• SONGS
    • SONGS BY ALBUM >
      • BOY
      • OCTOBER
      • WAR
      • THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
      • THE JOSHUA TREE
      • RATTLE AND HUM
      • ACHTUNG BABY
      • ZOOROPA
      • POP
      • ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
      • HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB
      • NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
      • SONGS OF INNOCENCE
      • SONGS OF EXPERIENCE
    • SONGS ALPHABETICAL >
      • 13 (THERE IS A LIGHT)
      • 40
      • A CELEBRATION
      • A MAN AND A WOMAN
      • A SORT OF HOMECOMING
      • ACROBAT
      • ALEX DESCENDS INTO HELL FOR A BOTTLE OF MILK
      • ALL BECAUSE OF YOU
      • ALL I WANT IS YOU
      • ALWAYS
      • AMERICAN SOUL
      • ANGEL OF HARLEM
      • ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE
      • BAD
      • BEAUTIFUL DAY
      • BIG GIRLS ARE BEST
      • BOOK OF YOUR HEART
      • BREATHE
      • BULLET THE BLUE SKY
      • CALIFORNIA (THERE IS NO END TO LOVE)
      • CEDARS OF LEBANON
      • CEDARWOOD ROAD
      • CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS
      • CRUMBS FROM YOUR TABLE
      • DESIRE
      • DIRTY DAY
      • DISCOTHEQUE
      • DROWNING MAN
      • ELEVATION
      • EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING
      • EVERY BREAKING WAVE
      • EXIT
      • FALLING AT YOUR FEET
      • FAST CARS
      • FIRE
      • GET ON YOUR BOOTS
      • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY
      • GLORIA
      • GONE
      • GRACE
      • HAWKMOON 269
      • HEARTLAND
      • HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME
      • I FALL DOWN
      • I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
      • I THREW A BRICK THROUGH A WINDOW
      • I WILL FOLLOW
      • I'LL GO CRAZY IF I DON'T GO CRAZY TONIGHT
      • IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
      • IN A LITTLE WHILE
      • IN GOD'S COUNTRY
      • INTO THE HEART
      • INVISIBLE
      • IRIS (HOLD ME CLOSE)
      • IS THAT ALL?
      • KITE
      • LANDLADY
      • LAST NIGHT ON EARTH
      • LEMON
      • LEVITATE
      • LIGHTS OF HOME
      • LIKE A SONG
      • LOVE AND PEACE OR ELSE
      • LOVE IS ALL WE HAVE LEFT
      • LOVE IS BIGGER THAN ANYTHING IN ITS WAY
      • LOVE IS BLINDNESS
      • LOVE RESCUE ME
      • LUCIFER'S HANDS
      • LUMINOUS TIMES (HOLD ON TO LOVE)
      • MAGNIFICENT
      • MERCY
      • MIRACLE DRUG
      • MISS SARAJEVO
      • MLK
      • MOFO
      • MOMENT OF SURRENDER
      • MYSTERIOUS WAYS
      • NEW YEAR'S DAY
      • NEW YORK
      • NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
      • NUMB
      • OCTOBER
      • ONE
      • ONE TREE HILL
      • OUT OF CONTROL
      • PEACE ON EARTH
      • PLEASE
      • PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE)
      • RAISED BY WOLVES
      • RED FLAG DAY
      • REJOICE
      • RUNNING TO STAND STILL
      • SALOME
      • SCARLET
      • SECONDS
      • SILVER & GOLD
      • SLEEP LIKE A BABY TONIGHT
      • SO CRUEL
      • SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS
      • SONG FOR SOMEONE
      • STAND UP COMEDY
      • STARING AT THE SUN
      • STATELESS
      • STAY (FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!)
      • STUCK IN A MOMENT YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF
      • SUMMER OF LOVE
      • SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY
      • SURRENDER
      • SWEETEST THING
      • THE BLACKOUT
      • THE FIRST TIME
      • THE FLY
      • THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GIVE YOU AWAY
      • THE MIRACLE (OF JOEY RAMONE)
      • THE PLAYBOY MANSION
      • THE SHOWMAN (LITTLE MORE BETTER)
      • THE TROUBLES
      • THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
      • THE WANDERER
      • TOMORROW
      • TRIP THROUGH YOUR WIRES
      • TRYIN' TO THROW YOUR ARMS AROUND THE WORLD
      • TWILIGHT
      • TWO HEARTS BEAT AS ONE
      • ULTRA VIOLET (LIGHT MY WAY)
      • UNKNOWN CALLER
      • UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
      • VERTIGO
      • VOLCANO
      • WAKE UP DEAD MAN
