Black Theology Seeks the Liberation of All

We can't condemn a man for his beliefs; we must bring him to the truth. Morality can't be legislated.Jesus came to liberate one race - the human race.Homosexuality is a sin,it is a perversion that breeds death: sodom and gomorrah and AIDS.
We have been looking for an apology from this nation as a way of validation, and equality- that is not going to happen, but what we have long ovelooked is; we don't need either, by the way of any man. i am validated and so are you! i am equal and so are you! God validates,equality is ours from birth.
our fight has always been for rights that were stripped from us simply because of our skin.So we march on fighting for our rights and we thank Jesus for his sovereignty; empowering each other with the truths of the bible. Which is God's infalliable word.

We can't condemn a man for his beliefs; we must bring him to the truth. Morality can't be legislated.Jesus came to liberate one race - the human race.Homosexuality is a sin,it is a perversion that breeds death: sodom and gomorrah and AIDS.
We have been looking for an apology from this nation as a way of validation, and equality- that is not going to happen, but what we have long ovelooked is; we don't need either, by the way of any man. i am validated and so are you! i am equal and so are you! God validates,equality is ours from birth.
our fight has always been for rights that were stripped from us simply because of our skin.So we march on fighting for our rights and we thank Jesus for his sovereignty; empowering each other with the truths of the bible. Which is God's infalliable word.

We can't condemn a man for his beliefs; we must bring him to the truth. Morality can't be legislated.Jesus came to liberate one race - the human race.Homosexuality is a sin,it is a perversion that breeds death: sodom and gomorrah and AIDS.
We have been looking for an apology from this nation as a way of validation, and equality- that is not going to happen, but what we have long ovelooked is; we don't need either, by the way of any man. i am validated and so are you! i am equal and so are you! God validates,equality is ours from birth.
our fight has always been for rights that were stripped from us simply because of our skin.So we march on fighting for our rights and we thank Jesus for his sovereignty; empowering each other with the truths of the bible. Which is God's infalliable word.

We can't condemn a man for his beliefs; we must bring him to the truth. Morality can't be legislated.Jesus came to liberate one race - the human race.Homosexuality is a sin,it is a perversion that breeds death: sodom and gomorrah and AIDS.
We have been looking for an apology from this nation as a way of validation, and equality- that is not going to happen, but what we have long ovelooked is; we don't need either, by the way of any man. i am validated and so are you! i am equal and so are you! God validates,equality is ours from birth.
our fight has always been for rights that were stripped from us simply because of our skin.So we march on fighting for our rights and we thank Jesus for his sovereignty; empowering each other with the truths of the bible. Which is God's infalliable word.

The BLACK SPIN on the Constatution's 3/5 clause is not what the black man claims this was included into the consatution by abolishionist's it was a way to have blacks be counted as men, and at the time they couldent have suggested every black man count or eventually vote so the came up with the 3/5 clause otherwise blacks would not have even been mentioned in the Constatution as a man as the American Indian was not ,or a horse was not and had NO RIGHTS. But listen to Hateful AL and his Boyz the 3/5 clause was meant to demean. How many Black people do you think know that, or should I say WANT to know that>
Look up your History not Cornel Wests delusions.

Whites are so scared so afraid they let the Black leaders defined why so many Blacks kill each other why there is so much crime in America that blacks are involved in why the prisons are 90% blacks and what is the reason they tell us ,The Bad White Cops "THE MAN" well in most inner cities where the black on black crime is high, the Mayors are Black the Police Chiefs, the City Counsel is Black the State Legislature is Black are Black and 75% of the Police are black, now years ago that lie worked because the white man was in charge but not now so why then is the truth not told that's because if anyone said what I just did they would be drummed out of life as a racist.
WRIGHT IS A RACIST LIAR A HATE MONGER, and many people just push aside what he said and focus on something wrong People in this WONDERFUL COUNTRY had done. But the focus should be on his contention that Whitie invented Aids to Kill Blacks, HE IS A DELUDED RACIST AS MUCH AS THE KKK IS IF NOT WORSE because he preaches this puke from the alleged lips of his Black Christ.
And as most white's know the KKK are crazy criminals, most blacks believe Wright is Preaching the words of Christ, Wright has said God told him these things by putting them in his heart...he is a very dangerous man .
Just like Hurricane Katrina that Bush conjured up and sent to NO to kill all the Black people.

Whites are so scared so afraid they let the Black leaders defined why so many Blacks kill each other why there is so much crime in America that blacks are involved in why the prisons are 90% blacks and what is the reason they tell us ,The Bad White Cops "THE MAN" well in most inner cities where the black on black crime is high, the Mayors are Black the Police Chiefs, the City Counsel is Black the State Legislature is Black are Black and 75% of the Police are black, now years ago that lie worked because the white man was in charge but not now so why then is the truth not told that's because if anyone said what I just did they would be drummed out of life as a racist.
WRIGHT IS A RACIST LIAR A HATE MONGER, and many people just push aside what he said and focus on something wrong People in this WONDERFUL COUNTRY had done. But the focus should be on his contention that Whitie invented Aids to Kill Blacks, HE IS A DELUDED RACIST AS MUCH AS THE KKK IS IF NOT WORSE because he preaches this puke from the alleged lips of his Black Christ.
And as most white's know the KKK are crazy criminals, most blacks believe Wright is Preaching the words of Christ, Wright has said God told him these things by putting them in his heart...he is a very dangerous man .
Just like Hurricane Katrina that Bush conjured up and sent to NO to kill all the Black people.

