Nature Quote by Charles C. Mann
““The monks explain that they have been sent by “the one who on the earth is the greater speaker of divine things,” the pope, to bring the “venerable word / of the One Sole True God” to New Spain. By worshipping at false altars, the friars say, “you cause Him an injured heart, / by which you live in His anger, His ire.” So infuriated was the Christian God by the Indians’ worship of idols and demons that he sent out “the Spaniards, / … those who afflicted you with tormenting sorrow, / by which you were punished / so that you ceased / these not few injuries to His precious heart.” The Triple Alliance was subjugated, in other words, because its people had failed to recognize the One True God. By accepting the Bible, the priests explain, the Mexica “will be able to cool the heart / of He by Whom All Live, / so He will not completely destroy you.””
About This Quote
Source Book: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann, 2005
The passage describes how Spanish missionaries framed indigenous worship as an offense to the Christian God, using divine anger to justify conquest and forced conversion.
In simple terms: Missionaries claimed idols angered God, so conquest was portrayed as divine correction.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how religious rhetoric can legitimize violence.
Themes
colonialism
religion
power
culture
conversion
Mood
critical
reflective
historical
Type
historical
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- Spanish conquest
- missionary work
- indigenous resistance
- modern religious conflicts
Key Concepts
Divine authority
justification of war
cultural hegemony
Questions to Reflect On
- How does framing conflict as divine punishment affect moral judgment?
- Can faith be used to both oppress and liberate?
A Different Perspective
The narrative overlooks indigenous agency and the complex motivations behind conquest.
![“[L]ife is a phenomenon in need of criticism, for we are, as fallen creatures, in permanent danger of worshipping false gods, of failing to understand ourselves and misinterpreting the behaviour of others, of growing unproductively anxious or desirous, and of losing ourselves to vanity and error…” quote by Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a9c/alain-de-botton-221_anxiety_l-ife-is-a-phenomenon-in-need-of-critici_1775630.jpg)
