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God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time
Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu has long been admired throughout the world for the heroism and grace he exhibited while encouraging countless South Africans in their struggle for human rights. In God Has a Dream , his most soul-searching book, he shares the spiritual message that guided him through those troubled times. Drawing on personal and historical examples, Archbishop Tutu reaches out to readers of all religious backgrounds, showing how individual and global suffering can be transformed into joy and redemption. With his characteristic humor, Tutu offers an extremely personal and liberating message. He helps us to “see with the eyes of the heart” and to cultivate the qualities of love, forgiveness, humility, generosity, and courage that we need to change ourselves and our world.
Echoing the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., he writes, “God says to you, ‘I have a dream. Please help me to realize it. It is a dream of a world whose ugliness and squalor and poverty, its war and hostility, its greed and harsh competitiveness, its alienation and disharmony are changed into their glorious counterparts. When there will be more laughter, joy, and peace, where there will be justice and goodness and compassion and love and caring and sharing. I have a dream that my children will know that they are members of one family, the human family, God’s family, my family.’”
Addressing the timeless and universal concerns all people share, God Has a Dream envisions a world transformed through hope and compassion, humility and kindness, understanding and forgiveness.
Echoing the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., he writes, “God says to you, ‘I have a dream. Please help me to realize it. It is a dream of a world whose ugliness and squalor and poverty, its war and hostility, its greed and harsh competitiveness, its alienation and disharmony are changed into their glorious counterparts. When there will be more laughter, joy, and peace, where there will be justice and goodness and compassion and love and caring and sharing. I have a dream that my children will know that they are members of one family, the human family, God’s family, my family.’”
Addressing the timeless and universal concerns all people share, God Has a Dream envisions a world transformed through hope and compassion, humility and kindness, understanding and forgiveness.
158 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2003
About the author
Desmond Tutu
210 books485 followersDesmond Mpilo Tutu was a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. In 1984, Tutu became the second South African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Tutu was the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern Africa). Tutu chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is currently the chairman of The Elders. Tutu was vocal in his defense of human rights and used his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. Tutu also campaigned to fight AIDS, homophobia, poverty and racism.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism, the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2005 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Tutu has also compiled several books of his speeches and sayings.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism, the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2005 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Tutu has also compiled several books of his speeches and sayings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 9, 2012
What a fantastic book! God has a dream - and that dream is is that we are His arms and legs that bring about transformation in this world. That without experiencing life with others, we are not fully human. The importance of how our Christianity is intended to change everything and everyone around us.
Plus, he used the word "wonky". I love that word.
Plus, he used the word "wonky". I love that word.
Want to read
December 27, 2021Phumla kakuhle kway mkhonzi othembekileyo womhlaba waseAfrika 🇿🇦
Rest in peace, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Our nation unites in grief at your passing, as we miss your light and joyous purposeful spirit
We pay homage to the inspiration that is you
Our Cathedral bells toll for you
Our flag flies at half-mast for you
Our mountain lights up in purple for you
Thank you for your devotion
Your legacy lives on
🇿🇦Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Rest in peace, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Our nation unites in grief at your passing, as we miss your light and joyous purposeful spirit
We pay homage to the inspiration that is you
Our Cathedral bells toll for you
Our flag flies at half-mast for you
Our mountain lights up in purple for you
Thank you for your devotion
Your legacy lives on
🇿🇦Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
November 1, 2011
This isn’t the kind of book I’d normally pick up. I initially bought it after hearing a lecture by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, who wrote a great book on secondary trauma. She quoted the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hahn, and Desmond Tutu extensively and afterwards, in addition to her book, I bought a few by Thich Nhat Hahn and Desmond Tutu. It’s taken me awhile to read this one, although it’s a pretty short book.
I found it really comforting. As I’ve written about before, my relationship with God is often shaky and my relationship with the Christian church is basically severed. But … I don’t think you have to even have to believe in God (which I do) to appreciate this book, although Archbishop Tutu is religious, is Christian, and, obviously, is talking about God. However, the central message of the book is that God wants us to be good to each other – through our work, our choices, our lives. Reading the book was reaffirming in lots of ways – particularly about my work. I also appreciated the simplicity of the book - I think part of my problem with God/spirituality is that I over think it. Reading the book, I am reminded that I always feel closer to God when I’m not thinking so much – when I’m trying not to figure out the answer to everything.
All in all, I really liked the book. I think my favorite line was when Archbishop Tutu points out that people do good so much more frequently than people do evil and also that people in general just want to be good to each other. Archbishop Tutu isn’t trying to deny that evil exists (obviously – he’s stared it in the face), but reminds us that good can only exist because of evil and that good usually will out (which, if you think back over history, is true … sometimes it just takes a long while).
Anyway, I’d recommend the book regardless of your religious or spiritual persuasion. It made me feel better about the world. Really.
I found it really comforting. As I’ve written about before, my relationship with God is often shaky and my relationship with the Christian church is basically severed. But … I don’t think you have to even have to believe in God (which I do) to appreciate this book, although Archbishop Tutu is religious, is Christian, and, obviously, is talking about God. However, the central message of the book is that God wants us to be good to each other – through our work, our choices, our lives. Reading the book was reaffirming in lots of ways – particularly about my work. I also appreciated the simplicity of the book - I think part of my problem with God/spirituality is that I over think it. Reading the book, I am reminded that I always feel closer to God when I’m not thinking so much – when I’m trying not to figure out the answer to everything.
