Gingrich: Confront "Radical Secularism"

[hyphenate]

Source: CBS News

Former House Speaker Gives Commencement At Liberty University
LYNCHBURG, Va., May 19, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told Liberty University's graduating class Saturday to honor the spirit of school founder Jerry Falwell by confronting "the growing culture of radical secularism" with Christian ideals.

<snip>

"A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot profess the truths on which it was founded," Gingrich said. "We are told that our public schools can no longer invoke the creator, nor proclaim the natural law nor profess the God-given quality of human rights.

"In hostility to American history, the radical secularists insist that religious belief is inherently divisive and that public debate can only proceed on secular terms," he said.

<snip>

"Anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/19/politics/main2828219.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2828219

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What a dirtbag. And once again, the radical religious right fucks around with the truth to suit their own purposes.

[rurallib]

1. Probablly out to start with that pesky constitution

and all its radical secular ideas. It has always stood in the ways of America achieving its ordained greatness.

[Turbineguy]

2. Stupid people

need universities too.

[kurth]

3. Asshole hypocrite

[theoldman]

4. All of this coming from a true Christian like Newt.

Maybe he is trying to set the example for being a hypocrite.

[Joe Bacon]

40. Hey Newt, who are you cheating with now?

C'mon Mr. Big Christian, tell us who you have on the side now!

[xchrom]

5. firing up the troops, eh newt?

lying to suit your own path to power -- and money.

[David Zephyr]

6. Newt sings "All the Christian Favorites" on soon-to-be released Dobson CD.

Now if there's anyone in America that I will take my Jesus lessons from, why it's none other than Newt Gingrich.

If anyone doesn't think that Dobson isn't grooming Newtie right now to run in September, then you'd better think again.

Newt will be the chosen one by Dobson in the Fall.

[Arugula Latte]

7. Um, Newt, we secularists don't come knocking on your door

and we don't leave the Origin of Species in your motel rooms and we don't insist on having "In The NonexistentSky Fairy We Trust" on our money and we don't gather around the flagpole at schools to un-pray and we don't thank his Noodly Appendage when we win an Oscar and so on and so on and so on ...

Project much?

[tabasco]

8. I guess you're a "radical secularist' if you don't want a theocracy in the USA.

If you believe in the separation of church & state, you must be a radical secularist.

These people and their anti-Americanism should go start their own fucked-up country if they don't like the Constitution.

I imagine it would look a lot like Saudi Arabia, with crosses instead of crescents.

[Art_from_Ark]

70. You've hit the nail on the head

"I imagine it would look a lot like Saudi Arabia, with crosses instead of crescents."

[struggle4progress]

9. Translation: "Was I humping outside of marriage? Hey! Look over there! It's the secular bogeyman!"

[Liberal Veteran]

22. Yep, nothing like being lectured to about morality from a serial unrepentant adulterer.

The repukes are like that though.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Radical secularism? How does it compare to all the atrocities that have been

committed by or at best condoned by radical Religionists?
The Inquisition, The Crusades, Jihads, Cross-burnings, Church bombings,
Salem witch burnings, The Holocaust, Stonings, Heretics burned at the cross, The "Troubles" in Ireland, more genocides than I can think of....and the list goes on.

I cannot seem to come up with any atrocities committed by those damned radical Secularists!!!

[Solly Mack]

11. Oh, we know Falwell's hate didn't die with him

"Anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said."


We understand all too well.

We understand perfectly "why institutions like this were created"

And we'll keep fighting you and your ilk - because ignorance and hate are the enemies of a free people.

[Hekate]

28. Amen. His stinking divisive hate-filled legacy lives on. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Religious belief is inherently divisive. Duh. Sorry, but thems the facts.

[Taverner]

13. Fuck you, Newt.

Just shut the fuck up you long-winded hypocritical asshole

[rodeodance]

14. He will be quest on a Sun. talk show again tomorrow.

[Secular Agent Man]

15. My advice to any fundy:

Don't confront me, 'k. ;-)

[acmavm]

16. Why is it that fundies and republicans pick as their moral leaders clowns

that they dig out of the trash heaps of immorality and hypocrisy?

I cannot figure these people out. They gravitate to the lowest of the low, the most hypocritical of the hypocritical, and the most inhumane and unforgiving of all humanity as their representatives and teachers of the 'Christian' way of thought. And there's not one damn thing Christ-like about any of them.

[IndianaGreen]

17. The new militant securalism, like the one we saw on display in Turkey

is the blowback to decades of radical fundamentalism in Islam and Christianity. People are beginning to recognize that the greatest threat to liberty is absolutist religion.

