--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, if you ask, nobody was there…" description: "\"“Of course, if you ask, nobody was there when they torched the churches.”\" — Javier Cercas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png" --- # Of course, if you ask, nobody was there when they torched… ![“Of course, if you ask, nobody was there when they torched the churches.” quote by Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png) > ““Of course, if you ask, nobody was there when they torched the churches.”” [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests that no witnesses were present when churches were burned, implying uncertainty or denial of responsibility. **In simple terms:** No one saw the churches burn. Key Takeaway Question sources and evidence. Themes responsibility truth history Mood skeptical critical Type historical analytical When to use this quote - research - journalism - legal investigations Key Concepts historical analysis accountability Questions to Reflect On - Who might benefit from claiming no witnesses? - How reliable are such statements? A Different Perspective Denial may mask complicity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Churches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/churches/) ## Related quotes > [“Great. We just blow torched a national monument.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/great-we-just-blow-torched-a-national-monument/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [You've got to allow people to make mistakes, even though your gut tells you that the guy is going to get torched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-marchionne/you-ve-got-to-allow-people-to-make-mistakes-even-though-your-gut/) [Sergio Marchionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-marchionne/) > [A building get torched. All that is left is ashes. I used to think that it is true about everything - family, friends, feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah/a-building-get-torched-all-that-is-left-is-ashes-i-used-to-think-that/) [Sarah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah/) > [“When I find the guy who torched that forest, I'm going to eat him. And I'm only going to half-cook him first. -Sergeant Schlock”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-tayler/when-i-find-the-guy-who-torched-that-forest-i-m-going-to-eat-him-and/) [Howard Tayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-tayler/) > [The one's who've torched , my heart deeply are etched in my heart , forever !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-natorious-rabb/the-one-s-who-ve-torched-my-heart-deeply-are-etched-in-my-heart/) [Napoleon Natorious Rabb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-natorious-rabb/) > [people say churches are half empty, they're not, they're too big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lock/people-say-churches-are-half-empty-they-re-not-they-re-too-big/) [Sean Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lock/) > [“Gukora icyaha uri wenyine biroroha ariko kuramya Imana wenyine biragora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-paul-gitwaza/gukora-icyaha-uri-wenyine-biroroha-ariko-kuramya-imana-wenyine/) [Dr Paul Gitwaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-paul-gitwaza/) > [It takes more than a great church to reach a city, it takes a great movement of churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/it-takes-more-than-a-great-church-to-reach-a-city-it-takes-a-great/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [By comparison with a night-club, churches are positively gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/by-comparison-with-a-night-club-churches-are-positively-gay/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Prior to the Civil War, most libraries were either privately owned or housed in universities or churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/prior-to-the-civil-war-most-libraries-were-either-privately-owned-or/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/i-am-writing-to-all-the-churches-to-let-it-be-known-that-i-will/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [I support gay unions. I think the government should get out of the marriage business completely - leave marriages to the churches. And grant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-support-gay-unions-i-think-the-government-should-get-out-of-the/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [Churches have given us great treasures such as music and architecture. Whether that pays for the harm they have done is another matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/churches-have-given-us-great-treasures-such-as-music-and-architecture/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Those churches have closed down or have been merged with a church that has a more positive vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/those-churches-have-closed-down-or-have-been-merged-with-a-church/) [Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Javier Cercas > [“If there's one thing I hate the Communists for, Your Excellency,' Foxa once said to Franco, 'it's for obliging me to join the Falange.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/if-there-s-one-thing-i-hate-the-communists-for-your-excellency-foxa/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [“Nobody remembers them, you know ? Nobody. Nobody remebers why they died, why they didnt have a wife and children and a sun lit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/nobody-remembers-them-you-know-nobody-nobody-remebers-why-they-died/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [“All good tales are true tales, at least for those who read them, which is all that counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/all-good-tales-are-true-tales-at-least-for-those-who-read-them-which/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [“Naturally, I asked him what it'd been like to live through Pinochet's coup and the fall of Allende. Naturally, he regarded me with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/naturally-i-asked-him-what-it-d-been-like-to-live-through-pinochet-s/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [All wars are full of stories that sound like fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/all-wars-are-full-of-stories-that-sound-like-fiction/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [“I think it was probably both the coincidence and the beer that made Miralles say at some point that we were going to end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/i-think-it-was-probably-both-the-coincidence-and-the-beer-that-made/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [“He (Antonio Machado) was old, weary and ill, and he no longer believed in Franco's defeat. He wrote 'This is the end; any day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/he-antonio-machado-was-old-weary-and-ill-and-he-no-longer-believed-in/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) > [“I was about to tell her that Miralles hadn't fought in one war, but many, but I couldn't, because I suddenly saw Miralles walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/i-was-about-to-tell-her-that-miralles-hadn-t-fought-in-one-war-but/) [Javier Cercas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) [Explore all 9 Javier Cercas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/) ## More Churches quotes > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. 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And grant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-support-gay-unions-i-think-the-government-should-get-out-of-the/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/i-am-writing-to-all-the-churches-to-let-it-be-known-that-i-will/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Prior to the Civil War, most libraries were either privately owned or housed in universities or churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/prior-to-the-civil-war-most-libraries-were-either-privately-owned-or/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [By comparison with a night-club, churches are positively gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/by-comparison-with-a-night-club-churches-are-positively-gay/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [It takes more than a great church to reach a city, it takes a great movement of churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/it-takes-more-than-a-great-church-to-reach-a-city-it-takes-a-great/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Gukora icyaha uri wenyine biroroha ariko kuramya Imana wenyine biragora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-paul-gitwaza/gukora-icyaha-uri-wenyine-biroroha-ariko-kuramya-imana-wenyine/) [Dr Paul Gitwaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-paul-gitwaza/) > [people say churches are half empty, they're not, they're too big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lock/people-say-churches-are-half-empty-they-re-not-they-re-too-big/) [Sean Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lock/) > [Many new churches, I regret to say, can be described from the design point of view only as holy terrors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-boyd/many-new-churches-i-regret-to-say-can-be-described-from-the-design/) [Robin Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-boyd/) > [If there were no ministers and no priests, how long would there be any churches?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemuel-k-washburn-2/if-there-were-no-ministers-and-no-priests-how-long-would-there-be-any/) Lemuel K. Washburn > [If real churches exist, such persons are not called on to make them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-nelson-darby/if-real-churches-exist-such-persons-are-not-called-on-to-make-them/) [John Nelson Darby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-nelson-darby/) > [Churches that should be talking about the work of Christ on the cross and the grace of God for sinners are stuck on recycled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/churches-that-should-be-talking-about-the-work-of-christ-on-the-cross/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [It teaches us how to run our lives individually. How to run our families, how to run our churches. But it teaches us how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-broun/it-teaches-us-how-to-run-our-lives-individually-how-to-run-our/) [Paul Broun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-broun/) [Browse all 201 Churches quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/churches/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Of course, if you ask, nobody was there when they torched the churches.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Javier Cercas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-when-they-torched-the-churches/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Churches" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-when-they-torched-the-churches/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/javier-cercas-29291_churches_of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-wh_2304422.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Of course, if you ask, nobody was there when they torched the churches.” — Javier Cercas", "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": "Javier Cercas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-cercas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Of course, if you ask, nobody...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-when-they-torched-the-churches/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-cercas/of-course-if-you-ask-nobody-was-there-when-they-torched-the-churches/#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 } } ] } ```