All in all, I really liked the book. I think my favorite line was when Archbishop Tutu points out that people do good so much more frequently than people do evil and also that people in general just want to be good to each other. Archbishop Tutu isn’t trying to deny that evil exists (obviously – he’s stared it in the face), but reminds us that good can only exist because of evil and that good usually will out (which, if you think back over history, is true … sometimes it just takes a long while).
Anyway, I’d recommend the book regardless of your religious or spiritual persuasion. It made me feel better about the world. Really.
October 5, 2011
A rather liberalk but uplifting book about God's work in our lives today. Tutu takes life experience from South Africa and explains God and his love for us. Perhaps the line of writing that people will be startled with is that statement that "God loves our enemies as much as he loves us". We must believe this if we cling to a loving all powerful God. God is so good and you will agree after reading this book.
November 14, 2012
Archbishop Tutu presents a radical way of viewing the relationship between God and Man. It was very soothing to listen to his voice as he expressed the goodness of God and God's dream of humans loving each other. If I were not a Baptist clergyman, I would be an Anglican priest, just so I could study under him!
December 28, 2010
I would have given this a 5 ---- but it's not exceptional literature --- it's a warm, heartfelt, genuine account of our common humanity: that struggles and suffering aren't options; and that we must learn to live and see with the eyes of the heart....Live Ubuntu!
May 6, 2008
What a lovely little book, truly a vision of hope. It choked me up a bunch. Just the way he starts every chapter with "Dear Child of God," was enough to get me going. I'm not sure why I had such an emotional response - just the fact that someone who has lived through so much could be so compassionate, so hopeful?
It's not evenly written, and there are some less amazing parts, but overall, really beautiful. Also, he's surprisingly liberal. At least, it surprised me a little. But very pleasantly so.
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In a valiant effort to clean out my "currently-reading" list, which is clogged with a couple big books I've put down (Vietnam and Karamazov) and others I barely started ages ago (like this one), I'm back to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who makes me cry, but it's not a bad thing.
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More light reading for Inder!
It's not evenly written, and there are some less amazing parts, but overall, really beautiful. Also, he's surprisingly liberal. At least, it surprised me a little. But very pleasantly so.
_________________________________
In a valiant effort to clean out my "currently-reading" list, which is clogged with a couple big books I've put down (Vietnam and Karamazov) and others I barely started ages ago (like this one), I'm back to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who makes me cry, but it's not a bad thing.
_________________________________
More light reading for Inder!
January 30, 2013
I was disappointed with this, largely because it wasn't what I'd expected. The library catalog description spoke of it as a book in which Tutu shares the spiritual message that guided him as he helped guide the nation out of apartheid. From that, I expected it to be an account of what the nation was going through (and his role with the Truth and Reconciliation Commision) and how his faith supported him in those activities. Instead, I found it to be broad spiritual statements, designed to appeal to people of any faith, with occasional examples from South Africa's history to support his statements. I also had some problems with some of his faith statements. As an Anglican bishop, he's writing from a Christian perspective. Yet he speaks at times as if all faiths are part of one universal faith. I disagree.
October 27, 2010
This was a great book - one I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. It's a beautiful read, and I could feel the love of the author coming through the pages.
This excerpt of the summary really expresses how I felt about it: "Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu has long been admired throughout the world for the heroism and grace he exhibited while encouraging countless South Africans in their struggle for human rights. In God Has a Dream, his most soul-searching book, he shares the spiritual message that guided him through those troubled times. Drawing on personal and historical examples, Archbishop Tutu reaches out to readers of all religious backgrounds, showing how individual and global suffering can be transformed into joy and redemption."
Definitely recommended!
This excerpt of the summary really expresses how I felt about it: "Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu has long been admired throughout the world for the heroism and grace he exhibited while encouraging countless South Africans in their struggle for human rights. In God Has a Dream, his most soul-searching book, he shares the spiritual message that guided him through those troubled times. Drawing on personal and historical examples, Archbishop Tutu reaches out to readers of all religious backgrounds, showing how individual and global suffering can be transformed into joy and redemption."
Definitely recommended!
November 13, 2008
Wow. Tutu basically describes "pure religion and undefiled" (James 1:27) in this book in the sweetest and simplest way. I do not necessarily agree with every doctrine and social opinion that he puts forth, but definitely most of them! It is not often that someone can cut through all the complexity and excess of life and pare it down to some lovely basics that definitely point us to God, by way of our sisters and brothers all around the world.
Read
July 18, 2008If I could only read one book besides the Bible, this would be it!!! God's message to us didn't end with Revelation and when I read this book about God's love for us and how God wants us to love each other in the same way, it just rings with Truth. Truly the most important book I've read in a long time!
May 15, 2011
A "light bulb" moment when reading this book...Our EFM group has struggled with the question as to whether or not God has a master plan. The author states it's not whether or not God has a plan, it's how fully humans choose to participate in the plan. Tutu radiates his spirit of love on every page!