[PerceptionManagement]

18. How about confronting radical Gingriches?

Ging-rich is neither American or mainstream.

[jonnyra]

19. Would that be

the same Christians who cheer for torture and war? The same Christians who watch Bush lie with impunity while falling at his feet? The same Christians who deny health care to the needy and move jobs overseas to make fatter profits?

Yep Newt...we all "fundamentally misunderstand why institutions like this were created" because they have not one fucking thing to do with the words of Jesus.

[OnyxCollie]

20. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[jonnyra]

27. Thanks blackops

Glad to be part of DU

:toast:

[Crunchy Frog]

23. The sorts of Christian values that lead one to

give divorce papers to one's wife while she's in the hospital after cancer surgery, and which lead one to have a torrid extramarital affair, while publicly crucifying someone else for same.

I'm glad I'm a radical secularis. I wouldn't want to have those sorts of values.

[MasonJar]

21. To paraphrase Cheney and now McCain, Newt, shut the f... up.

[AlinPA]

24. TV news had hm saying that "Dr. Falwell had wisdom.." Oh, yes, he understands

hurricanes, terrorist attacks, Teletubbie characters..........

[dethl]

25. Someone wanna remind ol' Newt about the Treaty of Tripoli?

"A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot profess the truths on which it was founded,"

Uh huh...

Article 11 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_tripoli#Article_11:

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

[eppur_se_muova]

26. It's not that they're moderate voices of reason that bugs him ...

it's just that they're so damned RELENTLESSLY moderate and reasonable!

[daleo]

29. Gingrich the hypocrite

Who's Mr. Adultery to lecture anyone?

[pingzing58]

30. Take out the plank in your own eye Newt

you can't even see the speck in anyone else's.

[opihimoimoi]

31. This is a guy who made major fuckups..had to resign in disgrace....

and now...he wants us to listen to him???

Mongo gives better advice....

[hyphenate]

34. Mongo had scruples!

Gingrich has none!

A man whose own mother called Hillary a "bitch!"

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

32. says the guy who was into having sex in public...

[YankeyMCC]

33. The truth on which this nation was founded

included the idea of religious freedom (including from religion) and equity under secular law.

[hyphenate]

35. As I have often said

the founding fathers much not only be rolling in their graves, they must be twisting and turning!

[Peace Patriot]

36. If you want to know where religious sectarianism leads, just look at Iraq.

Newt seems to be campaigning against Thomas Jefferson.

The thing is, our Founders were well aware of the religious wars, torture, witchburnings and all the other mayhem AMONG 'CHRISTIANS' THEMSELVES--internecine warfare (not to mention against others--Jews, Muslims)--in a thousand years of history in Europe, up to the American Revolution. It is not in the nature of 'Christian' preacher men to proclaim 'Christian' values without starting a war about WHICH 'Christian' values--whose sect, whose church, whose doctrine?--because "speaking for God" is not a religious act, it is an act of pure power-mongering. So what you get are a bunch of dominationist pricks, all trying to out-power each other.

When church and state were first cemented, in the 5th Century AD, that is the last you hear of the pacifist, communalist teachings of Jesus. They drove the real Christians underground, burned all their gospels, anathematized and exiled them, and set up "baptism by the sword." That was the first mistake. The state church then embarked on all sorts of jihads to consolidate its power, to the west and north, and also to exterminate any Christians who took the actual teachings of Jesus seriously, such as the Abligensians in southern France. They engaged in horrible witchhunts, to destroy the old Pagan beliefs, or any open alliance between Pagans and real Christians (such as the Pelagian monks in Wales and Ireland). And, of course, eventually instigated the dreadful Crusades--rampages of pillaging, rape and murder across Europe to the "Holy Lands." "Holy," my ass. Could anything be more unholy or ungodly than the ancient and the current "Crusades"?

Then, of course, came hundreds of years of torture and bloodshed over the "Reformation," among Reformist sects, and between the Reformers and the Church of Rome. More witchhunts. More torture. More death. Some 'Christians.' "Turn the other cheek" not in their lexicon. And how this was made possible was by the desire of kings and nobles to co-opt the power of religion in the interest of land grabs and other material pursuits. Without the cementing of church and state--to maintain both mental and physical control over subject peoples--the religious wars would have spent their force in theological debates, or other forms of coercion, not with massive bloodshed and suffering.

Our Founders were genuinely wise men. They wanted nothing of that horrendous history to pollute and destroy their new Republic. And they hoped to prevent it forever with the First Amendment to the Constitution: no establishment of religion.

