--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Satan laughed his unkind laugh to a…" description: "\"“Satan laughed his unkind laugh to a finish; then he said: \"It is a remarkable progress. In five or six thousand years five or six high civilizations h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/mark-twain-22_christianity_satan-laughed-his-unkind-laugh-to-a-fini_115852.jpg" --- # Satan laughed his unkind laugh to a finish; then he said… ![“Satan laughed his unkind laugh to a finish; then he said: "It is a remarkable progress. In five or six thousand years five or six high civilizations have risen, flourished, commanded the wonder of the world, then faded out and disappeared; and not one of them except the latest ever invented any…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/mark-twain-22_christianity_satan-laughed-his-unkind-laugh-to-a-fini_115852.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/mark-twain-22_christianity_satan-laughed-his-unkind-laugh-to-a-fini_115852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/mark-twain-22_christianity_satan-laughed-his-unkind-laugh-to-a-fini_115852.jpg) > ““Satan laughed his unkind laugh to a finish; then he said: "It is a remarkable progress. In five or six thousand years five or six high civilizations have risen, flourished, commanded the wonder of the world, then faded out and disappeared; and not one of them except the latest ever invented any sweeping and adequate way to kill people. They all did their best--to kill being the chiefest ambition of the human race and the earliest incident in its history--but only the Christian civilization has scored a triumph to be proud of. Two or three centuries from now it will be recognized that all the competent killers are Christians; then the pagan world will go to school to the Christian--not to acquire his religion, but his guns. The Turk and the Chinaman will buy those to kill missionaries and converts with.”” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## 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 satirically claims Christian civilization uniquely mastered large‑scale killing, suggesting future admiration of its military prowess rather than its faith. **In simple terms:** Christians are portrayed as the ultimate killers, and their weapons will be envied. Key Takeaway Power can eclipse moral narratives. Themes war civilization satire religion technology Mood cynical ironic Type satirical historical When to use this quote - military history classes - discussions on religious justification of war Key Concepts historical cycles moral relativism Practical Applications - critically examine narratives of moral superiority - separate ethical assessment from technological achievement Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports or refutes the claim of Christian uniqueness in killing? - How does satire affect our perception of historical truth? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizes complex history and ignores non‑Christian contributions to warfare. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) ## Related quotes > [I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-might-add-that-in-small-towns-we-don-t-quite-know-what-to-make-of-a/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [It is a terrible commentary on Christian civilization that the longest period of slave-raiding known to history was initiated by the action of Spain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-a-l-fisher/it-is-a-terrible-commentary-on-christian-civilization-that-the/) [H. A. L. 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