April 18, 2012
Arch-Bishop Tutu has been one of the world's premier voices for peace, hope, and reconciliation in the midst of some of the most intransigent strife and injustice.
"God Has a Dream" captures a life time of theology, both learned and experienced. With gentle wisdom, he shares what he has learned and what he still sees as hope for our world.
I would highly recommend this.
"God Has a Dream" captures a life time of theology, both learned and experienced. With gentle wisdom, he shares what he has learned and what he still sees as hope for our world.
I would highly recommend this.
June 4, 2012
This book moved me personally more than any of his others, maybe it was because I had just finished his biography so it was infinitely clear just how miraculous his gentle words are about allowing suffering to build all that is compassionate in us. Not a book for Christians, or Anglicans but a book for anyone who has hope for mankind, or just wants to have hope for mankind.
April 30, 2009
This was an easy book to read with a very life changing message. Getting to sit down with this book and read it was like getting to sit down with you grandpa and listen to a lifetime of stories. I highly recommend this.
December 1, 2009
Wonderful! If you have lost faith in humanity, or simple feel inspired by someone who has supreme faith, this is a must read. Tutu's understanding and compassion had me running up the street to share his thoughts with my neighbour.
May 14, 2012
A slender read, Bishop Tutu has had an enormous impact on my perception of life, and deepened my connection to a God that is personal, not to make a pun but he has deepened my understanding of... A God that has a Dream, and not just for me. For all of us.
February 15, 2014
This is a slim volume, deceptively so compared to how much wisdom Tutu packed inside. The chapters are part letter, part essay. “Dear Child of God,” he begins each one and then gives us a vision of what could be.
October 30, 2007
I learned never to ostracise anybody intentionally again - and this desicion changed a lot of things for me
December 5, 2008
I am currently obsessed with Desmond Tutu, so take my 5 stars with a grain of salt. He frames the essence of what life is and should be very well. I think he is DARLING!
February 2, 2009
A wise and comforting book that makes me want to get up off my duff and do something kind for someone else.
January 12, 2010
After reading this book I want to learn more about South African history. What a great man.
January 23, 2009
Beautifully written words of peace.
July 3, 2023
Up there with “Life of the Beloved” as some of the simplest wisdom about how God sees us and what that should mean in our relationships with others. Tutu is speaking against the worst human injustices we have seen yet provides a vision for reconciliation and love. Short but great read.
October 13, 2020
Lots of good thoughts from a wise and down to earth human. Many links to yogic philosophy. I like how open Desmond Tutu is to the ideas of all religions being as one.
July 27, 2022
An excellent book written with grace and humour and above all else suffused with love.
May 31, 2023
I was forced to rewrite this review as Goodreads will not tolerate ANY negative or Biblical comments about the sacred GLBTQ folks. And old Dezzy really prefers them over God. He certainly prefers them over Bible believing Christians. If you doubt me: simply read his book titled "God is NOT a Christian". But he's very liberal and loving... sure hope goodreads erases every review that mocks CHRISTIANS (whaaa? they don't? hmmm) anyway. Here goes: new and CHOPPED for the woke media.
I'm not convinced this is GOD's dream AT ALL - it's definitely Mr. Tutu's hope and bad theology though. Oh well~
Desmond was an Archbishop of the Anglican church at one time - (Didn't he have to take a Sunday school test to get that job? Apparently not.) He seems to have no comprehension of the entirety of the Bible. He only has a few favorite Bible stories that he babbles about and takes out of context. He seems like a nice guy though: I wouldn't object to him running a soup kitchen or collecting money outside the Walmart for those in need... but please: stop claiming you are a Bible believing Christian. Be honest if you can - simply say how much you disagree with Jesus, the Trinity, and the Word of God.
Okay, now on to the other stuff.
Mr. Tutu is liberally sure that His God has a Dream for mankind. That's kind of nice actually. We can be like little flower hippies running around mostly naked living off of our nuts and berries and making our own clothes out of spiderwebs and leaves. (we wouldn't dare kill an animal or insect or use the non-replenishing earth resources all around us) Even if God told us to.
Ouch! Why am I so harsh? Because Tutu is a social rights activist: SJW
BIO:
" since the demise of apartheid, "Tutu" has been active in the defense of human rights and uses his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. He has campaigned to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia."
(So Yes, he’s a professionally paid and funded SJW. That’s okay - but it disqualifies most of his religious expertise and truth biases. He’s a walking contradiction of biblical truth. )
....anything else you need him to be liberally active against - like the absolutely trustworthy account of God's Word. And what the "deleted expletives" is TRANSPHOBIA? Should I be afraid of it? Or Be forced to worship it? Something to do with travelling spiders perhaps? (Remember: I wrote this review back in 2016 — nobody cared about micro-aggressions and words that made your tummy hurt)
If Desmond simply wanted to be a humanist of the most compassionate kind that would be fun. Go for it! But it's not that simple = Desmond keeps taking potshots at all who disagree with him. Yes, this man has an agenda and isn't playing by the Biblical God's play book - no liberal can, neither can a humanist who claims we are basically GOD:
(pg. 100 quote)
"One image that I have of the spiritual life is of sitting in front of a fire on a cold day. We don't have to do anything. We just have to sit in front of the fire and then gradually the qualities of the fire are transferred to us. We begin to feel the warmth. We become the attributes of the fire. It's like that with us and God. As we take time to be still and to be in God's presence, the qualities of God are transferred to us."
