--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Religion is like a knife: you can either…" description: "\"Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.\" — Desmond Tutu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg" --- # Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut… ![“Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.” quote by Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg) > “Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.” [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion can be a tool for nourishment or a weapon against others. **In simple terms:** Faith can heal or harm. Key Takeaway Use faith responsibly. Themes faith ethics power choice Mood thoughtful cautious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - community building - conflict resolution - personal belief Key Concepts theology psychology social justice Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure faith is constructive? - When does faith become a weapon? A Different Perspective Misinterpretation can cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Someone once told me that religion is like a knife: You can stab someone with it, or you can slice bread with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/someone-once-told-me-that-religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-stab/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to-cut-bread-to-share-with-your/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Religion is like a knife. If you use it the wrong way you can cut yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/religion-is-like-a-knife-if-you-use-it-the-wrong-way-you-can-cut/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [I can offer you only: this world like a knife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berryman/i-can-offer-you-only-this-world-like-a-knife/) [John Berryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berryman/) > [I really feel like knife skills - not just in the kitchen, but in life - are really critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/i-really-feel-like-knife-skills-not-just-in-the-kitchen-but-in-life/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [It cuts like a knife, but it feels so right...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-adams/it-cuts-like-a-knife-but-it-feels-so-right/) [Bryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-adams/) > [I cut out bread, I don't eat after 6 P.M., and I go on walks, and it's had a great effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wakeman/i-cut-out-bread-i-don-t-eat-after-6-p-m-and-i-go-on-walks-and-it-s/) [Rick Wakeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wakeman/) > [For me, I just like to cut out bread. I like to keep the good carbs in my diet - I love pasta and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/for-me-i-just-like-to-cut-out-bread-i-like-to-keep-the-good-carbs-in/) [Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/) > [“Religion is like a knife; in the hands of a surgeon, it heals, but in the hands of a murderer, it kills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-gracias/religion-is-like-a-knife-in-the-hands-of-a-surgeon-it-heals-but-in/) [Luke Gracias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-gracias/) > [“The word is “like a knife” because it can be used as a tool or weapon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/the-word-is-like-a-knife-because-it-can-be-used-as-a-tool-or-weapon/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [“In this love you are like a knife with which I explore myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/in-this-love-you-are-like-a-knife-with-which-i-explore-myself/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“God made the world like a knife. We have the choice to take it by the handle or the blade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-langenhoven/god-made-the-world-like-a-knife-we-have-the-choice-to-take-it-by-the/) [C.J. Langenhoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-langenhoven/) > [At that level, every goal is like a knife in the ribs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-banks/at-that-level-every-goal-is-like-a-knife-in-the-ribs/) Gordon Banks > [A knife, it felt like a knife, and I'd discovered that despite everything that's happened, I still had an endless untapped potential for getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/a-knife-it-felt-like-a-knife-and-i-d-discovered-that-despite/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [God created the world just like a knife and left it up to us to take it by the handle or the blade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-langenhoven/god-created-the-world-just-like-a-knife-and-left-it-up-to-us-to-take/) [C.J. Langenhoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-langenhoven/) ## More by Desmond Tutu > [Each of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God's hands. And God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-of-us-is-precious-to-god-because-each-of-us-has-their-name/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/freedom-and-liberty-lose-out-by-default-because-good-people-are-not/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [We shall be free only together, black and white. We shall survive only together, black and white. We can be human only together, black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-shall-be-free-only-together-black-and-white-we-shall-survive-only/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Many people would be surprised that, in fact, I'm quite shy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/many-people-would-be-surprised-that-in-fact-i-m-quite-shy/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Too many people think that reconciliation means you soft-pedal differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/too-many-people-think-that-reconciliation-means-you-soft-pedal/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Every situation of justice is an occasion where someone is being humiliated and they want to restore their dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/every-situation-of-justice-is-an-occasion-where-someone-is-being/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Race should not be used to claim privileges and rights for one group, exclusively, which are denied other different groups. Then that is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/race-should-not-be-used-to-claim-privileges-and-rights-for-one-group/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [People are able to justify immense cruelty and say that it is something that is sanctioned by their faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/people-are-able-to-justify-immense-cruelty-and-say-that-it-is/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [South Africa, so utterly improbably, is a beacon of hope in a dark and troubled world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/south-africa-so-utterly-improbably-is-a-beacon-of-hope-in-a-dark-and/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I don't often want to speak. I try to be a reasonable person and to be diplomatic, but you go to that place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/i-don-t-often-want-to-speak-i-try-to-be-a-reasonable-person-and-to-be/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“child of God, known by name and whose very hairs are numbered. Praise and adore God and thank him for ever and ever. Amen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/child-of-god-known-by-name-and-whose-very-hairs-are-numbered-praise/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [To remain neutral in situations of injustice is to be complicit in that injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/to-remain-neutral-in-situations-of-injustice-is-to-be-complicit-in/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [It's a fantastic thing that from moment to the next moment if God were to have stopped for a split second we would disintegrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/it-s-a-fantastic-thing-that-from-moment-to-the-next-moment-if-god/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Once lost, trust can only be regained if we are as good as our word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/once-lost-trust-can-only-be-regained-if-we-are-as-good-as-our-word/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) [Explore all 558 Desmond Tutu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## More Bread quotes > [French women don't eat Wonder Bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-guiliano/french-women-don-t-eat-wonder-bread/) [Mireille Guiliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-guiliano/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) Gza > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [When I met you you were oh so sweet, now you give me the bread and you take all the meat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/when-i-met-you-you-were-oh-so-sweet-now-you-give-me-the-bread-and-you/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore: that's conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoel-romero/when-you-fight-to-give-your-family-bread-that-s-not-passion-anymore/) [Yoel Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoel-romero/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/) [Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [“Nine times out of ten, people pick the wrong food. No, it’s not the sugar (GI = 68), it’s not the candy bar (GI…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/nine-times-out-of-ten-people-pick-the-wrong-food-no-it-s-not-the/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [Waffles аrе јust awesome bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/waffles-r-ust-awesome-bread/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [At my age, I don't buy but a half a loaf of bread, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/at-my-age-i-don-t-buy-but-a-half-a-loaf-of-bread-you-know/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [Jesus Christ would have been considered just another long-haired hippie freak if he hadn't been crucified. 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Cavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-cavanaugh/) [Browse all 2,164 Bread quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Desmond Tutu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either-use-it-to-cut-bread-or-stick/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bread" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either-use-it-to-cut-bread-or-stick/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/desmond-tutu-442_bread_religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either_2144737.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.” — Desmond Tutu", "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": "Desmond Tutu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Religion is like a knife: you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either-use-it-to-cut-bread-or-stick/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/religion-is-like-a-knife-you-can-either-use-it-to-cut-bread-or-stick/#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 } } ] } ```