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Tony Campolo

Tony Campolo Quotes

Pastor

Tony Campolo is an American pastor and public speaker known for his inspiring speeches and advocacy for social justice. Born on February 25, 1935, he holds honorary doctorates from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary in New York. Campolo has had a wide-ranging impact in the religious and social sectors, with his writings and speeches inspiring countless individuals, particularly in the areas of social justice and religious faith.

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All Ifs Jesus Christian Religious Evangelical People Thinking Should Government Poor

Famous Tony Campolo Quotes

“I'm a minister, and I serve as a minister in addition to being a university professor.”

University Ministers Professors University Professors

Author:Tony Campolo

“In America, evangelical churches have often been bastions of conservatism, providing support for the status quo.”

America Church Support Providing Status Quo Conservatism Evangelical Challenging Status Quo Challenging The Status Quo

Book:Letters To A Young Evangelical

Source: Letters To A Young Evangelical

“In religious circles, depression is often deemed to be a spiritual condition that can be cured with prayer.”

Spiritual Religious Prayer Conditions Circles

Author: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.”

Thinking Problem Moral Not Sure Abortion Legislation Persuasion

Author:Tony Campolo

“In the past, the Republican Party has depended on unified support at election time from Evangelical Christians. But times are changing!”

Christian Past Party Support Republican Election Republican Party Evangelical Unified Times Are Changing Election Time

Author:Tony Campolo

“Jesus is the only Savior, but not everybody who is saved by Him is aware that He is the one who is doing the saving.”

Jesus Saved Saving Savior

Author:Tony Campolo

“Let us preach Christ, let us be faithful to proclaiming the Gospel, but let's leave judgment in the hands of God.”

Hands Christ Judgment Faithful Being Faithful Hands Of God Proclaiming Proclaiming The Gospel

Author:Tony Campolo

“Lies and distortions can be spread, via the Internet, in an inexpensive way, and the effects are astounding.”

Way Lying Effects Internet Spread Distortion Inexpensive

Author:Tony Campolo

“Marriage should be viewed as an institution ordained by God and should be out of the control of the state.”

Should States Institutions

Book:Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics

Source: Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics

“Nowhere in the Hebrew Scriptures does it say that God is omnipotent.”

Doe Scripture Hebrew Omnipotent

Author: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.”

Wells Powerful Likes Rabbi

Author:Tony Campolo

“Relegating women to second-class citizenship was abolished when Jesus died on the cross.”

Jesus Class Crosses Died Citizenship Second Class Citizens

Author:Tony Campolo

“Religion, for better or for worse, has been politicized in blatant ways that have seldom been equaled in American elections.”

Way Has Beens Election American Elections

Author:Tony Campolo

“The Jesus of the Scripture transcends all nations and calls all nations into judgment.”

Jesus Nations Judgment Scripture

Author:Tony Campolo

“When there is conflict between what God requires and the demands of the government, each of us has an important decision to make concerning taxes.”

Important Government Decision Demand Conflict Taxes Important Decisions

Book:Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?

Source: Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?

“Whenever there is a catastrophe, some religious people inevitably ask, 'Why didn't God do something? Where was God when all those people died?'”

People Asks Religious Died Catastrophe

Author:Tony Campolo

“Women have the same privileges and opportunities as men, given the New Testament.”

Men Opportunity Given Privilege Testament New Testament

Author:Tony Campolo

“Young Evangelicals, especially, are breaking ranks with older Evangelicals (over 40) and are more and more leaning towards voting Democratic.”

Young Democratic Voting

Author: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.”

Ifs Doe Moving Sound Religious Forget Wonder Willing Republican Commitment Vote Forgiving Crowds Believable Forgive Forget

Author:Tony Campolo

“The two hot issues are the gay issue and the abortion issue. These are the two defining issues in the evangelical community these days. I'm sure that these hot buttons will be pushed, time and time again.”

Two Community Issues Gay Hot These Days Abortion Buttons Defining Evangelical

Author: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.”

Government Care School Benefits Program Disaster Variety Relief Shelter Homeless Elderly Funding After School Government Funding Disaster Relief After School Programs

Author:Tony Campolo

“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.”

Believe Hard Whole Belief I Believe Process Hours Four Creation Six Twenties Inspired Scripture Hard Times Infallible

Author: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.”

Thinking World Kind Problem Community Answers Party Republican Blessing Instruments Democratic Republican Party Democratic Party Messiah Evangelical John Kerry

Author:Tony Campolo

“I'm not denying that depression can be spiritually induced. Guilt from having wronged and hurt others can bring it on. A sense of having failed to live out the will of God can give rise to depression. Certainly the fear of death and what might follow can sap the joy out of life.”

Giving Might Joy Hurt Guilt Gods Will Fear Of Death Sap Wronged

Author: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.”

Matter Moving Democratic Democrat Camps New Day

Author: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.”

Ifs Together Order President Wealth Months Couple Former Barack Presidential Collectives What If Committees Conferences Advisory Collective Wisdom

Author: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.”

Men Should Has Beens School Christian Spiritual Young Gone Development Periods Calling Young Man Young Women Formation Spiritual Formation Christian Schools

Author: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.”