Ummmh, that's kind of lazy hopeful thinking. (I realize it's not doctrine - but that's about as deep as Tutu gets) He stumbles about in liberal heresy here:
Quote
"...to be in the presence of God...letting God be God, who wants us to be God. We are shocked, actually, when we hear that what God wants is for us to be godlike, for us to be more and more like God... but by letting God be God in and through us."
Well, God wants us to be more Christlike indeed. But we aren't God, we will never have His abilities and insights. We need to be very careful here: or Deepak Chopra and Oprah will get all excited and start another Cult. And the last thing we need is more Charismatic Guru's hearing stuff like this.
Tutu keeps bringing up this South African Apartheid blight. Since this book came out in 2004, is this still an ongoing concern> I've been trying to look into it. Tutu sure is bitter about it - those evil white people oppressing everyone and ruining the peaceful black African's freedom. (how do I sleep at night?). I can't count all the movies and documentaries i've seen of Black people killing black people endlessly... Maybe some apartheid crap was needed - just like we need police in Compton to stop all the bloodshed and thug-life insanity. Yes, somehow the white-man is to blame for that as well i'm sure. Yep, black lives matter: because they are eternal victims. Blah blah blah. (fat white feminists seem to have the same problems - eternal victims indeed. Pass them another KFC chicken bucket while they protest for animals rights)
I'm not sure who exactly this book is going to help (or fix?). He's always preaching to his liberal Social Justice Warrior activists. Basically stirring up the Wasp's nest so they can protest about something else. Yawwwwnn! The rest of us are busy with our jobs, family, and church or simply living. Their dream Utopia will never exist. They haven't thought any of it through.
So is this book really that bad? No, not if you're a basic human-obsessed Earthly spiritualist who goes on Oprah -- or eats fried chicken while watching Oprah, instead of being at your job or looking after your kids while waiting to smoke some Mary-Jane to help you relax. (you folks will LOVE this book.)
The big issues are:
Does God actually have a dream?
Which god exactly is this?
How does Tutu know this dream?
That's why I read this book. Just to see what exactly Desmond is really saying - and i'm curious who his pet god is. Sure he mentions the Bible a fair bit. But he also says tons of things that disagree with the Bible.
Here's a bit of Biblical chaos from Tutu: (quote pg. 47)
"...Look at your hands-different colors representing different people. You are a rainbow people of God. The rainbow in the Bible is the sign of peace. The rainbow is the sign of prosperity. In our world we want peace, prosperity, and justice, and we can have it when all the people of God, the rainbow people of God, work together."
I'm sorry, What is THAT crap? Poetry mixed as metaphor confused with theology and bad political activism. Tutu, the people of God DO WORK TOGETHER. Or haven't you been paying attention - your problem is you can't discern what a real Christian is. That's sad.
Desmond is very accepting of ALL RELIGIONS. Nowhere in the Bible is this tolerated: (pg. 20)
"In God's family there are no outsiders. All are insiders. Black and White, rich and poor, gay and straight (****?), Jew and Arab (sure), Palestinian and Israeli (on occasion), Roman Catholic and Protestant (ummmh?), Serb and Albanian, Hutu and Tutsi, Muslims and Christian (what the *****?), Buddhist and Hindu (sorry, what?)... all belong."
I know, I know - God reaches out to everyone. But I've yet to hear Tutu tell somebody they are Biblically WRONG and hell-bound if they stay on their current path. The Bible is very clear: You must indeed give up Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, sexual immorality, etc. Tutu then says - just to clarify:
"Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all to me". Not some , but all." SAYS TUTU.
Here's the ESV Bible translation of John 12
31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
Of course: there's MORE: John 12
48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
So it was very much about Jesus death, and judgement, AND WORDS, and those who WILL reject him. Only an idiot would assume that simply everyone happily goes to Jesus. There's Much MUCH more to the story... if only Tutu would keep reading.
Which brings me to my big complaint with this book: Tutu keeps insisting that ALL PEOPLE are God's children. The problem is - the Bible shows that many people are eternally Satan's children and will perish with ol' Lucy. The Bible mentions God's elect many times - and it's easy to see that not everybody qualifies. This is nothing we can boast of - it should humble us greatly and cause us to look deeply for fellow Saints.
I don't know how Desmond Tutu missed so much of the Bible and Christian Doctrine. These verses constantly comes to mind: 1 John 3:
8Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
It's mostly impossible to figure out Tutu's basic Christian theology. I don't know who his god is, or why his Jesus died, or how his heaven and hell play out. I do know that Tutu ignores huge portions of the Bible to justify his social activism. The real challenge is WHY? IF he disagrees with Biblical text - simply find another religion, or invent one that fully agrees with his compassion and sin. But please stop mangling the Bible. I'm sure the Dalai Lama would love to have you as a new Buddhist disciple. You wouldn't really have to change any of your thinking. He's very accepting that way: that's what you do when you don't have a Jesus who died for your sins. Go meditate on THAT.
