Tony Campolo Quotes & Sayings
Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Tony Campolo.
Famous Quotes By Tony Campolo
When you listen to Christian radio stations - and there are thousands of them now in the United States - and when you listen to Christian television networks - and there are thousands of Christian television shows across the country - they are all politically right. — Tony Campolo
Anyone who resists the notion of women preachers is functioning as a tool of the devil. — Tony Campolo
Insofar as the church fails to do the will of God, I am called upon to help it discover and to do the will of God; and I am called upon to help the government to do the same. — Tony Campolo
I applaud the growing commitment of Evangelicals to the needs of the poor and oppressed in urban America. — Tony Campolo
I don't doubt that God can bring good out of tragedies, but the Bible is clear that God is not the author of evil! — Tony Campolo
We must not be so concerned with the unborn that we fail to pay attention to the born. — Tony Campolo
But I contend that if we're providing total medical coverage for every man, woman, and child in Iraq, shouldn't we at least be doing the same thing for every man, woman, and child in the United States? — Tony Campolo
Those issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change. — Tony Campolo
President Bush once said that marriage is a sacred institution and should be reserved for the union of one man and one woman. If this is the case - and most Americans would agree with him on this - then I have to ask: Why is the government at all involved in marrying people? — Tony Campolo
While I can see how the government has, at times, wasted taxpayers' money, and I can admit that too often its programs are ineffective, I also can see the good that government does. — Tony Campolo
I think the real place where most evangelicals have trouble with the Democratic Party is on the issue of abortion. — Tony Campolo
I've always been skeptical of those television healers who are bald. If I had that gift, that'd be the first thing I'd fix. — Tony Campolo
It has been said that people never do evil with more enthusiasm than when they do it in the name of God. — Tony Campolo
But I think it's up to a local congregation to determine whether or not a marriage should be blessed of God. And it shouldn't be up to the government. — Tony Campolo
That's what they do in Europe. You go down to the city hall and you become legally connected. You have a civil union there. Then, if you're religious, you go down to the church, and the church blesses the union. That gets the problem solved. — Tony Campolo
I don't know what to make of the Muslim mystics, especially those who have come to be known as the Sufis. What do they experience in their mystic experiences? Could they have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism? — Tony Campolo
Conservatives are people who worship at the graves of dead radicals. Stop to think about that. The people who started this country, George Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, these were not conservatives; these were the radicals of the time. In fact, conservatives always look back on people who they despised and make them into heroes. If you were to listen to the religious right today, they would make you believe that Martin Luther King was one of their flock. In reality, they hated him and did everything they could to destroy him. — Tony Campolo
Young Evangelicals, especially, are breaking ranks with older Evangelicals (over 40) and are more and more leaning towards voting Democratic. — Tony Campolo
It seems to me that when we listen to the Muslim mystics as they talk about Jesus and their love for Jesus, I must say, it's a lot closer to New Testament Christianity than a lot of the Christians that I hear. In other words if we are looking for common ground, can we find it in mystical spirituality, even if we cannot theologically agree, Can we pray together in such a way that we connect with a God that transcends our theological differences? — Tony Campolo
A Christian school should be a place where young men and young women go through a period of spiritual formation and development so that they come out incredibly more proficient at living out their calling than they would have been had they not gone to school. — Tony Campolo
There is a feminine side of God. I always knew this ... It is this feminine side of God I find in Jesus that makes me want to sing duets with Him ... Not only do I love the feminine is Jesus, but the more I know Jesus, the more I realize that Jesus loves the feminine in me. Until I accept the feminine in my humanness, there will be a part of me that cannot receive the Lord's love. ... There is that feminine side of me that must be recovered and strengthened if I am to be like Christ ... And until I feel the feminine in Jesus, there is a part of Him which I cannot identify. — Tony Campolo
I contend that Bush would be a lot more moderate if there weren't some fundamentalists breathing down his neck every time he wants to establish the state of Israel, every time he wants to do justice for the Palestinian people. — Tony Campolo