Black Liberation Thealogy is just that, but a bit more it is the new racism the new Negro Hatred, we have all seen it we just had no name for it, and now we do, many wondered why Negros have such a Marxest idealogy, like Travis Smiley, Cornel West, John Conyers, Maxiene Watters, Sheila Jackson Lee, McKinty And all the NAACPers's,Jesus is not in the Black Liberation Church.
Desemond TuTu is no Christain he made a statement to the effect if the God of the Bible is the True God, it't not a God he believes in.The Blacks are following suit of Islam, and spouting how God Hates their precived enemy , Islam hates the Infidel the Jew and Christain, and Black Liberation Thealogy Church hate the WHITE MAN; WHERE IS THE FORGIVENESS OF JESUS in these people they have professed none only hatred.
But thank God we now know the name of the beast who is in these churches.
Read the book by MLK's close Black friend Abnernathy to see how the whites have bamboozled and been made to feel guilt , and will not dare bring up the truths about MLK.

I believe the whole issue regarding Liberation Theology has top do with the means and methods by which relief for the oppressed is sought. In harmony with MLK, Christianity certainly condones civil disobedience and resistance, but the line of committing violence should never be crossed. Therin is the great distinction, and therein is the separation from any Marxist beliefs.

herzliebster:

I do know of Mr. Tutu's humaneness in regards to people.

But black theology, as an entity, does not support liberation of all. As he claimed that it did, I pointed out it does not.

As he claimed to represent black theology, and indeed does represent Anglican theology, his foot is included in the oppression.

To Elizabeth R.

" . . .the rising levels of Antisemitism in the black community . . ."

Please don't mistake ANGER and DISCOURAGEMENT for Antisemitism. What you have termed "Antisemitism" is a growing issue because America will not stay focused on listening and responding positively to our citizens issues. I don't know a single black person who is a an Anti - Semite. But I do know a growing number of blacks who are frustrated with our countries leadership who are "compassionately concerned" about the plight of another people group who are not Americans.

What would you think about a husband if his care and concern for his neighbor's wife was greater than his own wife's cares and concerns? Is she a citizen of his house? Who should he have a greater allegiance to? If he ignored her concerns, should she be angry?

Common sense says A man should take care of his wife first!

AND

America should take care of her citizens first!

You cannot be reconciled with any group with whom you collectively label every member as evil. To be reconciled you must stand up right to look the other in the eye without your racist notions that everyone from this group solely lives his or her life to suppress you.

Many whites want to vote for Obama but the likes of Wright and Tu Tu make it very difficult to reconcile. Your obvious hatred of whites breeds division and suspicion of your motives.

Mr Tutu says it right. Right tone and right words at the right time.

On the other hand, had Wright continued the tone and tenor of his interview from Moyers' this would not have flared up again like it did.

I do not agree with all that he said! (HIV and genocide) But nearly all he said is TRUE!

Notice people are calling Wright a cranky, old, hateful man.

BUT they never called him a LIAR!

Ad hominem arguments never confront the truth. Just the man who tells the truth!

Peace and love

Rev. Tutu, left out of your charming defense of a man who embraced the naked anti-Semitism of Lewis Farrakhan is the moral that if it ain't your ox being gores, the principle doesn't have to apply.

As long as "black liberation theology" excuses anti-Semitism and looks away from what, for example, Arab Muslims are doing to black Muslims in Darfur because it's politically inconvenient, and what black Africans are doing to each other, and substitutes rage at Jews (in case you hadn't noticed, the rising levels of anti-Semitism in the black community are becoming increasling evident AND increasingly ignored by its leaders), who aren't now and never were the problem of the black community, this isn't a "theology" at all. It's just another pandering political ploy that at its core is bankrupt.

You know perfectly well that the US didn't "cook up" the AIDS virus in its labs to eliminate people of color; you know perfectly well that Pearl Harbor was as heinous an act as Hiroshima, just smaller; you know perfectly well that Farrakhan's revisionist history and use of Jews as a scapegoat for black anger is ludicrous (it was the Arabs who started the African slave trade, and the only history books that WON'T tell you that are the ones written by Farrakhan and Wright); you know perfectly well that 9/11 was the work of a group of Arab Muslim jihadists.

Let me tell you this: I'm no biblical scholar, but I know enough of the New Testament to know that Jesus wouldn't be any happier about Wright's anti-Semitism and lies than with what happened to blacks in America. The problem with principles, like anti-racism, is that you can't pick and choose which kinds of bigotry you want to object to while you not only accept, but foment others, and still call yourself either Christian or principled.

Don't excuse Wright's nonsensical diatribes and open anti-Semitism, and then turn around and profess yourself to be shocked, SHOCKED, when some white person somewhere shrugs his or her shoulders at white racism.

Either you subscribe to anti-bigotry all the way down the line, or you don't. And if you don't, don't complain when the shoe is on the other foot.

Thank you Mr. Tutu for the clarification regarding liberation theology especially as it pertains to the goal of freedom for all.

Steve wrote: "We as a country are closer than ever to taking control of this situation. Hopefully this next election will help, but don't think there is not still plenty of work to be done to correct prevailing attitudes and racial imbalance."

I pretty much agree with what you wrote. Its our perceptions that differ. You wrote about this nation moving from slavery of blacks to a few bad DA's withholding evidence to push for a conviction of a black man. I question whether it was done because he was black though. The same has been done to whites in this country. But I completely agree with your point that racism continues to exist. What I think we disagree on is that the law is now on the side of equality but when people like Rev Wright try to convince us it is not, that blacks are victims of society, that opportunity does not exist because of rampent racism that cannot be overcome, he is doing what the racists want, to convince blacks to not attempt to prosper, or give up when they, as everyone does now and then, fail.