I have this argument constantly with people: Quote (pg. 29)
"We forget that God loves us unconditionally whether we succeed or fail. As we move closer to God we too can love one another like family... regardless of our flaws and our failures... Yet before you can love your neighbor --- as yourself, you must first love yourself... you must know that God loves you now and loves you always."
Ummmh? What about Hell, and judgement day, and obedience, and all those people God killed in the Old And New Testament?
Actually God loves us on many conditions: read the Bible - it's full of them. Here's some:
1 Corinthians 6
9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Not to simply rain on his parade, but Tutu should have mentioned some of this stuff. This is why Buddhists, Hindu's, Atheists, Sikh's, Mormon's, etc DO NOT GO TO HEAVEN. You just read it: they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Don't blame me - i'm just clarifying Biblical Christianity. (i'm helpful that way!)
The 2nd huge mistake in Tutu's thinking is people loving themselves. All humans love themselves. We all have endless pride and vanity and demand our rights. WE force our way to the front of the lines, and insist we know best for everyone else. Half the planet gets divorced because their needs aren't met and satisfied.
1 Corinthians 1:31
Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Philippians 3:8
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Yes, the Bible is filled with people who did what they thought was right IN THEIR OWN EYES. They pleased themselves. We all do. That's easy. And it turns out horrifically. Remember the state of South Africa under humanism and atheism? (and possibly the abuse of religion)
__________________________
Mr. Tutu does hint at some sloppy Calvinistic Election theology. He gets it backwards of course.
Quote: (pg. 35)
"But success is not all important to God. In the New Testament, in Ephesians, we are told that God chose us to be His children "before the foundation of the world." Do you realize that this refers to you, to me, to each one of us?... God had already decided He wanted us. Long before we could have done anything to earn it, to deserve it, God freely, graciously, chose you, chose me..."
YES, God chose Jesus' followers to be His children through adoption. The problem is: NOT EVERYONE is eligible for this Biblical setting. Hell will be very full. You can't just take a few verses and ignore all the rest of what JESUS and PAUL and other Prophets said. Bad form Tutu. Of course - If Tutu is not of the chosen --- then that explains all His Ungodly theology and total lack of appreciation for most of what Jesus taught.
John 14
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
------------------------------
Another horrific quote: (pg. 43)
"But God's love is too great to be confined to any one side of a conflict or to any one religion. And our prejudices, regardless of whether they are based on religion, race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else, are absolutely and utterly ridiculous in God's eyes."
There is about a 100 things that are unbiblical about that sentence. God's love is VERY confined to Jesus; His SON. The Bible is filled with God telling us what prejudices to have EXACTLY. Remember Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. Remember Sodom & Gomorrah. Remember the Canaanites. God's love is rather specific on occasion.
Remember this brief moment with Moses:
Exodus 4
24At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’c feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
This bit is just weird. Quote (pg. 47)
"The endless divisions that we create between us and that we live and die for- whether they are our religions, our ethnic groups, our nationalities- are so totally irrelevant to God. God just wants us to love one another. Many, however, say that some kinds of love are better than others, condemning the love of gays and lesbians. But whether a man loves a woman or another man, or a woman loves a man or another woman, to God it is all love, and God smiles whenever we recognize our need for one another."
What the?
God seemed to think killing for religions was very necessary at one time. Might be again one day. But God can take care of that himself - He doesn't need us killing for Him.
Mr. Tutu, did you not notice that God often condemns the so-called love of ******? Was your Bible missing that page? Please don't tell lies about the Biblical God... just because you happen to like abominational sex. This does NOT make God smile. If you insist: please show me what book and verse you use to justify that bit of doctrine and theology? I'll wait...
God's love and wrath are always present. Tutu you simply must start telling people the entire story. The Biblical TRUTH. Not just your little Social agenda that puts out your Golden Calf deity. Either renounce Christianity - or learn it properly. But I know you won't - you are too far gone. How sad.
But thanks for any good you might accidentally do on the way.
There: New and improved review with 95% less... Ummmh, stuff goodreads doesn't like. Enjoy!
I'm not convinced this is GOD's dream AT ALL - it's definitely Mr. Tutu's hope and bad theology though. Oh well~
Desmond was an Archbishop of the Anglican church at one time - (Didn't he have to take a Sunday school test to get that job? Apparently not.) He seems to have no comprehension of the entirety of the Bible. He only has a few favorite Bible stories that he babbles about and takes out of context. He seems like a nice guy though: I wouldn't object to him running a soup kitchen or collecting money outside the Walmart for those in need... but please: stop claiming you are a Bible believing Christian. Be honest if you can - simply say how much you disagree with Jesus, the Trinity, and the Word of God.
Okay, now on to the other stuff.
Mr. Tutu is liberally sure that His God has a Dream for mankind. That's kind of nice actually. We can be like little flower hippies running around mostly naked living off of our nuts and berries and making our own clothes out of spiderwebs and leaves. (we wouldn't dare kill an animal or insect or use the non-replenishing earth resources all around us) Even if God told us to.
Ouch! Why am I so harsh? Because Tutu is a social rights activist: SJW
BIO:
" since the demise of apartheid, "Tutu" has been active in the defense of human rights and uses his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. He has campaigned to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia."
