"I have two grandchildren: Maggie is 11; Robert is 9," Gingrich said at Cornerstone Church here. "I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."-Newt Gingrich
HT: Taner Edis.
13 comments:
Victor, could you point me to some good article arguing against determinsm?
Substitute "Christian fundamentalist" for "secular atheist", and the claim makes just as much sense (i.e., none).
Thanks for posting that. I used to think Gingrich was wry and harmless. Now I think he's genuinely unstable, and dangerous.
He's just lumping everything together that his base is afraid of, whether it mixes or not. Of course, this is the guy who said that he was so patriotic and concerned about America that it forced him to commit adultery.
Maybe its a cultural thing or possibly I read into it more because I think I can see what he is trying to get at. Also it may be that I have just read this article on multiculturalism this article on multiculturalism before reading your post.
I don't know much about this guy Newt, (the patriotic adulterer sounds funny in the wrong kind of way), so i don't know what he is trying to say. He leaves a lot out. So one can only assume. It sounds to me like he is speaking of European experience and he thinks that that will happen to America. That being highly secular, faces problems with radical Islam and struggles to understand what it means to be french, british, swedish etc. It also seems to be a situation that is beginning to be thought about down under, i.e. the linked article.
Of course I don't know how much of a right wing nut bag Newt may or may not be, so I don't know if it is the person saying it or what he is saying that offends or both. So while he may have lumped it together all these fears together for some political purpose, they still seem to be real.
>Of course, this is the guy who said that he was so patriotic and concerned about America that it forced him to commit adultery.
I reply: Actually he said ""There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate," said Gingrich.
"And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn't trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them.
"I found that I felt compelled to seek God's forgiveness. Not God's understanding, but God's forgiveness. I do believe in a forgiving God. And I think most people, deep down in their hearts hope there's a forgiving God. Somebody once said that when we're young, we seek justice, but as we get older, we seek mercy. There's something to that, I think."END QUOTE
Victor I am no Newt Apologist(the Muslim/Atheist thingy is incoherent & will get no defense from moi) but I believe in being fair.
I don't think your statement was fair. I also readily concede criticisms of liberal icons aren't always fair from the Right either.
That's probably fair, in that he took accountability for the actions and did not really claim that his patriotic fervor excused his actions.
No it's not fair at all since I don't see how you can rationally take from his actual words the idea he was literally saying that he was "forced to commit adultery by his patriotism & concern for America".
So it is not fair IMHO. Believe what you like.
I think I miss read you Victor.
My apologies.
No, Ben, YOUR comment was fair, not mine.
Now I am confused.
Let's move on before this becomes an unintended Abbott and Costello routine.
Cheers Victor.
Wow, that would be interesting to see a secular atheist country dominated by radical Islamists. :)
>Wow, that would be interesting to see a secular atheist country dominated by radical Islamists. :)
Well Ezra Levant complains Canada is too secular but for PC reasons favors Muslims over Christians.
Maybe that is what Newt was talking about? If so he needs to be clear & work on his communication skills if he wants to be President.
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