And that is exactly what the Newt Gingriches--with their 25% approval rating--are trying to do: to pollute and destroy the Republic, which is the only power on earth, through the agency of its sovereign people, that has the potential to curtail, regulate and even dismantle the bad actor corporations that Newt and the Bush Cartel are the shills for.

This has been well thought out. There is--and always will be--a Calvinist minority that wishes to dictate morals and doctrine to the rest of us. Lard them with billions of dollars from corporate coffers--and then from our own treasury--and see what they can do to poison, corrode and kill loyalty to the secular state, in which all religions are free to operate, and where none have state powers, and in which all citizens are free to choose or not choose religious membership. Divide and conquer. You just have to look at what these traitors are doing to federal agencies--to FEMA, to the DofJ, to the EPA, to the National Guard, to the US military--to know what their agenda is, with regard to religion. Use it as a corrosive tool to further weaken the nation, and the sovereignty of the people, and their ability and right to regulate business corporations.

The war profiteering corporate news monopolies serve the function of putrifying public debate with fascist propaganda, to the exclusion of all other opinion--to demoralize the great progressive American majority, and make its members feel isolated and alone. Diebold/ES&S serve the function of disenfranchising the great progressive majority. The people vote, and nothing happens. 75% of the people hate the Iraq War and want it ended. They elect Democrats to end it. And the war is ESCALATED! Very demoralizing--but, above all, disempowering and disenfranchising. The majority begins to think it is the minority, because the national news narrative leaves them out. Have other Americans gone crazy? No. But the majority of Americans are nearly voiceless, and, with "trade secret," proprietary vote "counting" by rightwing Bushite corporations, powerless to change anything. And here comes Newt Gingrich all over again spouting 'christian' garbage in support of torture, mass slaughter, stealing from the poor and destroying secular government.

Clever, how he uses the word "radical" to describe the most profound principle of our government, going all the way back to our Founders: no establishment of religion. Jefferson, Madison, Washington, all of them, were thorough-going secularists. It was radical, indeed, given the history of Europe. Perhaps we should embrace the word radical--although it leaves ashes in the mouth, after its pollution by Bushites. Better to call it "conservative"--a return to fundamentals--and reclaim that word.

[sutz12]

37. Sure, Newt. Right after we take care of the radical religious nuts fucking up the country. nt

[badgervan]

38. Notice What He Said.....

"The opportunity to convert all of America". Yikes. Anyone who holds the likes of falwell up as a beacon of Christianity has no idea what true Christianity is. I sure wish 'ol newt the fruit would disappear for another 4 years or so - those of any faith deserve much better to speak for them.

[NastyRiffraff]

39. Yeah, that struck me too

"Anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.

And this is EXACTLY why we "radical secularists" are up in arms about people like Falwell. Make no mistake, that's their agenda, which Newt let slip...to "convert all of America." By force, if necessary.

[sutz12]

41. That pisses me off, too...

They are the ones trying to convert people. Secularists generally don't give a shit what others believe. We just would like to be left alone. Hey, I'll allow a polite intro suggesting you might want to share your precious secret with me, but if I say give it a rest, give it a fucking rest. Secularists aren't trying to 'convert' anybody.

edited for radical spelling :)

[SemperEadem]

59. how can he do that without instituting heresy laws?

Is he willing to incarcerate and kill anyone who doesn't believe what he approves of? That flies squarely in the face of the constitution. For him to say what he said marks him not only as a treasonous traitor of this country's constitution, but also as unpatriotic as anyone can possibly be.

[young_at_heart]

42. Why such a strong need to convert?

After watching a PBS series about the Inquisition I find it very troubling to hear such diatribe in this modern era.....very scary!

[EFerrari]

43. Like the radical, secular Founders?

[unkachuck]

44. give it a break....

....you Nazi prick....don't you ever come up for air?....

[Betty]

45. our nation was founded

with the idea of separation of church and state.... asshole. Go live in a theocracy if you want, there are plenty to choose from. Leave us alone.

[rocktivity]

46. Rocknation: Ignore Gingrich.

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[Cha]

47. To paraphrase Forest Gump..

Christian is as Christian does, fucktard.

And you, idiot, ain't no Christian. And it's really none of your gawdamn business what the rest of us do cause we're not hypocrites like you and your fucking bretheran in crime.

[jpgray]

48. "Radical secularism?" Is that like "radical tolerance," or "radical propriety?"

[Ferretherder]

I just have to ask,...

...what the FUCK is a 'radical secularist'?

When was the last time you were approached by a Scientific American waving secularist yelling at you to repent your religious ways or suffer eternal irrelevance?