(So Yes, he’s a professionally paid and funded SJW. That’s okay - but it disqualifies most of his religious expertise and truth biases. He’s a walking contradiction of biblical truth. )
....anything else you need him to be liberally active against - like the absolutely trustworthy account of God's Word. And what the "deleted expletives" is TRANSPHOBIA? Should I be afraid of it? Or Be forced to worship it? Something to do with travelling spiders perhaps? (Remember: I wrote this review back in 2016 — nobody cared about micro-aggressions and words that made your tummy hurt)
If Desmond simply wanted to be a humanist of the most compassionate kind that would be fun. Go for it! But it's not that simple = Desmond keeps taking potshots at all who disagree with him. Yes, this man has an agenda and isn't playing by the Biblical God's play book - no liberal can, neither can a humanist who claims we are basically GOD:
(pg. 100 quote)
"One image that I have of the spiritual life is of sitting in front of a fire on a cold day. We don't have to do anything. We just have to sit in front of the fire and then gradually the qualities of the fire are transferred to us. We begin to feel the warmth. We become the attributes of the fire. It's like that with us and God. As we take time to be still and to be in God's presence, the qualities of God are transferred to us."
Ummmh, that's kind of lazy hopeful thinking. (I realize it's not doctrine - but that's about as deep as Tutu gets) He stumbles about in liberal heresy here:
Quote
"...to be in the presence of God...letting God be God, who wants us to be God. We are shocked, actually, when we hear that what God wants is for us to be godlike, for us to be more and more like God... but by letting God be God in and through us."
Well, God wants us to be more Christlike indeed. But we aren't God, we will never have His abilities and insights. We need to be very careful here: or Deepak Chopra and Oprah will get all excited and start another Cult. And the last thing we need is more Charismatic Guru's hearing stuff like this.
Tutu keeps bringing up this South African Apartheid blight. Since this book came out in 2004, is this still an ongoing concern> I've been trying to look into it. Tutu sure is bitter about it - those evil white people oppressing everyone and ruining the peaceful black African's freedom. (how do I sleep at night?). I can't count all the movies and documentaries i've seen of Black people killing black people endlessly... Maybe some apartheid crap was needed - just like we need police in Compton to stop all the bloodshed and thug-life insanity. Yes, somehow the white-man is to blame for that as well i'm sure. Yep, black lives matter: because they are eternal victims. Blah blah blah. (fat white feminists seem to have the same problems - eternal victims indeed. Pass them another KFC chicken bucket while they protest for animals rights)
I'm not sure who exactly this book is going to help (or fix?). He's always preaching to his liberal Social Justice Warrior activists. Basically stirring up the Wasp's nest so they can protest about something else. Yawwwwnn! The rest of us are busy with our jobs, family, and church or simply living. Their dream Utopia will never exist. They haven't thought any of it through.
So is this book really that bad? No, not if you're a basic human-obsessed Earthly spiritualist who goes on Oprah -- or eats fried chicken while watching Oprah, instead of being at your job or looking after your kids while waiting to smoke some Mary-Jane to help you relax. (you folks will LOVE this book.)
The big issues are:
Does God actually have a dream?
Which god exactly is this?
How does Tutu know this dream?
That's why I read this book. Just to see what exactly Desmond is really saying - and i'm curious who his pet god is. Sure he mentions the Bible a fair bit. But he also says tons of things that disagree with the Bible.
Here's a bit of Biblical chaos from Tutu: (quote pg. 47)
"...Look at your hands-different colors representing different people. You are a rainbow people of God. The rainbow in the Bible is the sign of peace. The rainbow is the sign of prosperity. In our world we want peace, prosperity, and justice, and we can have it when all the people of God, the rainbow people of God, work together."
I'm sorry, What is THAT crap? Poetry mixed as metaphor confused with theology and bad political activism. Tutu, the people of God DO WORK TOGETHER. Or haven't you been paying attention - your problem is you can't discern what a real Christian is. That's sad.
Desmond is very accepting of ALL RELIGIONS. Nowhere in the Bible is this tolerated: (pg. 20)
"In God's family there are no outsiders. All are insiders. Black and White, rich and poor, gay and straight (****?), Jew and Arab (sure), Palestinian and Israeli (on occasion), Roman Catholic and Protestant (ummmh?), Serb and Albanian, Hutu and Tutsi, Muslims and Christian (what the *****?), Buddhist and Hindu (sorry, what?)... all belong."
I know, I know - God reaches out to everyone. But I've yet to hear Tutu tell somebody they are Biblically WRONG and hell-bound if they stay on their current path. The Bible is very clear: You must indeed give up Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, sexual immorality, etc. Tutu then says - just to clarify:
"Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all to me". Not some , but all." SAYS TUTU.
Here's the ESV Bible translation of John 12
31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
Of course: there's MORE: John 12
48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
So it was very much about Jesus death, and judgement, AND WORDS, and those who WILL reject him. Only an idiot would assume that simply everyone happily goes to Jesus. There's Much MUCH more to the story... if only Tutu would keep reading.
