Anglican priest Desmond Mpilo Tutu became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches in 1979. He spoke strongly and internationally, pushing for non-violent change and economic sanctions against South Africa. In reaction, the South African government revoked his passport.

A month after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, Tutu was elected the first black Anglican bishop of Johannesburg. In 1986 he was elected Archbishop of Cape Town, the highest position in the Anglican Church in South Africa. In 1989 he led a march to a whites-only beach, where he and supporters were chased off with whips.

In 1994, after the end of Apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela, Tutu was appointed as Chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His policy of forgiveness and reconciliation has become an international example of conflict resolution, and a trusted method of post-conflict reconstruction. He continues to pursue an active international ministry for peace. (source: TheElders.org)

Christopher Hitchens is a columnist for Vanity Fair and the author of many books, including most recently, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.


He also writes for Slate. check out the May 16th article - "Faith-Based Fraud (Jerry Falwell's foul rantings prove you can get away with anything if you have "Reverend" in front of your name)" - where he further savages Falwell:

The discovery of the carcass of Jerry Falwell on the floor of an obscure office in Virginia has almost zero significance, except perhaps for two categories of the species labeled "credulous idiot." The first such category consists of those who expected Falwell (and themselves) to be bodily raptured out of the biosphere and assumed into the heavens, leaving pilotless planes and driverless trucks and taxis to crash with their innocent victims as collateral damage. This group is so stupid and uncultured that it may perhaps be forgiven. It is so far "left behind" that almost its only pleasure is to gloat at the idea of others being abandoned in the same condition.

Hilarious! I LOVE this guy! He's also clearly not afraid of the 'Lobby That We Dare Not Name'. Read the rest of it here.