      • WALK ON
      • WALK TO THE WATER
      • WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORLD
      • WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN
      • WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
      • WHITE AS SNOW
      • WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES
      • WILD HONEY
      • WINDOW IN THE SKIES
      • WIRE
      • WITH A SHOUT (JERUSALEM)
      • WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
      • YAHWEH
      • YOU'RE THE BEST THING ABOUT ME
      • ZOO STATION
      • ZOOROPA
  • THEMES
    • ADDICTION
    • BEFORE THE FALL
    • BEING REBORN
    • BETRAYAL
    • BLINDNESS
    • BLIND GENERATION
    • BROKEN HEART
    • CHALLENGING CHRIST
    • CHANGING THE WORLD
    • CHRIST'S VICTORY
    • CONFESSING INABILITY TO CONNECT TO GOD
    • COVENANT LOVE
    • DANGERS OF RELIGION
    • DESPAIR
    • END OF THE WORLD
    • ENEMIES
    • FEMININE GOD
    • GOD-SHAPED HOLE
    • GOD VIA HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
    • GRACE
    • HEAVEN ON EARTH?
    • HOLLOW HEDONISM
    • IMAGINATION & GOD
    • LIGHT & DARKNESS
    • LOST & FOUND
    • LOVE IS ALL WE CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
    • LOVE THE HIGHER LAW
    • REDEMPTION
    • RUNNING TO OR AWAY FROM GOD?
    • SEX & SPIRIT
    • SPIRIT IS NOWHERE
    • SPIRIT TEACH ME
    • THE DOOR IS OPEN
    • TRUE TREASURE
  • QUOTES
    • ACCIDENTAL UNIVERSE?
    • ANTI-RELIGION
    • ATHEISM
    • BEING REBORN
    • BIBLE
    • BLESSINGS
    • BLIND GENERATION
    • CHANGING THE WORLD
    • CHRIST
    • CHRIST'S BIRTH STORY
    • CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS?
    • CHRIST THE SON OF GOD?
    • DAVID & THE PSALMS
    • EQUALITY & JUSTICE
    • ESSENCE MADE MANIFEST
    • FORCE OF LOVE & LOGIC
    • GOD-SHAPED HOLE
    • GOOD & EVIL
    • GRACE & KARMA
    • HEAVEN
    • HOLY SPIRIT
    • HYPOCRISY
    • IDENTIFYING AS A CHRISTIAN
    • IMAGINATION & GOD
    • INSTINCT
    • LOVE
    • MEETING GOD
    • MUSIC
    • SEX
    • TERRORISM
    • THE POOR
    • TRANSCENDENCE
  • SONGS
    • SONGS BY ALBUM >
      • BOY
      • OCTOBER
      • WAR
      • THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
      • THE JOSHUA TREE
      • RATTLE AND HUM
      • ACHTUNG BABY
      • ZOOROPA
      • POP
      • ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
      • HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB
      • NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
      • SONGS OF INNOCENCE
      • SONGS OF EXPERIENCE
    • SONGS ALPHABETICAL >
      • 13 (THERE IS A LIGHT)
      • 40
      • A CELEBRATION
      • A MAN AND A WOMAN
      • A SORT OF HOMECOMING
      • ACROBAT
      • ALEX DESCENDS INTO HELL FOR A BOTTLE OF MILK
      • ALL BECAUSE OF YOU
      • ALL I WANT IS YOU
      • ALWAYS
      • AMERICAN SOUL
      • ANGEL OF HARLEM
      • ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE
      • BAD
      • BEAUTIFUL DAY
      • BIG GIRLS ARE BEST
      • BOOK OF YOUR HEART
      • BREATHE
      • BULLET THE BLUE SKY
      • CALIFORNIA (THERE IS NO END TO LOVE)
      • CEDARS OF LEBANON
      • CEDARWOOD ROAD
      • CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS
      • CRUMBS FROM YOUR TABLE
      • DESIRE
      • DIRTY DAY
      • DISCOTHEQUE
      • DROWNING MAN
      • ELEVATION
      • EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING
      • EVERY BREAKING WAVE
      • EXIT
      • FALLING AT YOUR FEET
      • FAST CARS
      • FIRE
      • GET ON YOUR BOOTS
      • GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY
      • GLORIA
      • GONE
      • GRACE
      • HAWKMOON 269
      • HEARTLAND
      • HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME
      • I FALL DOWN
      • I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
      • I THREW A BRICK THROUGH A WINDOW
      • I WILL FOLLOW
      • I'LL GO CRAZY IF I DON'T GO CRAZY TONIGHT
      • IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
      • IN A LITTLE WHILE
      • IN GOD'S COUNTRY
      • INTO THE HEART
      • INVISIBLE
      • IRIS (HOLD ME CLOSE)
      • IS THAT ALL?
      • KITE
      • LANDLADY