Which brings me to my big complaint with this book: Tutu keeps insisting that ALL PEOPLE are God's children. The problem is - the Bible shows that many people are eternally Satan's children and will perish with ol' Lucy. The Bible mentions God's elect many times - and it's easy to see that not everybody qualifies. This is nothing we can boast of - it should humble us greatly and cause us to look deeply for fellow Saints.
I don't know how Desmond Tutu missed so much of the Bible and Christian Doctrine. These verses constantly comes to mind: 1 John 3:
8Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
It's mostly impossible to figure out Tutu's basic Christian theology. I don't know who his god is, or why his Jesus died, or how his heaven and hell play out. I do know that Tutu ignores huge portions of the Bible to justify his social activism. The real challenge is WHY? IF he disagrees with Biblical text - simply find another religion, or invent one that fully agrees with his compassion and sin. But please stop mangling the Bible. I'm sure the Dalai Lama would love to have you as a new Buddhist disciple. You wouldn't really have to change any of your thinking. He's very accepting that way: that's what you do when you don't have a Jesus who died for your sins. Go meditate on THAT.
I have this argument constantly with people: Quote (pg. 29)
"We forget that God loves us unconditionally whether we succeed or fail. As we move closer to God we too can love one another like family... regardless of our flaws and our failures... Yet before you can love your neighbor --- as yourself, you must first love yourself... you must know that God loves you now and loves you always."
Ummmh? What about Hell, and judgement day, and obedience, and all those people God killed in the Old And New Testament?
Actually God loves us on many conditions: read the Bible - it's full of them. Here's some:
1 Corinthians 6
9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Not to simply rain on his parade, but Tutu should have mentioned some of this stuff. This is why Buddhists, Hindu's, Atheists, Sikh's, Mormon's, etc DO NOT GO TO HEAVEN. You just read it: they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Don't blame me - i'm just clarifying Biblical Christianity. (i'm helpful that way!)
The 2nd huge mistake in Tutu's thinking is people loving themselves. All humans love themselves. We all have endless pride and vanity and demand our rights. WE force our way to the front of the lines, and insist we know best for everyone else. Half the planet gets divorced because their needs aren't met and satisfied.
1 Corinthians 1:31
Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
Philippians 3:8
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Yes, the Bible is filled with people who did what they thought was right IN THEIR OWN EYES. They pleased themselves. We all do. That's easy. And it turns out horrifically. Remember the state of South Africa under humanism and atheism? (and possibly the abuse of religion)
__________________________
Mr. Tutu does hint at some sloppy Calvinistic Election theology. He gets it backwards of course.
Quote: (pg. 35)
"But success is not all important to God. In the New Testament, in Ephesians, we are told that God chose us to be His children "before the foundation of the world." Do you realize that this refers to you, to me, to each one of us?... God had already decided He wanted us. Long before we could have done anything to earn it, to deserve it, God freely, graciously, chose you, chose me..."
YES, God chose Jesus' followers to be His children through adoption. The problem is: NOT EVERYONE is eligible for this Biblical setting. Hell will be very full. You can't just take a few verses and ignore all the rest of what JESUS and PAUL and other Prophets said. Bad form Tutu. Of course - If Tutu is not of the chosen --- then that explains all His Ungodly theology and total lack of appreciation for most of what Jesus taught.
John 14
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
------------------------------
Another horrific quote: (pg. 43)
"But God's love is too great to be confined to any one side of a conflict or to any one religion. And our prejudices, regardless of whether they are based on religion, race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else, are absolutely and utterly ridiculous in God's eyes."
There is about a 100 things that are unbiblical about that sentence. God's love is VERY confined to Jesus; His SON. The Bible is filled with God telling us what prejudices to have EXACTLY. Remember Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. Remember Sodom & Gomorrah. Remember the Canaanites. God's love is rather specific on occasion.
Remember this brief moment with Moses:
Exodus 4
24At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’c feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
This bit is just weird. Quote (pg. 47)
"The endless divisions that we create between us and that we live and die for- whether they are our religions, our ethnic groups, our nationalities- are so totally irrelevant to God. God just wants us to love one another. Many, however, say that some kinds of love are better than others, condemning the love of gays and lesbians. But whether a man loves a woman or another man, or a woman loves a man or another woman, to God it is all love, and God smiles whenever we recognize our need for one another."
What the?
God seemed to think killing for religions was very necessary at one time. Might be again one day. But God can take care of that himself - He doesn't need us killing for Him.
Mr. Tutu, did you not notice that God often condemns the so-called love of ******? Was your Bible missing that page? Please don't tell lies about the Biblical God... just because you happen to like abominational sex. This does NOT make God smile. If you insist: please show me what book and verse you use to justify that bit of doctrine and theology? I'll wait...
God's love and wrath are always present. Tutu you simply must start telling people the entire story. The Biblical TRUTH. Not just your little Social agenda that puts out your Golden Calf deity. Either renounce Christianity - or learn it properly. But I know you won't - you are too far gone. How sad.
But thanks for any good you might accidentally do on the way.
There: New and improved review with 95% less... Ummmh, stuff goodreads doesn't like. Enjoy!
December 11, 2017
literally the gentlest piece of theological literature i've ever read :')
October 25, 2011
This is a very fine book of sermons/talks by Archbishop Tutu. There is humor in them, but most importantly there are profound insights and emphases. And it is a very hopeful book.
