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Desmond Tutu Quotes - Page 9

All Quotes Abuse Accidents Age Apartheid Caring Challenges Children Choices Christ Church Commitment Community Compassion Competition Conflict Country Death Penalty Dignity Diversity Earth Empathy Energy Environment Evil Failing Family Fighting Forgiveness Freedom Fun Future Gaza Generosity Giving God Goodness Grace Hate Healing Heart Heaven Hell Holocaust Home Humanity Humility Hurt Injustice Insecurity Inspirational Inspiring Jesus Justice Justification Laughter Life Lifetime Lying Memories Mercy Military Nursing Opportunity Pain Past Peace Politics Pope Poverty Prophet Quality Racism Reality Reconciliation Religion Revenge Risk Running Sin Slavery Suffering Unity Universe Violence Vision Waiting War Water Weakness Wife Worship

I am a leader by default, only because nature does not allow a vacuum.

I am a leader by default, only because nature does not allow a vacuum.

Inspirational, Leadership, Nature

As quoted in "The Christian Science Monitor", December 20, 1984.

When people see what is happening in Gaza, that can't make you too fond of the perpetrators - the Israelis. If you are a Muslim and you look at what is happening there, it fills you with a lot of resentment. Especially if you are weak, then you are nursing these grudges and you are increasing in bitterness and look for a chance to get your own back.

Nursing, People, Looks

Interview With Amina Chaudary, www.theislamicmonthly.com. June 17, 2012.

Now that they talk about Islam as being a violent faith, when you look at the history of Christendom, the Crusades and the many wars of religion that were fought, the cruelty of Christians in burning what they believed to be witches and burning heretics, and then very recently they were responsible for the Holocaust... it was Christians.

Christian, War, Holocaust

Interview with Amina Chaudary, www.theislamicmonthly.com. June 17, 2012.

Many people would be surprised that, in fact, I'm quite shy.

People, Would Be, Shy

"The secrets of a peacemaker" by Gary Younge, www.theguardian.com. May 22, 2009.

Brothers and sisters of Egypt, you have given the world the most precious gift: the belief that ultimately right will prevail.

Brother, Egypt, World

"As it happened: Egypt's new era". "Saturday Morning News" with Jessica Ellis, edition.cnn.com. February 12, 2011.

I have voted for the ANC, but I would very sadly not be able to vote for them after the way things have gone.

Gone, Able, Way

"Desmond Tutu lauds launch of Agang, Mamphela Ramphele's ANC challenger" by David Smith, www.theguardian.com. June 21, 2013.

Because forgiveness is like this: a room can be dank because you have closed the windows, you've closed the curtains. But the sun is shining outside, and the air is fresh outside. In order to get that fresh air, you have to get up and open the window and draw the curtains apart.

Air, Order, Shining

My father always used to say, "Don't raise your voice. Improve your argument." Good sense does not always lie with the loudest shouters, nor can we say that a large, unruly crowd is always the best arbiter of what is right.

Father, Lying, Voice

Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu (1989). “The words of Desmond Tutu”, Newmarket Pr

I'm not an optimist. I'm a prisoner of hope.

Optimist, Prisoner

"Post-Apartheid South Africa". "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly" with Fred de Sam Lazaro, www.pbs.org. July 2, 2010.

At home in South Africa I have sometimes said in big meetings where you have black and white together: 'Raise your hands!' Then I have said: 'Move your hands,' and I've said 'Look at your hands - different colors representing different people. You are the Rainbow People of God.'

Moving, Home, Black And White

"Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Peacemaker in a Diverse Nation". www.csmonitor.com. October 26, 1994.

I have heard and seen many examples of the cruelty that we are able to visit on one another during my time. . . I have also seen incredible forgiveness and compassion. Yes, each of us has the capacity for great evil. But for every act of evil there are a dozen acts of goodness in our world that go unnoticed. It is only because we believe that people should be good that we despair when they are not. Indeed, if people condoned the evil, we would be justified in losing hope. But most of the world does not. We know that we are meant for better.

Believe, Compassion, Our World

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

Memorial Day, Peace, Freedom

Dream! Dream! And then go for it!

Dream

I'm coming to believe more and more in the truth that everything we do has consequences. A good deed doesn't just evaporate and disappear.

Believe, Deeds, Goodness

But God can only smile because only God can know what is coming next.

Smile, Next, Smile Because

Despite all of the ghastliness in the world, human beings are made for goodness. The ones that are held in high regard are not militarily powerful, nor even economically prosperous. They have a commitment to try and make the world a better place.

Powerful, Commitment, Trying

FaceBook post by Desmond Tutu from Jan 10, 2014

Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice.

Way Forward, Justice, Path

"In Africa, a step backward on human rights" by Desmond Tutu, www.washingtonpost.com. March 12, 2010.

Before Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962, he was an angry, relatively young man. He founded the ANC's military wing. When he was released, he surprised everyone because he was talking about reconciliation and forgiveness and not about revenge.

Revenge, Military, Men

Be nice to the whites, they need you to rediscover their humanity.

Nice, Humanity, Needs

New York Times, October 19, 1984.

We can only be human together.

Together, Humans

Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu (1989). “The words of Desmond Tutu”, Newmarket Pr

Every single one of us can do something, however small, to make a difference.

Differences, Making A Difference, Can Do Something

We will only truly be free when those in bondage are finally free

Bondage

Don't raise your voice, improve your argument." [Address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23 November 2004]

Voice, Addresses, Foundation

There can be no healing without truth.

Healing

South Africa. Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Desmond Tutu (1998). “Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa report”, Commission

Nothing is too much trouble for Love.

Too Much, Trouble

Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu (1989). “The words of Desmond Tutu”, Newmarket Pr

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