Hello, I just wanted to get your thoughts of Bishop Desmond Tutu's recent statement " God is not a christian?"

-- D Joseph (newfiedufie@msn.com), April 22, 2004

Answers

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-- D Joseph (newfiedufie@msn.com), April 22, 2004.

Why don't we ask the author himself? You can read the interview in its entirety, in which Bishop Tutu stated that "God is not a Christian", here at:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/143/story_14326_1.html

The Bishop was specifically asked:

Is your book relevant to non-Christians or people with no religious faith?

His reply was:

I believe so very much. Because love is universal. I mean, you don't have to believe in God to know that loving is better than hating. We are trying to remind them that all of us are fundamentally good. The aberration is the bad person. God is not upset that Gandhi was not a Christian, because God is not a Christian! All of God's children and their different faiths help us to realize the immensity of God. No faith contains the whole truth about God. And certainly Christians don't have a corner on God. All of us belong to God. Even the nonbeliever is precious to God. And one simply tries to remind them that they are made for transcendence. They are made for goodness.

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), April 22, 2004.

Not sure what Bishop Tutu meant by the statement, but obviously God is not "a follower of Jesus Christ", and therefore is not a Christian. Only human beings are Christians. On the other hand, if the Bishop was suggesting that God has no preference for the Church He founded over the churches men have founded, I would have to disagree. God calls all men to His own Church, no other.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), April 22, 2004.

Here is what he said:

"I believe so very much. Because love is universal. I mean, you don't have to believe in God to know that loving is better than hating. We are trying to remind them that all of us are fundamentally good. The aberration is the bad person. God is not upset that Gandhi was not a Christian, because God is not a Christian! All of God's children and their different faiths help us to realize the immensity of God. No faith contains the whole truth about God. And certainly Christians don't have a corner on God. All of us belong to God. Even the nonbeliever is precious to God. And one simply tries to remind them that they are made for transcendence. They are made for goodness."

From this interview.

Personally, I think it comes from his not being a Catholic and not having the fullness of belief that is within the Catholic faith. But I will let others here reflect their views on this as well.

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 22, 2004.

Bill & Paul, it seems great minds think alike! (LOL) We seem to have posted simultaneously.

-- Ed (catholic4444@y;ahoo.ca), April 22, 2004.

LOL!

The part that to me is troubling is his statement: "No faith contains the whole truth about God." That may be true because no man can know God. However, I believe that the Church God founded for all mankind is the Catholic Church and as much of the truth that mankind needs is within the Church. The only exception I can think of is the Jewish faith which holds a different covenent with God.

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 22, 2004.

He guys, thanks for the responses. I always assumed Bishop Desmond Tutu was a Catholic which shows how much I know. Any how, thats why his remarks startled me. Any how thanks again and God Bless.

-- D Joseph (newfiedufie@msn.com), April 23, 2004.

Bill, I too noticed that one line. At first it didn’t sit well with me, however, after thinking about it for awhile, I realized the Church teaches that our Faith possesses all the Truths NECESSARY for salvation - not necessarily meaning the Church possesses ALL Truths about God. I realized She is teaching that She possesses a SUFFICIENT amount of Truths about God necessary for salvation, or as you put it, “as much of the truth that mankind needs”.

Being a mortal and a member of God’s Church, but not fully understanding God, I suppose there could be Truths about God my Church or myself, aren’t aware of. There could be Truths that God has not revealed to His Church, but that are not necessarily required for salvation. And since God is pure TRUTH itself, I suppose the Bishop is correct, since metaphysically speaking, how could we mortals comprehend God’s immeasurable amount of Truths?

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), April 23, 2004.

Oh, hahaha. I was worried because i just read the quote from big paul's post and thought that it was still a catholic bishop (i dont read fine print, credit card companies'll love me). i was flipping out because i thought a bishop had gone mad...

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), April 23, 2004.

Being a mortal and a member of God’s Church, but not fully understanding God, I suppose there could be Truths about God my Church or myself, aren’t aware of. There could be Truths that God has not revealed to His Church, but that are not necessarily required for salvation. And since God is pure TRUTH itself, I suppose the Bishop is correct, since metaphysically speaking, how could we mortals comprehend God’s immeasurable amount of Truths?

I agree, I just don't know if I agree that the hidden truth would be in another religion.

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 23, 2004.

His statement: "No faith contains the whole truth about God" is a necessary position for a Protestant. It is the only way to legitimize a system of thousands of conflicting denominations. This situation makes it obvious that no denomination holds the fullness of truth, so it is safest to simply say "none has the fullness of truth, so our little denomination is no worse off than the others". Unfortunately, that view contradicts the words of Christ Himself to His Church, "when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13) Which is why His Church has no denominations. Denominations necessarily mean untruth.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), April 23, 2004.

Call me simple, but my first instinct was, "God is not a Christian, God is Christ!" (or, more accurately, Christ is God.)

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), April 23, 2004.

This may not be what he was trying to get at with the statement "No faith contains the whole truth about God", but Tutu has been a severe critic of the Church and its approach to the African AIDS epidemic. Tutu thinks that a truck-load of condoms will solve the issue.

-- Ian (ib@vertifgo.com), April 23, 2004.