In the first chapter Tutu declares, “This is a moral universe, which means that, despite all the evidence that seems to be to the contrary, there is no way that evil and injustice and oppression and lies can have the last word. God is a God who cares about right and wrong. God cares about justice and injustice. God is in charge” (p. 2).
In the fifth chapter Tutu writes, "To oppose injustice and oppression is not something that is merely political. . . . “I was often criticized during the struggle to end apartheid for being ‘political’ and told by people in and out of the church that our place was to be concerned with religious matters. But we were involved in the struggle because we were being religious, not political” (pp. 63-64). A little later he says, “There is no neutrality in a situation of injustice and oppression. If you say you are neutral, you are a liar, for you have already taken sides with the powerful. Our God is not a neutral God. We have a God who does take sides” (pp. 65-66).
The seventh chapter of Tutu’s book is “Stillness: Hearing God’s Voice.” He declares, “It is dangerous to pray, for an authentic spirituality is subversive of injustice” (p. 107). And then, “Discovering stillness, hearing God’s voice, is not, as I have said, a luxury of a few contemplatives. It is the basis for real peace and justice” (pp. 108-9).
The book ends with this pronouncement: "God is transfiguring the world right this very moment through us because God believes in us and because God loves us. What can separate us from the love of God? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And as we share God’s love with our brothers and sisters, God’s other children, there is no tyrant who can resist us, no oppression that cannot be ended, no hunger that cannot be fed, no wound that cannot be healed, no hatred that cannot be turned to love, no dream that cannot be fulfilled” (p. 128).
Good, hopeful words in a good, hopeful book!
In the first chapter Tutu declares, “This is a moral universe, which means that, despite all the evidence that seems to be to the contrary, there is no way that evil and injustice and oppression and lies can have the last word. God is a God who cares about right and wrong. God cares about justice and injustice. God is in charge” (p. 2).
In the fifth chapter Tutu writes, "To oppose injustice and oppression is not something that is merely political. . . . “I was often criticized during the struggle to end apartheid for being ‘political’ and told by people in and out of the church that our place was to be concerned with religious matters. But we were involved in the struggle because we were being religious, not political” (pp. 63-64). A little later he says, “There is no neutrality in a situation of injustice and oppression. If you say you are neutral, you are a liar, for you have already taken sides with the powerful. Our God is not a neutral God. We have a God who does take sides” (pp. 65-66).
The seventh chapter of Tutu’s book is “Stillness: Hearing God’s Voice.” He declares, “It is dangerous to pray, for an authentic spirituality is subversive of injustice” (p. 107). And then, “Discovering stillness, hearing God’s voice, is not, as I have said, a luxury of a few contemplatives. It is the basis for real peace and justice” (pp. 108-9).
The book ends with this pronouncement: "God is transfiguring the world right this very moment through us because God believes in us and because God loves us. What can separate us from the love of God? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And as we share God’s love with our brothers and sisters, God’s other children, there is no tyrant who can resist us, no oppression that cannot be ended, no hunger that cannot be fed, no wound that cannot be healed, no hatred that cannot be turned to love, no dream that cannot be fulfilled” (p. 128).
Good, hopeful words in a good, hopeful book!
August 22, 2007
Despite the fact that this book was a short and breezy read, the concept of ubuntu continues to probe my thoughts even though the book has long been read. Ubuntu is an African concept which conveys the idea that we are only who we are because of others. We are all connected and can not survive without each other. When Bill Clinton spoke at the 2007 U of M commencement, he noted that ubuntu was like saying, "I am because you are". Desmond Tutu does a wonderful job at describing this concept (which is foreign to most of us) and depicts it beautifully with examples.
Desmond Tutu critizes our system of capitalism, stating that it inevitably makes "a hierarchie of worth and human value which generates self-hatred". He is also very critical on the apartheid system and has first hand experience of its devastating effects. He talks about how dehumanized he felt everytime he had to tell his kids that they couldn't go play with other children. How do you explain such a system to kids?
Desmond Tutu gives props to many of the world leaders, asking, what would life be without suffering? Would Mandela be the man he is today had he not had endless hours to reflect? Would he relate to the sufferings of the Africans if he himself had not suffered? Jesus could have avoided the cross and found some other way to save us, but he ultimately turned evil into good.
Tutu reminds us that we are making progress in life. Our good deeds multiply and truly have an ripple effect.
Desmond Tutu critizes our system of capitalism, stating that it inevitably makes "a hierarchie of worth and human value which generates self-hatred". He is also very critical on the apartheid system and has first hand experience of its devastating effects. He talks about how dehumanized he felt everytime he had to tell his kids that they couldn't go play with other children. How do you explain such a system to kids?
Desmond Tutu gives props to many of the world leaders, asking, what would life be without suffering? Would Mandela be the man he is today had he not had endless hours to reflect? Would he relate to the sufferings of the Africans if he himself had not suffered? Jesus could have avoided the cross and found some other way to save us, but he ultimately turned evil into good.
Tutu reminds us that we are making progress in life. Our good deeds multiply and truly have an ripple effect.
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