      • LAST NIGHT ON EARTH
      • LEMON
      • LEVITATE
      • LIGHTS OF HOME
      • LIKE A SONG
      • LOVE AND PEACE OR ELSE
      • LOVE IS ALL WE HAVE LEFT
      • LOVE IS BIGGER THAN ANYTHING IN ITS WAY
      • LOVE IS BLINDNESS
      • LOVE RESCUE ME
      • LUCIFER'S HANDS
      • LUMINOUS TIMES (HOLD ON TO LOVE)
      • MAGNIFICENT
      • MERCY
      • MIRACLE DRUG
      • MISS SARAJEVO
      • MLK
      • MOFO
      • MOMENT OF SURRENDER
      • MYSTERIOUS WAYS
      • NEW YEAR'S DAY
      • NEW YORK
      • NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
      • NUMB
      • OCTOBER
      • ONE
      • ONE TREE HILL
      • OUT OF CONTROL
      • PEACE ON EARTH
      • PLEASE
      • PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE)
      • RAISED BY WOLVES
      • RED FLAG DAY
      • REJOICE
      • RUNNING TO STAND STILL
      • SALOME
      • SCARLET
      • SECONDS
      • SILVER & GOLD
      • SLEEP LIKE A BABY TONIGHT
      • SO CRUEL
      • SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS
      • SONG FOR SOMEONE
      • STAND UP COMEDY
      • STARING AT THE SUN
      • STATELESS
      • STAY (FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!)
      • STUCK IN A MOMENT YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF
      • SUMMER OF LOVE
      • SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY
      • SURRENDER
      • SWEETEST THING
      • THE BLACKOUT
      • THE FIRST TIME
      • THE FLY
      • THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GIVE YOU AWAY
      • THE MIRACLE (OF JOEY RAMONE)
      • THE PLAYBOY MANSION
      • THE SHOWMAN (LITTLE MORE BETTER)
      • THE TROUBLES
      • THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
      • THE WANDERER
      • TOMORROW
      • TRIP THROUGH YOUR WIRES
      • TRYIN' TO THROW YOUR ARMS AROUND THE WORLD
      • TWILIGHT
      • TWO HEARTS BEAT AS ONE
      • ULTRA VIOLET (LIGHT MY WAY)
      • UNKNOWN CALLER
      • UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
      • VERTIGO
      • VOLCANO
      • WAKE UP DEAD MAN
      • WALK ON
      • WALK TO THE WATER
      • WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORLD
      • WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN
      • WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
      • WHITE AS SNOW
      • WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES
      • WILD HONEY
      • WINDOW IN THE SKIES
      • WIRE
      • WITH A SHOUT (JERUSALEM)
      • WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
      • YAHWEH
      • YOU'RE THE BEST THING ABOUT ME
      • ZOO STATION
      • ZOOROPA
  • THEMES
    • ADDICTION
    • BEFORE THE FALL
    • BEING REBORN
    • BETRAYAL
    • BLINDNESS
    • BLIND GENERATION
    • BROKEN HEART
    • CHALLENGING CHRIST
    • CHANGING THE WORLD
    • CHRIST'S VICTORY
    • CONFESSING INABILITY TO CONNECT TO GOD
    • COVENANT LOVE
    • DANGERS OF RELIGION
    • DESPAIR
    • END OF THE WORLD
    • ENEMIES
    • FEMININE GOD
    • GOD-SHAPED HOLE
    • GOD VIA HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
    • GRACE
    • HEAVEN ON EARTH?
    • HOLLOW HEDONISM
    • IMAGINATION & GOD
    • LIGHT & DARKNESS
    • LOST & FOUND
    • LOVE IS ALL WE CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
    • LOVE THE HIGHER LAW
    • REDEMPTION
    • RUNNING TO OR AWAY FROM GOD?
    • SEX & SPIRIT
    • SPIRIT IS NOWHERE
    • SPIRIT TEACH ME
    • THE DOOR IS OPEN
    • TRUE TREASURE
  • QUOTES
    • ACCIDENTAL UNIVERSE?
    • ANTI-RELIGION
    • ATHEISM
    • BEING REBORN
    • BIBLE
    • BLESSINGS
    • BLIND GENERATION
    • CHANGING THE WORLD
    • CHRIST
    • CHRIST'S BIRTH STORY
    • CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS?
    • CHRIST THE SON OF GOD?
    • DAVID & THE PSALMS
    • EQUALITY & JUSTICE
    • ESSENCE MADE MANIFEST
    • FORCE OF LOVE & LOGIC
    • GOD-SHAPED HOLE
    • GOOD & EVIL
    • GRACE & KARMA
    • HEAVEN
    • HOLY SPIRIT
    • HYPOCRISY
    • IDENTIFYING AS A CHRISTIAN
    • IMAGINATION & GOD
    • INSTINCT
    • LOVE
    • MEETING GOD
    • MUSIC
    • SEX
    • TERRORISM
    • THE POOR
    • TRANSCENDENCE
Bono's Bible