When the nooses were found at that high school school in Mississippi, and the history of student self segregation and the racial hostilities of the students came to light after the fights, and incarcerations of just blacks, the nation focused its disgust. The national spotlight was shined and the nation was shocked that this was happening in the 21st century. Reviews were done, balance was brought into an unbalanced justice system. It was quickly delt with. Defeating racism is like defeating crime. It will always be with us so our laws must be sound and we must be vigilant to react when a crime or racism happens, and we must keep watch on those who execute the laws. But racism is no reason for a black person or person of any race, ethnicity or gender to feel that they have a boot on their neck, or that they cannot achieve their own goals. If the candidates running in the democratic party have not shown that to be true, then I guess it will just take more time for those who are taught victimhood to realize there is no boot on their neck anymore more than a woman, or asian, or muslim has a boot on their neck in this nation.

Ebola NOT wrote:
"Blacks spread AIDS. Blacks spread Ebola. Blacks hack each other apart with machetes. Idi Amin ATE black flesh. Blacks do necklacing. We Americans do not require the sociopath Tutu to worry about OUR social ills, he needs to direct his attention to his whoring, robbing, raping, killing brethren."

This is a textbook illustration of the attitudes that lead many in America to belive that, although much has been done to create a society of equality, many in our midst have yet to embrace the teachings of all of the major religions to love your neighbor as yourself.

The calling of names, the blanket genralizations and the over the top vocabulary serve only one purpose; to inflame and antagonize people.

I ask you Ebola Not how well do you know Bishop Tutu to call him a sociopath? Do you even know what the word means? Additionally what part of America do you live in where "whoring, robbing, raping, killing" doesn't occur and finally which ethnic group does not have to deal with these problems?

It's easy to call people names and disparage that which you don't understand, but it takes an adult to confront new experiences with an open mind and peaceful intentions.

I totally agree with mkosahadabu the African who posted earlier. The majority of the remarks with their unfiltered vitriol towards Archbishop Tutu are the absolute top of the top of food chain. Their message to the disadvantaged of the US: "Dog eat dog." Wow. Sure is wonderful to see such displays of "Christianity." Kind of out of sync with Christ though, don't you think? And the idea that immigrants come to this country and their children grow up to be doctors, scientists, etc. has probably never worked with recent immigrant populations. This is a nice urban legend. Come work with any of the local DC public schools and work with the immigrant populations. Let's see how many go to college. Look up the term Matthew effect.

Bishop Tutu seems to be out of touch with American reality.
Obama did repudiate Wright and Wright went a lot further than condemn racism. He condemned America and whites generally.
Most of the ancestors of today's white America were not slave owners, they were busy to survive somewhere in Europe and came here in the early twentieth century.
Yes, there is still racism, but it seems a lot stronger on the black side. It is hard to imagine a white politician to belong to a racist church.

The message of liberation without personal redemption is useless.

Liberation theology, in the main of black churches is non-existent.

If Rev. Wright was honest with his own congregation, they might be surprised that he believes in a Christless Jesus, the Bible is just a book of myths, and the resurrection is a metaphor.

The message of liberation without personal redemption is useless.

Liberation theology, in the main of black churches is non-existent.

If Rev. Wright was honest with his own congregation, they might be surprised that he believes in a Christless Jesus, the Bible is just a book of myths, and the resurrection is a metaphor.

The message of liberation without personal redemption is useless.

Liberation theology, in the main of black churches is non-existent.

If Rev. Wright we honest with his own congregation, they might be surprised that he believes in a Christless Jesus, the Bible is just a book of myths, and the resurrection is a metaphor.

Bishop Tutu,

Thank you for an excellent essay.

As a 76 yr old Caucasian male who has raised a family, who has been successful
in main stream American business and culture, and whose parents were
supporters of the NAACP in the 1940s, I have been totally confused by the herd
instincts of the media turning against Rev Wright with such fury. We have
tolerated Pat Robinson, James Dobson, Rev Hagee, and the clergy and theology
of many other faith traditions whose preaching and doctrine are far more
"bizarre" than Jeremiah Wright.

What was with the viciousness accorded Rev Wright? Black liberation theology
may be "dated", the Rev may have taken the opportunity to express an opinion
seldom heard by White Folk, but he made many valid points. Have I agreed with
this theology or message - to a degree and with some significant nuanced
reservations. However, there is still much truth in what he said that is
appropriate today. Was his crime to have "dissed" the press? Life is a bummer,
Mr & Ms Press - we are tired of your preaching to us your morals, telling us
what to think, endlessly picking at nits of "bitter" vs frustrated while our
wealth is going to the Persian Gulf and China while we have third world health
care.

In contrast have his actions of service to South Chicago spoken louder than his
words? I think so. From a Biblical point of view, he has spoken in the manner
of an ancient prophet, none too popular at the time. There is still bigotry
alive and well and it is not popular to talk about it. Has no one thought to
suggest the Rev had a 1st amendment privilege, rather duty to speak out? We
furiously objected to his 3 hours of duty yet have to put up with thousands
of hours of false witness from GW Bush et al?

Thank you so much, Bishop Tutu. You'd be perfect to lead a truth and reconciliation commission; please nominate yourself and help us here!

white people don't need pandered to tutu. white people need honesty. you can't whitewash this wright clown. don't try. you look more foolish than before.

