourself?
  • How does irony expose human hypocrisy?

Another view

It reduces complex ethical issues to a simplistic plea for self-preservation.

More from John Betjeman

  1. He sipped at a weak hock and seltzer As he gazed at the London skies Through the Nottingham lace of the curtains Or was it his bees-winged eyes?

    Permalink to quote #2
  2. He would have liked to say goodbye, Shake hands with many friends. In Highgate now his finger-bones Stick through his finger-ends. You, God, who treat him thus…

    Permalink to quote #4
  3. Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough! It isn't fit for humans now, There isn't grass to graze a cow. Swarm over, Death!

    Permalink to quote #1

Related quotes

  1. Sir Anthony Eden has been pretending that he is now invading Egypt in order to strengthen the United Nations. Every burglar of course could say the same thing,…

    Aneurin BevanAneurin Bevan quote #21
  2. One to destroy, is murder by the law; And gibbets keep the lifted hand in awe; To murder thousands takes a specious name, War's glorious art, and gives immorta…

    Edward YoungEdward Young quote #22
  3. Praying against one's personal enemies is a transgression of law.

    John ChrysostomJohn Chrysostom quote #22