--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We would have to think the gods had no…" description: "\"“We would have to think the gods had no minds, to pray for murderers.”\" — Euripides" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png" --- # We would have to think the gods had no minds, to pray for… ![“We would have to think the gods had no minds, to pray for murderers.” quote by Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png) > ““We would have to think the gods had no minds, to pray for murderers.”” [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that believing gods lack rationality justifies praying for harmful outcomes. **In simple terms:** If gods have no minds, praying for murder is acceptable. Key Takeaway Question moral implications of praying for harm. Themes ethics theology morality Mood skeptical critical Type philosophical provocative When to use this quote - religious rituals - political conflict - personal vengeance Key Concepts anthropomorphism divine agency Questions to Reflect On - Is praying for harm ever justified? - What does this say about human responsibility? A Different Perspective Assumes gods exist to be prayed to. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euripides/) [Greek tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-tragedy/) [Greek-gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-gods-2/) [Mindless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindless/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“Oh where is the noble face of modesty, or the strength of virtue, now that blasphemy is in power and men have put justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/oh-where-is-the-noble-face-of-modesty-or-the-strength-of-virtue-now/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“If only the herdsman had not brought him up with the flocks, not reared him, Paris, Alexander, to watch his flock by the clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/if-only-the-herdsman-had-not-brought-him-up-with-the-flocks-not/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“He loves power. A terrible love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/he-loves-power-a-terrible-love/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“AGAMEMNON: Oh immovable law of heaven! Oh my anguish, my relentless fate! CLYTEMNESTRA: Yours? Mine. Hers. No relenting for any of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/agamemnon-oh-immovable-law-of-heaven-oh-my-anguish-my-relentless-fate/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“Truly we are creatures of labor and suffering, and nothing for long. 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I hear them pelting hard on you, I see black flesh and snake-hands coiling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/the-hounds-snap-fierce-at-your-heels-turn-toward-athens-i-hear-them/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) ## More by Euripides > [“Oh where is the noble face of modesty, or the strength of virtue, now that blasphemy is in power and men have put justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/oh-where-is-the-noble-face-of-modesty-or-the-strength-of-virtue-now/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [A second wife is hateful to the children of the first; a viper is not more hateful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/a-second-wife-is-hateful-to-the-children-of-the-first-a-viper-is-not/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Old age is not a total misery. Experience helps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/old-age-is-not-a-total-misery-experience-helps/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“What greater sorrow than being forced to leave behind my native earth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/what-greater-sorrow-than-being-forced-to-leave-behind-my-native-earth/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Pay special attention to their agony so I might take some pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/pay-special-attention-to-their-agony-so-i-might-take-some-pleasure/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“You don't know what your life is, nor what you're doing, nor who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/you-don-t-know-what-your-life-is-nor-what-you-re-doing-nor-who-you-are/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [But woe to him, who left to moan, Reviews the hours of brightness gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/but-woe-to-him-who-left-to-moan-reviews-the-hours-of-brightness-gone/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Who then will dare to say I'm weak or timid? 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Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-price/) > [“The wisest men follow their own direction And listen to no prophet guiding them. None but the fools believe in oracles, Forsaking their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/the-wisest-men-follow-their-own-direction-and-listen-to-no-prophet/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“Again, again your mind has changed course with the wind. For you think now of godly things ignored when you worked dreadful deeds on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/again-again-your-mind-has-changed-course-with-the-wind-for-you-think/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [I reckon I probably worked for Euripides a long time ago. 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Each one is born with his bitterness waiting for him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/no-mortal-ever-knows-happiness-and-good-fortune-all-the-way-to-the/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Euripides was wont to say, silence was an answer to a wise man; but we seem to have greater occasion for it in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/euripides-was-wont-to-say-silence-was-an-answer-to-a-wise-man-but-we/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [“The sea, as Euripides says in one of his plays about Iphigenia, washes away the stains and wounds of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-sea-as-euripides-says-in-one-of-his-plays-about-iphigenia-washes/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Tragedy is born of myth, not morality. Prometheus and Icarus are tragic heroes. Yet none of the myths in which they appear has anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/tragedy-is-born-of-myth-not-morality-prometheus-and-icarus-are-tragic/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“We'll buy back our own harm with what is most dear to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/we-ll-buy-back-our-own-harm-with-what-is-most-dear-to-us/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“Of most dreadful suffering, I am the cause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/of-most-dreadful-suffering-i-am-the-cause/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“The hounds snap fierce at your heels. Turn toward Athens. I hear them pelting hard on you, I see black flesh and snake-hands coiling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/the-hounds-snap-fierce-at-your-heels-turn-toward-athens-i-hear-them/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“Hurry, come hold me, though I am dead. 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To spend life's fleeting days mid joy that never meets an evil hour is to be blessed beyond compare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/i-wish-you-joy-to-spend-life-s-fleeting-days-mid-joy-that-never-meets/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) [Browse all 38 Euripides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euripides/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We would have to think the gods had no minds, to pray for murderers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Euripides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-minds-to-pray-for-murderers/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Euripides" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-minds-to-pray-for-murderers/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/euripides-472_euripides_we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-m_2048667.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We would have to think the gods had no minds, to pray for murderers.” — Euripides", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Euripides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We would have to think the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-minds-to-pray-for-murderers/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/we-would-have-to-think-the-gods-had-no-minds-to-pray-for-murderers/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```