People often compare contemporary situations with the biblical recounting of how God freed the descendants of Israel (aka Jacob, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham) from Egyptian slavery by the hand of Moses. But this analogy cuts both ways. After the Lord freed the children of Israel from Egypt and they headed into the desert, they proceeded to rebel against God and Moses time after time. Finally, His judgment came crashing down. In Numbers 14, the Lord decreed that no one of the camp of Israel 20 years and older, except the faithful Joshua and Caleb, would ever enter the promised land. Israel was sentenced to wander the desert for 40 years, during which time everyone else would die off.

That is some tough love.

This is plainly spoken in a real truth that can not be denied.

Therefore ... Let the church say Amen.

Memo to Archbishop Tutu:

1. Regarding your statement: “Obama is a person of courageous integrity. He could have ingratiated himself to white Americans by repudiating his pastor completely. He did nothing of the sort.” You should follow the news more frequently than once every 2 weeks. Obama did repudiate his pastor completely. That does not mean he is either a courageous man or a coward. It means he is a politician running for office. As such, he cannot afford to have a person so close to him call him a phony.

2. The fiery sermon in your first two paragraphs is very impressive. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with Rev. Wright or with Obama’s quandary.

3. Whenever you speak up about racial or ethnic conflicts, regardless of the circumstances, you always have the same remedy to offer: A truth and reconciliation commission. After all, “look what we have accomplished in South Africa”.

First, the jury is still out on what your Truth and Reconciliation commissions have accomplished. As far as reconciliation goes, the last I heard, whites were leaving S. Africa in droves. You may have gotten some truth out of those commissions, but to achieve that you had to forgo justice. That’s a very stiff price to pay and not everyone around the world may be willing to pay it.

4. Even if most people in S. Africa are happy with that solution, all it means is that it was a good solution for your country and for its unique issues. Other places may have other issues which require different models of conflict resolution. For instance, while there are deep problems associated with the racial issue in the U.S., getting the truth is not one of them.

Contrary to your impression, the U.S. has been making huge efforts to overcome those problems, at costs which you cannot begin to imagine, and over a much longer period of time than your country has. Also contrary to your impression, Rev. Wright is not part of the efforts to heal the rifts. He is part of the efforts to perpetuate and deepen them, a fact which by now has been acknowledged even by Obama.

5. The prize you have won is called “The Nobel Peace Prize”, not “The Nobel Peace-Between-Blacks-and-Whites Prize”. So it would be nice if from time to time you spoke up against the real horrors perpetrated on your own continent, such as the genocide in Congo, the genocide in Rwanda, the genocide in Sudan, slavery in Sudan and Mauritania, child-soldiers in Uganda, election massacres in Kenya, and on and on, instead of imaginary horrors in the U.S. From time to time you could lend your rightfully-earned international gravitas to helping resolve black-on-black violence, even though there are no whites around to be lectured to.

John-Michael

Legislation puts additional burdens on people with money, not just whites. I guess that's the point. It's all about power and money and how we all have what we have and we're not going to give up anything we have to help our fellow countryman get out of the hole they are in, regardless of how they got there. I don't think we should have to feel like we are burdened if we are helping out our neighbors. And I'm not talking about giving things away like food, or scholarships. How about really dealing with the drug problem. Not sure how, but the build more jails strategy isn't working. Maybe spending the money on drug treatment, education, and eradication instead of building more jails? Make the schools, starting at the elementary level, more equal in resources and teachers. Of course that would take the wealthy in those communities you speak of, sharing more of their wealth. And the drug treatment option doesn't punish people, which is what we as a country seem to like to do.

I agree that it will take leadership every bit as courageous as the civil rights movement. And it IS a change of perception, the ability to understand that the Black guy on the corner with a bad drug habit was once a 4th grader, just like you and me, ready to take on the world, full of dreams. I think we as a country owe it to ourselves to try harder to reach that goal for as many as possible. What could we possibly lose?

Well, this opened up a big old can of worms, eh? I just hope the conversation continues with open minds.

JOHN-MICHAEL you are a good man. Your thoughtfulness is wonderful, my fellow American.

I am deeply disapppointed by Bishop Tutu's essay. Surely, he could not believe that Jesus -- who though he could call legions of angels did nothing to end the oppression of the Jewish people by the Roman Empire -- would say this His Gospel was about liberating one race from the power of another. The Gospel is about God's sacrifice of His own Son to liberate all people from the power of sin and death.

And by the way, who believes that the white race has its boot upon the throats of black Americans? America is the land of opportunity. People come here from foreign lands without being able to speak a word of English and their children end up being doctors and engineers. There is not a single poor person in a developing country who would not trade places with an American. So give the "whites won't let us up off the mat" stuff a break. The 60s are over.

I am an African who just happened to stumble onto this site. What a surprise? I take it that those who visit this site are among the cream of the crop of the American society. I am sorry to say, what sad mirror to the rest of the world. The hatred is vile and caustic. Where do you guys learn to be so hateful? I am guesing it is an inherited trait which has no rhyme or reason.

Well, this Jeramiah needs to be denounced. Why, his words sound upatriotic to me, and churches must be patriotic, if nothing else. It's something up with which we mustn't put.

gt6, you don't seem to realize that Archbishop Tutu is a strong supporter of gay/lesbian dignity and equality, unlike many other Anglican leaders in Africa. His ethic of liberation and human rights is powerful, consistent, and courageous.

Jeremiah Wright, for all his blatant faults, is also a supporter of gay/lesbian equality, unlike much of the rest of the Black Church.

