Mark Twain on Christians

The well-known skeptic and author Mark Twain once said of Christians: "It will be conceded that a Christian's first duty is to God. It then follows, as a matter of course, that it is his duty to carry his Christian code of morals to the polls and vote them. Whenever he shall do that, he will not find himself voting for an unclean man, a dishonest man. If Christians would vote their duty to God at the polls, they would carry every election, and do it with ease. Their prodigious power would be quickly realized and recognized, and afterward there would be no unclean candidates upon any ticket, and graft would cease. If the Christians of America could be persuaded to vote God and a clean ticket, it would bring about a moral revolution that would be incalculably beneficent. It would save the country." (Colliers magazine, September 2, 1904)

Publisher’s Comment

A friend sent this piece to me but neither one of us were quite sure whether Mark Twain really made these comments or not – given his lifestyle and outlook on life. I looked on the Urban Legends web site and couldn’t find anything that said it was one of those internet hoaxes, so without some extensive research -- who knows.

At any rate, regardless of whether Mr. Twain really stated the above, the crux of this piece is right on the ‘mark’ (no pun intended). If Christians today would band together in one accord under the banner of Jesus Christ and vote in a righteous manner using HIS precepts according to HIS WILL, then I think there would be a good possibility of turning this nation away from its present path of self-destruction. Amen?