If we were to set out to establish a religion in polar opposition to the Beatitudes Jesus taught, it would look strikingly similar to the pop Christianity that has taken over the airwaves of North America. — Tony Campolo
Our call is to be God's agents, to rescue not only the human race but the whole of creation. — Tony Campolo
Often, we ignore the fact that our spiritual condition and psychological state of mind are highly affected by what is happening to us physically. Sometimes depression is simply the result of exhaustion. — Tony Campolo
I have serious problems with fundamentalist Christians and their creationist theories. Although I believe that scripture is divinely inspired and infallible, I have a hard time going along with the belief that the whole creation process occurred in six twenty-four hour days. My skepticism is due, in part, to the fact that the Bible says that the sun wasn't created until the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:16-19). I have a hard time figuring how twenty-four hour days could have been measured before that. — Tony Campolo
What if Barack Obama established a Presidential Advisory Committee that would meet once every couple of months, bringing together the former presidents for a conference in order to seek their collective wisdom? There is a wealth of experience in former presidents that generally goes untapped. — Tony Campolo
An evangelical is somebody who, first of all, has a very high view of Scripture, believes it's an infallible message from God. — Tony Campolo
He [William Jennings Bryan] recognized that what Darwin proposed on the biological level, when applied on the societal level, might legitimize an ideology that supports the survival of the fittest, with all of its dire complications. Byran was able to envision the kind of society that Social Darwinism would create- the kind of exploitation that comes from unbridled capitalism, for instance- and chose to war against it. — Tony Campolo
A strong case can be made for religious leaders to speak out on political issues. — Tony Campolo
Most Evangelicals have the church to thank for the Sunday-school classes that taught us what the Bible says and paved the way for our eventual decisions to commit our lives to Christ. — Tony Campolo
I think the time has come for the United States to do even-handed justice. — Tony Campolo
I propose that the government should get out of the business of marrying people and, instead, only give legal status to civil unions. — Tony Campolo
There are reasons why Religious Right Evangelicals will continue to dominate religious discourse, not only in their own sector of the Christian community, but also in what transpires in mainline denominations. — Tony Campolo
When you talk about evangelicals, don't forget that a significant proportion of the evangelical community is African American. And most African Americans - well over 90 percent, thoroughly evangelical, thoroughly biblical - will probably vote Democratic. — Tony Campolo
Getting the government to put money into social programs run by religious institutions is a practice that started during the Clinton years, when Bill Clinton advocated the AmeriCorps program. — Tony Campolo
Freud taught us that it wasn't God that imposed judgment on us and made us feel guilty when we stepped out of line. Instead, it was the superego - that idealized concept of what a good person is supposed to be and do - given to us by our parents, that condemned us for what had been hitherto regarded as ungodly behavior. — Tony Campolo
My task as a citizen is to get the government to do more good and less inefficient and wasteful work. — Tony Campolo
Nothing is more dangerous than to live out the will of God in today's contemporary world. It changes your whole monetary lifestyle ... Let me put it quite simply: If Jesus had $40,000 and knew about the kids who are suffering and dying in Haiti, what kind of car would he buy? — Tony Campolo
Christianity isn't the only group that has fundamentalists. — Tony Campolo
I don't think that John Kerry is the Messiah or the Democratic Party is the answer, but I don't like the evangelical community blessing the Republican Party as some kind of God-ordained instrument for solving the world's problems. — Tony Campolo
Jesus refers to the poor over and over again. There are 2,000 verses of Scripture that call upon us to respond to the needs of the poor. And yet, I find that when Christians talked about values in this last election that was not on the agenda, that was not a concern. If you were to get the voter guide of the Christian Coalition, that does not rate. They talk more about tax cuts for people who are wealthy than they do about helping poor people who are in desperate straits. — Tony Campolo
Flipping the dial through available radio stations there will blare out to any listener an array of broadcasts, 24/7, propagating Religious Right politics, along with what they deem to be 'old-time gospel preaching.' This is especially true of what comes over the airwaves in Bible Belt southern states. — Tony Campolo