America rejects the truth behind the words of Jeremiah Wright at its own peril - do those who consider his words hate even remotely understand the Christianity they profess? What do they think repentance is all about?

As far as I can tell, black church "prophecy" means telling people it's not your fault you do drugs, the white people's government gave them to you; HIV isn't caused by your sexual irresponsibility, the white people's government gave it to you; you're not in prison because you killed somebody, it's the white people's government's genocide plan.

What's prophetic about that? If Jeremiah Wright wants to be a prophet he should tell his congregants to cease to do evil and learn to do good. If the prophet Jeremiah had run around saying it's not our fault, it's those terrible Babylonians, we're just poor, innocent victims, he wouldn't have been thrown in a mudpit, he would have had a top job at King Jehoiachim's court.

Steve & Doc

Yes, obviously, racism is still a huge problem in the US. It is easy to say that there is still much to be done. My question is what specifically needs to be done. What else should the United States of America do?

My point is that if you move to further force the issue with additional legislation that puts additional burdens on whites you are not fixing racism in America.

What can the state do to correct broken homes and the subsequent lack luster school performance which are just two of the many issues that perpetuate the cycle of poverty that hinders much of black America? Communities need to band together to lift themselves out of those cycles. That is where pastors with a message of hope (like what Wright conveys a lot of the time) are absolutely instrumental. By furthering the blame game and infusing paranoia about "the white system" in their sermons though, pastors can do an immense disservice to their parishioners.

Racial profiling and similar problems will persist until those cycles are broken. What is especially unfair about that is that such problems help to perpetuate those very cycles. You just can't change that though. It is human nature and we cannot wish it away. It will take leadership every bit as courageous and on a similar scale as the civil rights movement to change things. The major difference is that the goal is not to change the system but to change perceptions. That may be the tougher battle and will require more introspection than seems to be going on.

"God helps those who help themselves" . My Grandmother.

We have come a long way.

The boot on the neck remark is passe. You are clearly behind the times, Mister Tutu. We are proud to have a young black man running for President . I don't know what it is like in your country but we are doing just fine here. For the first time ever we have a chance to elect a Black President in a straight forward democratic way and , hello, without a coup or a blood bath. The only one who seems to be trying to sabotage this brilliant young man's future is a God quoting pastor from the so- called "black religion". It is confusing, there are so many "Gods". White ones, black ones, brown ones, yellow ones, red ones, it is hard to explain to a child whose God is "right". Perhaps the Jehovah Witnesses are right in their belief that the God so fervently worshipped is the Evil God, the Devil, the Anti- Christ. As did the Medieval Cathars. Looking around the World now this is clearly believable, man is performing the most heinous acts of cruelty, torture,persecution,depravity and destruction to his own image, all in the name of his own particular God.

I am concerned about the term black theology liberation. The Bible states that who Christ set free is free indeed. But we cannot deny the past, many of the things that Pastor wright said is true such as the discrepancy between powdered cocaine and rock cocaine where individuals could have the same amount of drugs but five times the sentence of one over the other.
Syphilis was given to blacks in Alabama in an experiment to test it's effects on the human body without treatment. 37 black men have been released from death row after spending decades due to DNA results. We know that the federal government failed blacks during the breeches of the flood control gates.
If we look at Iraq where we have killed over a hundred thousand civilian and displaced over two million who are homeless on the borders of Syria and Jordan without relief.
Remember for many years Americans was separated by de jure segregation of the races and blacks were treated unequal by order of the government.
Dr Wright was a victim of these injustices so we should consider the experience from which he comes. Yes! things are better but a lot of suffering was endured to reach this period. Even those who viciously criticize Reverend Wright and his comments should remember that god himself warned the children of Israel not to forget their past simply because they might repeat it.

I'm sorry but black liberation sounds like hate speech to me.
If the institutions that freed you are attacked and put down, keep in mind that your group will be the first to be put down, a thought to ponder for a new age.

Mr. Tutu:

"Black theology and religion seek the liberation of all, oppressor and oppressed, black and white together – as we accomplished it in South Africa for freedom is indivisible."

This statement is false.

Black religion (and most religions of all color and hue) has worked very hard for very many years to ensure the liberation of homosexuals from the religious bigotry does not occur.

Black religion (whether in the USA or in African countries) has happily stood with a boot on the necks of homosexuals (even to the point of denying homosexual existence).

The use of "All" was I assume a mistake, and you meant "most" with an explanation that gays and lesbians of all colors and nationalities are on left their own to fight for liberation.

Please get your boot off my neck.
It hurts.

I am delighted to see that the Washington Post has the valor to publish a luminary like Desmond Tutu. As he so cogently states we in the US desperately need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to show some action to our words that we are no longer a racist nation. Any mental health professional will long extol the merits of grief counseling, why shoulnd't this be applied to an entire nation as the South Africans did in their immediate post Apartheid period? We apologized for the forced internment of the Japanese Americans, now we need to do so for both slavery, Jim Crow, and the host of social ills associated with institutional racism. These effects are still felt today.