EQUALITY & JUSTICE


Jesus begins His ministry by what? By quoting Isaiah. He walks into the temple and He said, "that the blind may see, set the captives free, the poor..." ー all of the sort of justice agenda. That's how Christ began. So, if we aren't following that, that's what was at the heart of ー apart from personal redemption, which is the key ー the second most important drive of the entire New Testament is against injustice and where we see it, in little or large ways. June 25, 2013 ー Interview with Jim Daly (Focus on the Family)
 
I think deep down, if we really believe in equality, we would go to the side of our brothers and sisters in Africa. What I would say is we don't really believe in equality. December 1, 2002 ー Interview with Larry King (CNN)

I will say this for the Judeo-Christian tradition: we have at least written into the DNA the idea that God created every man equal, and that love is at the heart of the Universe. I mean, the Greeks may have come up with democracy, but they had no intention of everyone having it. We have to conclude that the most access to equality in the world has come out of these ancient religious ideas. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas

...think of these Jewish sheep-herders going to meet with the Pharaoh, mud on their shoes, and the Pharaoh goes, “Equal? Equal?" And they say, "Yeah, that's what, that's what it says here in the Book, here. We're all made in the image of God, Sir." Eventually the Pharaoh says, “Look, I can accept that. I mean, I can accept the Jews ー but not the blacks. I mean, not the women. Not the gays. Not the Irish. No way.” February 2, 2006 ー National Prayer Breakfast Speech (Washington DC, USA)​

Equality is an idea that was first really expressed by the Jews when God told them that everyone was equal in His eyes. A preposterous idea then and still hard to hang on to now....You see, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, we have to accept this: it says that everyone is equal. Now most people accept that women, blacks, Irish, and Jews are equal, but only within these borders. I’m not sure we accept that Africans are equal. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
 
I had to find that at the very bottom… lies the feeling of justice over charity. I mean, charity is OK, I’m interested in charity…. But I’m more interested in justice. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
 
Isn’t equality a son of a bitch to follow through on? Isn’t love thy neighbor in the global village so inconvenient? God writes us these lines, but we have to sing them.... Outside these gates, and even within them, the culture of idealism is under siege ー beset by materialism, and narcissism, and all the other isms of indifference and their defense mechanisms ー knowingness, the smirk, the joke. June 12, 2001 ー Harvard University Commencement Speech (Massachusetts, USA)

It’s annoying but justice and equality are mates, aren’t they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain in the ass. Seriously. February 2, 2006 ー National Prayer Breakfast Speech (Washington DC, USA)​

Africa makes a mockery of what we say, at least what I say, about equality and questions our pieties and our commitments because there's no way to look at what's happening over there and it's effect on all of us and conclude that we actually consider Africans as our equals before God. May 17, 2004 ー PENN Commencement Address (Philadelphia, USA)

This is not about charity, it’s about justice. And that’s too bad. Because we’re good at charity. Americans, Irish people, are good at charity. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can’t afford it. February 2, 2006 ー National Prayer Breakfast Speech (Washington DC, USA)​

Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties; it doubts our concern, and it questions our commitment. Six and a half thousand Africans are still dying every day of preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity. This is about Justice and Equality. February 2, 2006 ー National Prayer Breakfast Speech (Washington DC, USA)​
 
The idea that black people could vote here in the United States is relatively new… equality is like a pain in the ass if you think about it. It's like, you know, you think of these Jewish sheep herders walking in, in front of pharaohs, you know, with (shit) on their shoes, and the pharaoh is going, "You think you're equal to me?" And he looks in the book, and he goes, "Yes, that's what it says. All of us are created equal in God's image. That's what it says here." December 1, 2002 ー Interview with Larry King (CNN)
 
We accept [equality] now between our own borders. We accept that women and Jews and blacks and Irish are equal and have equal opportunity, but we don't really believe that for the rest of the world, because if we do, we would not be letting two-and-a-half million Africans die next year. December 1, 2002 ー Interview with Larry King (CNN)