It's a new day for the Democrats when it comes to matters of faith, and the younger Evangelicals are aware of this and many of them are moving into the Democratic camp. — Tony Campolo
Your past is important, but it is not nearly as important to your present as the way you see your future. — Tony Campolo
My theology is such that the God who loves Israel and will not forsake Israel - which is why I want to see Israel have a secure nation with secure borders - also loves the Palestinians. — Tony Campolo
What I am trying to say is that Jesus who incarnated God 2,000 years ago is mystically present and waiting to be discovered in EVERY person you and I encounter — Tony Campolo
What is especially important is addressing the question of how religion can be enforced through political means and what can be done to create a political environment that, on the one hand, acknowledges the role of religion in society, while on the other hand does not impose one religion on the populace at the expense of all others. — Tony Campolo
One of the problems with evangelicalism is that it has allowed itself to be married to the Republican party ... Jesus is not a Republican. Nor is he a Democrat. — Tony Campolo
Perhaps we would do well to listen to the likes of Rabbi Harold Kushner, who contends that God is not really as powerful as we have claimed. — Tony Campolo
Protestants so often confuse being Republican with being Christian. — Tony Campolo
I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night. — Tony Campolo
Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your kids. — Tony Campolo
I, for one, am quite willing to join the 'forgive, forget and move on' crowd, but it does make me wonder if Evangelicals are going to sound believable when they say that they tend to vote Republican because of their religious commitments to the family. — Tony Campolo
The real problem that I think those of us who are evangelicals and Democrats have to face up to is that the political right controls the religious media. — Tony Campolo
Beyond these models of reconciliation, a theology of mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam. Both religions have within their histories examples of ecstatic union with God, which seem at odds with their own spiritual traditions but have much in common with each other. — Tony Campolo
One of the most startling discoveries of my life was the realization that the Jesus that I love, the Jesus who died for me on Calvary, that Jesus, is waiting, mystically and wonderfully, in every person I meet. I find Jesus everywhere. — Tony Campolo
Clinton's successor in the White House, George W. Bush, was committed to expanding government spending for faith-based initiatives. — Tony Campolo
I am relatively sure, from conversations that I had with former president Bill Clinton, that George Bush seldom called upon him for advice. — Tony Campolo
The gospel is not about ... pie-in-the-sky when they die ... It is imperative that the up and coming generation recognize that the biblical Jesus was committed to the realization of a new social order in this world ... Becoming a Christian, therefore, is a call to social action. — Tony Campolo
The Jesus of the Scripture transcends all nations and calls all nations into judgment. — Tony Campolo
I think there are other issues that the Democrats could use to rally evangelicals. There are a lot of us, for instance, who believe that the Bible calls us to be environmentally responsible. — Tony Campolo
Religion, for better or for worse, has been politicized in blatant ways that have seldom been equaled in American elections. — Tony Campolo
From the beginning, there have been some religious leaders who greeted the funding of faith-based social services by government with ambivalence. — Tony Campolo
Whenever there is a catastrophe, some religious people inevitably ask, 'Why didn't God do something? Where was God when all those people died?' — Tony Campolo
If a guy is intimidated by a woman in leadership, he has real problems with his own concepts of masculinity. That's a harsh statement, but I believe it to be true. — Tony Campolo
If being human requires freedom, then enslavement to the cares of this world is dehumanizing. — Tony Campolo
If fulfillment is gained through giving ourselves through intimate relationships, then allowing ourselves to be consumed with the cares of things, instead of the care of persons, is foolish. — Tony Campolo
In religious circles, depression is often deemed to be a spiritual condition that can be cured with prayer. — Tony Campolo
A person is as young as their dreams and as old as their cynicism. — Tony Campolo
The kingdom of God is a glorious and gigantic party! — Tony Campolo
So I really would like to see both parties respond to the poor with greater commitment. But I've got to tell you, the Democrats, I feel, are doing a better job in that respect than Republicans are. — Tony Campolo
Rise up, you suckers, and go out and do the work of Jesus! — Tony Campolo