Fate:
To those who don't think there is oppression in America, let me suggest that just because you change the rules, doesn't mean you change the attitudes. The Civil war ended slavery, so Jim Crow laws were created. Education was questioned by the minority, so Seprate but Equal became the law of the land. Even with Brown v BOE, it was left to the school districts to implement desgregated school systems at their leisure. The voting rights act didn't happen until 1965, 100 years after the end of the Civil War. Yesterday a man in Dallas Texas was released from jail after 27 years for a murder he did not commit. He is the 17th Black person of 40, since 2001, to be released in Dallas based on DNA evidence. He could have gotten out years ago if he had just apologized, but why apologize for something he didn't do. He appears not to hold a grudge, but it would have helped if the DA had shared evidence that the victim was seen with 3 other guys the night she died. According to an interview I heard with the current Dallas DA, "... the policy at the Dallas DA's office in the early 80's was just get the numbers. They were being "tough on crime." Just one more legal way to "keep the foot on the throat." And why are there a disproportionate number of Black people in jail? Or Black children in foster care? Is it just because they are just inherently bad? Or their parents are inherently bad? Of course not, but maybe we could address the issues instead of using our resources to build more jails or break up families. Just because you change a rule...

I can jump up and down and scream some more if you want.

We as a country are closer than ever to taking control of this situation. Hopefully this next election will help, but don't think there is not still plenty of work to be done to correct prevailing attitudes and racial imbalance.

Even if we just wanted to focus on the facts of what TUTU has written. The truth is people wouldn't want to believe it. Many would like to say that america has dealt with its issues something i totally disagree with wihen it comes to race. It almost unreal how people are just uncomfortable with a darker color person. The mojority of them being of the black (african american) race. Not that i want to identify with race case its not that its a culture. I think it is hard to identify with a culture that has been torn apart aggressively for roughly a hundred years. This is the apology the black culture looks for and these are the thing Tutu and many other black churches are addressing with different community problems. You would think if america was truly sorry they would attempt to correct their wrongs. But i don't see many americans leaving their comfort zones to go help churches and other community organizations to help in whatever way they can. Enough of the talking let people talk, seek the truth on the issue, otherwise your comments might be just as worthless as the content you thought to comment on.

Mr. Tutu,

I have admired your strength, courage and love of God. However, Black Theology should not have an independence away from the Bible. Many different cultures have been oppressed from the Old Testament, the New Testament and in this day. We are not called to preach another gospel to suit our own pride and self. Over and over again, the Bible clearly states: deny self and take up your cross daily, Vengance is mine sayeth the Lord. There are so many prophets in the Bible who clearly spoke to their opressors and they were ignored. However, God judged those who were the oppressors over and over. In addition, when Moses and other prophets spoke in anger, in their own strength, He disciplined them. Hezekian and Saul (and so many others) were judged by the Lord due to their pride. My opinion of Pastor Wright is he's a blasphemer and extremely prideful. There are several theologians who change and misinterpret God's word to suit their present needs and to fill their sanctuaries. Pastor Wright should've took the example of Jesus: bless those who mock and curse you. He should've stood quiet instead of making a spectacle of himself. Christianity is in a fight for it's life. I wonder what Jesus would say about the "me", "self" gospel and the health, wealth and prosperity gospel preached by several well known pastors and teachers who misinterpret scripture to make us believe we can do anything with faith and be blessed financially and have want we want like the Lord is a sugar daddy. Sure, God blesses some with healing of an assortment of infirmities but not always and He also blesses those financially: not always...The Lord's prayer says: Thy will be done. Not our will! Surrendering to His plan not ours. Blessings come when we surrender to Him in love, godly sorrow that leads to repentance (for pastors also) and in obedience and in reverance for what He did at Calvary.

Tutu, you are right. But when YHWH, God, raised the 12 year old Josiah to overturn the brutality and corruption of his father's regime, the prophet encouraged him; the prophet did not disrupt his campaign by putting his own narrow interest first. In the case of Wright, his ego got the better of his prophetic calling by opposing God's future Josiah.

It never ceases to amaze me the depth of hypocrisy when it comes to race issues in this country. While much progress has been made, Bishop Tutu is 100% correct in that America has yet reconcile its past injustices. I mean African Americans still cannot get a simple apology, while many problems born out of the Plantation community are still prevalent today.

True, individuals here may not have their foot on anyone's neck, but you are a beneficiaries of a Systemic and Systematic legacy that did exactly that. While injustices grounded in race and socioeconomics persist today. So eager to make Rev. Wright out to be a repugnant racist, you have all collectively blinded yourselves to the truths contained in his message, and I am not speaking of the ludicrous conspiracy theories he advanced.

Calling Bishop Tutu, given his record, a racist is simply beyond the pale. He is not advancing a Culture of Victimhood, but certainly he advances hashing out some of the issues that create cycles of poverty and oppression. To argue that America has effectively dealt with the racial inequities of the past and present is akin to plugging ones ears, closing ones eyes and screaming at the top of ones lungs "I can't hear you".

Much of the discussion hovers around the messengers as opposed to the messages. If those who feel that the sins of the fathers are still upon us could be specific, rather than general, perhaps resolution or solutions could be sought, if truly needed. For example, instead of referring to those who still have their boots on others' necks, can we have specifics about those boots (who wears them; whose necks are being stepped on). Is there any truth to the charge that AIDS was "invented" by someone in the US government as a device to kill Black people? I presume there is solid evidence that reasonable people can accept that the charge is false. How about a committee of Black, White, Brown, etc people to examine that evidence and give an opinion as to its veracity? Challenge speech not speech makers. Jews face a similar charge about the truth of the Holocaust; they answer those charges with the presentation of evidence (tattoos, ovens, graves). There are a few who are not convinced, but that's the nature of the world and information. We do the best we can to confront "charges" with as an unbiased view as possible. It is said that truth will set you free; don't know if that is reasonable but it is a good motto. To some extent truth is in the eye of the beholder; again, all we can do is try to examine and determine for ourselves what truth is. Shakespeare, by way of Polonius, said: To thine own self be true...