Certain Hate Asks Term Religious Leader Serious I Hate Hot Pushing Buttons Religious Leaders Raising Money

Author:Tony Campolo

“Because of the increase in life longevity, America can now assume that at any given time three, and perhaps four, former presidents will still be alive, even when the current president is occupying the White House.”

Stills America Three House Given President White Four Alive Increase Assuming Currents Former White House Longevity

Author: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?”

Ifs Men Children States United United States Iraq Medical Every Man Providing Men Women Coverage

Author: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.”

Certain Speak Church Ability Happened Treated

Author:Tony Campolo

“Evangelical Christians, who once were a ridiculed irrelevant sectarian movement, have, over just three decades, become a powerful voting bloc that can no longer be ignored.”

Christian Three Powerful Movement Decades Voting Ignored Irrelevant Evangelical

Author: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.”

States Religious Radio Available Stations Southern Preaching Listeners Belts Old Time Radio Stations

Author: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.”

Years Government Running Social Religious Practice Program Institutions Bills Clinton Social Programs

Author:Tony Campolo

“I am not suggesting that all those missionary organizations working in Haiti should pack up and go home, but I am urging them to understand that Haiti does not need clever Americans with newly contrived schemes for saving their country.”

Needs Should Doe Country Home Organization Clever Saving Missionary Schemes Packs Suggesting Haiti

Author: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.”

People Ifs Want States Would Be Justice Israel Breathing Necks Palestinian Moderates

Author:Tony Campolo

“I contend the state ought to do its thing and provide legal rights for all couples who want to be joined together for life. The church should bless unions that it sees fit to bless, and they should be called marriages.”

Want Should States Together Church Rights Ought Couple Fit Unions Bless Legal Rights

Author:Tony Campolo

“I don't know of many evangelicals who want to deny gay couples their legal rights. However, most of us don't want to call it marriage, because we think that word has religious connotations, and we're not ready to see it used in ways that offend us.”

Thinking Knows Way Want Used Religious Rights Ready Couple Gay Deny Evangelical Not Ready Connotation Gay Couples Legal Rights

Author:Tony Campolo

“I teach at Eastern University, which is highly committed to doing work among the poor and the oppressed peoples of the world. We have a special commitment to the city.”

World Poor Cities Teach Special Commitment University Committed Oppressed Eastern

Author: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.”

Thinking Believe Use Issues Responsible Democrat Instance Evangelical

Author: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.”

Ifs Years Jobs Names Christ Can Do Four Increase Raises Investment University Four Years Lots Of Money Effectiveness Best Investment

Author: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.”

Body Christian Responsible Fellows Believer Consistent Christian Living Baptism

Book:Letters To A Young Evangelical

Source: Letters To A Young Evangelical

“Most of my fundamentalist brothers and sisters - and I am an evangelical, so I can say most of my fundamentalist brothers and sisters - are quite willing to pack women off and send them as missionaries to dangerous places where they might get killed.”

I Can Might Dangerous Willing Brother Missionary Packs Brothers And Sisters Evangelical Fundamentalist Dangerous Places

Author: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.”

Want Nations Israel Theology Secure Borders Palestinian Forsake

Author: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?”

People Ifs Men Should Said Government Asks President Cases Involved Agree Institutions Sacred Unions One Man President Bush Reserved Marrying One Woman

Author:Tony Campolo

“Red Letter Christians believe in the doctrines of the Apostle's Creed, are convinced that the Scriptures have been inspired by the Holy Spirit, and make having a personal transforming relationship with the resurrected Christ the touchtone of their faith.”

Believe Has Beens Christian Spirit Christ Holy Red Letters Inspired Convinced Scripture Doctrine Holy Spirit Creeds Transforming Apostles

Author:Tony Campolo

“Sigmund Freud was the apostle of disbelief. He was the one who made psychoanalysis a part of our culture, and in so doing he kicked out a flying buttress that had been essential for holding up our cathedral of faith.”

Made Culture Essentials Flying Apostles Disbelief Psychoanalysis Cathedrals

Author:Tony Campolo

“So after the Lewinsky scandal, everything changed, and we moved from using the Bible to address the moral issues of our time, which were social, to moral issues of our time that were very personal. I have continued that relationship up until the present.”

Social Moral Issues Changed Moved Our Time Addresses Scandal Moral Issues

Author: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.”

Ifs Problem Church Religious Cities Europe Unions Connected Halls Bless City Hall

Author: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.”

Knows Firsts Mean Reason Use Form Political Religious Know How Influence Modern Communication Financial Ideology Technological Theological Political Ideology

Author:Tony Campolo

About the Author

Born: February 25, 1935
Known for: Pastor
Quotes: 152

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Ifs Jesus Christian Religious Evangelical People Thinking Should Government Poor

Popular Topics

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Books & Sources

Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and PoliticsRelated source material

Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?Related source material

Letters To A Young EvangelicalRelated source material

Red Letter Christians (Large Print 16pt)Related source material

Speaking My Mind: The Radical Evangelical Prophet Tackles the Tough Issues Christians Are Afraid to FaceRelated source material

Carpe Diem: Seize the DayRelated source material

Let Me Tell You a Story: Life Lessons from Unexpected Places and Unlikely PeopleRelated source material

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