I've got some repenting to do. — Tony Campolo
The first reason for the preponderant influence of those Evangelicals who define themselves as advocates of Religious Right theological and political ideologies is that they have both the financial means and technological know-how to make widespread use of modern electronic forms of communication. — Tony Campolo
The Bible makes clear a basic truth that we self-centered humans find difficult to accept, namely, that the natural universe was not created primarily for us. There is no doubt that God wants us to enjoy it and even use its resources to optimize a good life for ourselves. But the ultimate purpose of creation is worship. Nature and all living things were created to glorify God. — Tony Campolo
While a case can be made for intelligent design, I can't figure out why some Christians are so thrilled about that possibility. First of all, it doesn't prove there's a God. If anything, intelligent design lends support to some form of pantheism that defines God as immanent within nature. — Tony Campolo
Through the ages, God has used the church to keep alive and pass down the story of what Christ has done for us. — Tony Campolo
And we've got to ask ourselves some very serious questions as to whether or not certain religious leaders, in terms of raising money - I hate to bring this up - are pushing hot buttons. — Tony Campolo
Even if there were no heaven and there were no hell, would you still follow Jesus? Would you follow him for the life, joy and fulfilment he gives you right now? — Tony Campolo
Like most Christians, I believe the Genesis account of creation is a description of six different stages of creation, each of which may have taken eons of time. — Tony Campolo
A career public speaker is not what I'm called to be. I'm called to be a critic. — Tony Campolo
I do not mean that others represent Jesus for us. I mean that Jesus actually is present in each other person — Tony Campolo
If marriage really is a sacred institution, then why is the government controlling it, especially in a nation that affirms separation of church and state? — Tony Campolo
Evangelicals need to take a good look at what their issues are. Are they really being faithful to Jesus? Are they being faithful to the Bible? — Tony Campolo
Don't be satisfied with just pumping blood. — Tony Campolo
After-school tutoring programs, care for the elderly, shelters for the homeless, disaster relief work, and a variety of other services would all benefit from government funding. — Tony Campolo
If four years of university can increase your effectiveness of what you can do for others in the name of Christ, it is the best investment that you can make. But if the education is simply to get a job to make a lot of money, you have to raise the question of why you're doing it. — Tony Campolo
Prior to ROE V. WADE, abortions were common even though they were illegal. I don't think making them illegal again is going to solve the problem. — Tony Campolo
In baptism, new Christians become part of a body of fellow believers who are called to spiritually encourage one another and hold one another responsible for consistent Christian living. — Tony Campolo
In short, I'm not sure that the abortion problem can be solved by legislation. I think it can only be solved through moral persuasion. — Tony Campolo
Furthermore, consider that as one of its most important purposes, stewardship of creation should sustain nature's worshiping capacity. The more I reflect on Scriptures and the more I sense how God thrills to the adoration He receives from all that He has created, the more I realize He has given us the awesome responsibility of caring for His creation so that it can go on praising Him until the end of time. — Tony Campolo
I am saying that there is no salvation apart from Jesus; that's my evangelical mindset. However, I am not convinced that Jesus only lives in Christians — Tony Campolo
But isn't it time for Christians to admit that we should reject bargains if they are gained by the exploitation of the poorest of the poor in developing countries? — Tony Campolo
Artists are the best theologians. They feel things that are true before theologians can jargonize them into obscurity. — Tony Campolo
He saved us in order that He might begin to transform His world into the kind of world that He willed for it to be when He created it. ... When Jesus saved us, He saved us to be agents of a great revolution, the end of which will come when the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our God — Tony Campolo
Certain things happened in the early church. Women who had never had any freedom suddenly have the ability to stand up and speak and be treated as equals within the life of the church. — Tony Campolo
Sadly, we do a much better job of making people feel guilty than we do of delivering them from the guilt we create. We need to confess this and change our ways. — Tony Campolo
I am looking for suggestions on what we can do about extremists within our own society. They cannot be ignored. — Tony Campolo