Theresa "I will not vote for Obama but not because of who his reverend is but for the policies that he stands on. I can and will never vote for a man or woman that says it's okay to let a baby lie dying in a hospital only because the abortion was botched."

Then I guess you won't be voting come November.

By reading this I get a chill in my back: is Archbishop Tutu a covert communist party member? If not, why his words remind me everything I learned in the Communist's pamphlet?

Could someone please explain what a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" is suppossed to accomplish? Pretty much everyone in America is well aware of the horrors of slavery and the institutionalized racism that persisted until relatively recently. By the time you graduate from grade school you have read Stowe, Douglas and others. You do it again and in more depth in highschool and then again and in still more deapth at the university. So the truth is already pretty darn well understood.

That leaves us with reconciliation. We have instituted scattered site housing throughout the nation; ruining the property values in many thousands of neighborhoods. We hav submitted to bussing children to schools that we would really rather them not have to go to. We have seen universities largely adopt biased admission standards to get more minorities into more and better colleges. We do these things (if a bit bitterly) because we do recognize the truth of the past, and we want to do what is possible to help right those past wrongs for future generations.

No one is on anyone's neck and no one has been for some time. We love for people to stand up. Tutu's ideas about Christianity are right on. His ideas about race in America are a couple of decades out of date. Asking for more white guilt just is not going to go anywhere. I am not sure what else people expect. Is it more welfare? More money thrown at schools? More biased admissions?

The racism that exists today cannot be solved by more agitation but through example. Black America has to stand up and prove its doubters wrong. That is an extremely difficult proposition, and it is not fair. It is reality though.

I for one would like to know at what point does Rev. Wright have to be held accountable for his actions and his alone. I will not vote for Obama but not because of who his reverend is but for the policies that he stands on. I can and will never vote for a man or woman that says it's okay to let a baby lie dying in a hospital only because the abortion was botched. If you really want to know why this man obama will not win it's because of his leftist views. Now we know that these views are shared with Rev. Wright and that just highlights the reason Obama will not make a good President. Obama says he wants to bring about change...yeah change so that all will agree with him and his leftist. Maybe we should focus on his voting record...this rev. wright stuff only highlights Mr. Obama real purpose in change.

Faith does indeed address anything that afflicts the human spirit. That would include oppression. However, Wright's tirade was not about the human spirit, it was about Wright. The spotlight came his way, and he took advantage of it.

thank you for showing us all that you are a racist. we know what black theology is, we read, and bs is bs even if it comes from you.
you are just, like wirght, a kkk member, but a black kkk hating whites instead of a white kkk hating blacks.
you both hate jews so you are exactly the same there.
if it were not for the white man you would still be living in mud huts, and now africia is back into tribal warfare and stealing from and murdering each other.
but you go ahead and blame the white man. the same white man that developed africia and brought it into the 20th century and in a matter of 50 years you have managed to fall back into the dark ages, but with better weapons.

Liberation theology seems to ignore some parts of the Bible and magnify others. The Old Testament clearly shows time and again when the Israelites turned away from God, God would allow their enemies to come in overpower them. Only when they recognized their own sins caused their troubles, asked for forgiveness from God, and prayed to God for help ~did he liberate them.

Secondly, God does not always favor the down-trodden. God favors people who recognize their sins, ask for forgiveness, follow his laws, and most importantly have humble, kind, and loving hearts. If a person is rich and powerful but has the above attributes, God favors them. If a person is a slave or subjugated but had much evil in their heart, God does not favor them. Jesus did come to try and help those who were sick spiritually but that shouldn’t be confused with who he favors.

Tutu wrote: "America will not find peace with itself until you really deal with your history."

We have delt with our history, starting in 1861 and again in the 1960s and continuing through today. We know blacks were slaves and we delt with that. We know Jim Crow laws were bigoted and unconstitutional and we delt with that. As recently as 1967 laws against interracial marriage were delt with. But its 2008 Rev Tutu. If you can find injustice by white America against black America I would like to to point it out and shout it loudly so we can deal with it as we delt with past injustices, which we are not pretending did not happen, just acknowledging happened and are over.

My ancestors were Irish who came over here to escape the potato famine and were discriminated against in New York to the point where they fled to Illinois as many of the Irish who were discriminated against did. That was in 1840 and I hold no one today to account for that injustice. Why must blacks hold white Americans today to account for injustices against their ancestors when today they have as much freedom as whites? When will the stigma of victimhood end? It won't end with people like Rev. Wright telling blacks today that the injustice continues, when it does not. I'm not saying there is no discrimination today. When you get one-on-one with people discrimination is bound to happen. I even know someone who hates the Irish and blames people of Irish decent (me) for all kinds of ills, from drunkeness to voting for "liberals". I know some who hate Catholics. I know some who hates Italians. I don't like it any more than you or Wright or Obama, but I do not go to church to hear how I should be proud to be Irish, how I should defend my Irishness, how I am a victim and can explain my failings on being a victim of oppression.

South Africa needed a truth/reconcilliation commission to get the truth out. What truth in America has not come out? Who are the victims in America of an oppressive system? Ask Condaleeza or Colin Powell how they made it to where they are under such oppression. Sorry, but you and Rev Wright remind me of soldiers who, after having won the war, cannot get back to living as civilians, so you continue to wear the uniform and continue to speek of the need to fight while many are living the dream the war was fought for. Its time to leave the battle field and lead the lives you dreamed about during the fight.

