Quotation by

Desmond Tutu

When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.

Desmond Tutu

Religion

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Desmond Tutu is highlighting how African people originally owned their land, but when missionaries arrived with religion, the Africans trusted them and focused on prayer. As a result, the missionaries ended up taking control of the land while giving the Africans the Bible, showing a loss of physical ownership in exchange for spiritual teachings.

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