[harun]

52. Radical Secularist = Promoter of cultural Atheism (n/t)

[TexasLawyer]

60. Radical secularist= Liberal

see also "elites." The Rush Limbaugh crowd wore out the word "liberal" and want people to think that they are saying something new.

[Ferretherder]

49. I just have to ask,...

...what the FUCK is a 'radical secularist'?

When was the last time you were approached by a Scientific American waving secularist yelling at you to repent your religious ways or suffer eternal irrelevance?

[Ferretherder]

50. I just have to ask,...

...what the FUCK is a 'radical secularist'?

When was the last time you were approached by a Scientific American waving secularist yelling at you to repent your religious ways or suffer eternal irrelevance?

[CJCRANE]

51. Gingrich sounds like Ahmedinajad

railing against secularism and liberal democracy.

[LeftishBrit]

67. Good point.

Right-wing fundie extremists of all faiths have a lot in common.

[LibDemAlways]

53. The Dobson wing of the repuke party is unhappy with

the current crop of candidates - the 1st tier anyway. This signals to me that they're grooming Newt for a run - getting him to use all the jihadist language that just makes him look like even more of a fool and hypocrite. Run, Newt, run. By the time this thing is over, the repukes will be so splintered, their nomination will be worth even less than it already is - which is practically nothing.

[Javaman]

54. Is it just me or is the religious right becoming a circus side show now? nt

[hyphenate]

56. Thety've actually been that way

for quite a while. Many people have forgotten all the "fallen" preachers and evangelists who were part of the glorious right: Ted Haggard (most recent), Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and A.A. Adams; I'm sure there are many others whose names are somewhere hidden in a file cabinet away from sight and mind.

[Javaman]

63. True, I should rephrase that as, "more of a circus side show?" LOL nt

[0rganism]

55. We're told that we can no longer burn witches, stone adulterers nor pillage the lands of infidels...

...What is this world coming to?

Oh the shame! Surely God Himself will turn his wrath upon us if we do not bring genocide to our enemies. Verily, we must oppose this radical secularism that would constrain us within the bounds of tolerance and peaceful coexistence with others!

[jazzjunkysue]

71. Takes all the fun out of being an xtian! n/t.

[coalition_unwilling]

57. DU to America: Confront radical Gingrichism -n/t

[SemperEadem]

58. well, perhaps Gingrich needs to first toss out his reliance

on radical secularism when it comes to him divorcing wives and engaging in affairs at his pleasure and start embracing some of those xtian values he seems to ignore until it become politically expedient for him to remember.

[CBHagman]

61. Newt "shtup the choirgirl" Gingrich is preaching to US?

:eyes:

Look, Newtles, why don't you just deal with your own life and sins and get back to us later? I'm sure you'll be in much better condition to pontificate after, say, a penitential journey. Better yet, why don't you listen to people instead of talking their ears off?

[bunkerbuster1]

62. Run, Newt, Run!

Keep listening to those voices in your head that imagine you're a popular choice for Preznit!

Get your fat, ugly mug out there for America to see. Keep on spouting this batshit-crazy stuff. I'm lovin' it.

[KamaAina]

64. "the nation cannot profess the truths on which it was founded"?!

Is there some sort of witch hunt against deism going on? 'Cause that's what many of the Founding Fathers believed in.

Uh, wasn't Newt a history professor once? :eyes:

[BornagainDUer]

65. Somebody has to ask Gingrich if he's a Christian Reconstructionist.

The CRs want to do away with the Constitution and impose Biblical Law.

Is that not treason?

[LeftishBrit]

66. What I don't understand ....

is why Newt Gingrich even keeps getting a platform for his odious views. As I understand, he resigned from the House in some disgrace after questionable financial ethics. And with all his marriages/ divorces/ affairs, I would hardly think him the poster boy for Good Old-Fashioned Morality.

What keeps him so much in the limelight?

[robertarctor]

68. Sieg heil, Newtler

Nice of you to suck up to the Church Nazis there in Virginny.

[Quantess]

69. What an asshole. He's trying to take away one of our Freedoms.

I want to keep my Freedom from Religion

[jazzjunkysue]

72. Wrong. He's trying to take away most of your freedoms.

Christ never talked like this bunch of 7th graders. it's like lord of the flies, I swear.

Ok! Let's put a repressed, anal retentive, developmentally delayed paranoid in charge of what everyone can do and say.

Sounds like every 7th grader's wish.

"If I ran the school....."

[HuffleClaw]

73. 'radical secularists' ???

translation: anyone who ISN'T a dominionist fundy.

hilarious that his rant merely exposes what HIS and his ilk's agenda is.