I think Mr. Tutu's comment is excellent. I'm an admirer of this man. Anyone who vilifies him must be sporting a pair of horns and a tail. Human ability to destroy everything that calls for peace is amazing.

My only question is: when did he write this?

On the "race speech" Obama took the decent position of not "disowing" his pastor, but later, pressed by the danger of losing the nomination, he back tracked and back stabbed the pastor. I wonder what Mr. Tutu has to say about this. I bet he's as disappointed as I'm. But again, i have always said that we are bound to be disappointed by politicians. With Obama...the disappointment is multiplied.

This statement "Jeremiah Wright has said really no more than this which falls squarely in the ambit of black theology, black religion to answer the anguished questions of black people suffering under the brutality of white racism. It ultimately seeks reconciliation, but you cannot be reconciled with one who has his boot on your neck to keep you in the gutter. To be reconciled you must stand up right to look the other in the eye." is wholly absurd!!!!! NO ONE IN AMERICA wants to see white people oppress blacks. THAT DOES NOT give blacks the right to attempt to oppress whites or any other group. Hate speech is just that. Don't apologize it or try to rationalize it away. What is good for one is good for the other. Don't make excuses for Wright. He is WRONG!

Powerful!

Self-critiquing...no doubt followed by "re-education".

No thanks.

I don't think it can be surprising that Archbishop Tutu, a bit of a religious cult of personality himself, would appreciate Wright's commentary. It is unfortunate though that he completely misses the tragedy of Wright's comments. I don't think there is any question in most white people's minds that there are not still issues related to both the brutual nature of racism in the history of America and the social inequities, which persist to this day. Nor are they ignorant of the fact that it is no longer 1860 or even 1960. Wright's effort to brandish whites of today's generation as being pure extensions from those times is in itself a perpetuation of that same twisted, biggoted logic that was directed against blacks and other minorities for so long, and which Wright and Tutu supposedly rail against.

Rev. Wright offends becuase he means to. What took place last week at that conference was an egotistical display as obvious as could be imagined. It's one thing to hold your country to account for it's misteps, but to fabricate additional one's in effort to establish a brand for yourself and publicity for your up coming book is one of the lesser holy things I can imagine; not to mention hardly a hopeful message to black Americans, whom I hope think more of their own ability to succeed than Rev. Wright does.

I don't think it can be surprising that Archbishop Tutu, a bit of a religious cult of personality himself, would appreciate Wright's commentary. It is unfortunate though that he completely misses the tragedy of Wright's comments. I don't think there is any question in most white people's minds that there are not still issues related to both the brutual nature of racism in the history of America and the social inequities, which persist to this day. Nor are they ignorant of the fact that it is no longer 1860 or even 1960. Wright's effort to brandish whites of today's generation as being pure extensions from those times is in itself a perpetuation of that same twisted, biggoted logic that was directed against blacks and other minorities for so long, and which Wright and Tutu supposedly rail against.

Rev. Wright offends becuase he means to. What took place last week at that conference was an egotistical display as obvious as could be imagined. It's one thing to hold your country to account for it's misteps, but to fabricate additional one's in effort to establish a brand for yourself and publicity for your up coming book is one of the lesser holy things I can imagine; not to mention hardly a hopeful message to black Americans, whom I hope think more of their own ability to succeed than Rev. Wright does.

I don't think it can be surprising that Archbishop Tutu, a bit of a religious cult of personality himself, would appreciate Wright's commentary. It is unfortunate though that he completely misses the tragedy of Wright's comments. I don't think there is any question in most white people's minds that there are not still issues related to both the brutual nature of racism in the history of America and the social inequities, which persist to this day. Nor are they ignorant of the fact that it is no longer 1860 or even 1960. Wright's effort to brandish whites of today's generation as being pure extensions from those times is in itself a perpetuation of that same twisted, biggoted logic that was directed against blacks and other minorities for so long, and which Wright and Tutu supposedly rail against.

Rev. Wright offends becuase he means to. What took place last week at that conference was an egotistical display as obvious as could be imagined. It's one thing to hold your country to account for it's misteps, but to fabricate additional one's in effort to establish a brand for yourself and publicity for your up coming book is one of the lesser holy things I can imagine; not to mention hardly a hopeful message to black Americans, whom I hope think more of their own ability to succeed than Rev. Wright does.

My foot is on nobody's neck and never has been.

Time to drop the victim attitude.

Self-critiquing...no doubt followed by "re-education".

No thanks.

This is a simple and direct piece exposing the multi layered mischief and hypocrisy of the media in regard to Rev. Wright.

I am not a religious person but i know foul play and lies when i see them and Desmond Tutu's mention of a Truth an Reconciliation Commission points to such crimes in the highest levels of US politics and society, that such a commission is needed.

On a personal note, i find Tutu embodies the best interpretations of Christianity which has been so badly defiled by America's "religious right" and the Bushes of the world.

What an impressive article! This article speaks truth for all humanity. I hope that we listen to what this article is trying to convey. We can move forward together as one people, if we confront the past and deal with it in a righteous way. We need to be able to understand each other better. I believe that GOD has sent Barack Obama to help us begin the process of healing. Let's hold hands and move together towards healing and reconcilation.

What a relief to hear the voice of sanity in Rev. Tutu's words. Perhaps it will counteract the savage brutality of the media who pounced on Rev. Wright, brewed up a "controversy" and attempted to use it to prejudice Obama's campaign.

"A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to help you come to terms with your past." What an idea? We feel threatened by it. It might turn America upside down in ways we cannot predict.