Newt Gingrich: 'we're surrounded by paganism'

[VietnamVet-BRIGHT]

What's evident by Gingrich's, Huckabee's and North's appearance at a 5,200 seat fundy mega-church in Virginia is that 'Limbaugh/Hannity Republicans' like them think that the G. W. Bush political model of riding a wave of energized bigotted fundamentalist Christians can win politically in 2010/12 ... the premise is clearly based on stirring emotional fervor by stomping on the rights of women, gays and non-theists.


5,200 seat fundamentalist mega-church: Rock Church, Hampton Roads, Virginia

On Friday, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Oliver North visited Rock Church in Hampton Roads, Virginia to give a three-hour long lecture on “Rediscovering God in America.”

The speakers warned the audience about the “continuing availability of abortion, the spread of gay rights, and attempts to remove religion from American public life and school history books.” The Virginia-Pilot reported that Gingrich argued that, while Christianity is the foundation of American citizenship, Americans are experiencing a period where they are being “surrounded by paganism”:

GINGRICH:

I am not a citizen of the world. I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator. [...] I think this is one of the most critical moments in American history. We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/06/gingrich-paganism/

More complete article at ... http://hamptonroads.com/2009/06/huckabe ... t-va-beach

Rock Church website ... http://www.rockchurch.org/silver/testte ... UMENTID=13


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[Will]

The faster theism shrinks in the US, the poorer the GOP will do. Considering the most recent statistics on the growth of nonreligious in the US, I expect Jindal or Palin to get less than 45% of the vote in 2012.. mostly because they're imbeciles, but partly because the religious vote is shrinking.

[curiosityandthecat]

Pagans: "Help, we're surrounded by Newt Gingrich!"

 

[Kylyssa]

WTF?  What's the percentage of pagans in the US anyway? I know the numbers are not staggering.

[Whitney]

WTF?  What's the percentage of pagans in the US anyway? I know the numbers are not staggering.

If I had to guess...there can't be very many more pagans than nonbelievers (unless Native American religions count as pagan, I don't think they do though).

[Tom62]

GINGRICH:

I am not a citizen of the world. I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator.

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Yes, I'm damned sure that the following verses appear in the Bible:  God,  Â© Copyright USA 1780- 2009 ® a registered trademark

[PipeBox]

WTF?  What's the percentage of pagans in the US anyway? I know the numbers are not staggering.

If I had to guess...there can't be very many more pagans than nonbelievers (unless Native American religions count as pagan, I don't think they do though).

Not very many more?  I would imagine many, many less, though I could be wrong.  In any case, surrounded by pagans, HA!  He's probably conflating paganism with anything that doesn't ascribe to One True God, and it's probably to his dismay that he can't throw Islam into that pile so that way he can really make us out to be the enemy of all that is right in the world.

These tools should lose on principle in 2012, short of divine intervention.  And if there is a god, they should lose on principle.  Unless our current president screws the pooch like our current congress has.

[VietnamVet-BRIGHT]

WTF?  What's the percentage of pagans in the US anyway? I know the numbers are not staggering.

My question to Gengrich is: Exactly who's out there worshipping sun gods with falcon or dog heads and human bodies or whatever non-transcendent, cosmological forces?  
 
What's going on is that Gengrich is really using the word 'paganism' as a Christian code for 'atheism' ... and I think there's several motives/fears/concerns underlying his weird choice of words ...

1) I think, Gengrich (et al) is terrified of using the word "atheism" as it specifically directs focus on a growing rejection of Abrahamic theism; using this word would inherently validate/lend credibility to the non-theistic premise.

2) The word "atheism," which implies a non-religious worldview, may be associated with "secular," the foundation of the US Constitution ... also explains why he didn't use "secular" as well.

3) "Paganism" frames 'the problem' as a contest among two religious camps: ie, Christian vs Pagan (whatever that's supposed to be); not between religious and non-religious (secular) camps. Hence, per Gingrich's argument, the Christian religious camp is the true, foundational American one; conversly, the Pagan religious camp is some new (or ancient), subversive un-American movement which must be stopped.

He's probably conflating paganism with anything that doesn't ascribe to One True God, and it's probably to his dismay that he can't throw Islam into that pile so that way he can really make us out to be the enemy of all that is right in the world.

Exactly!

 
Newt Gingrich: "We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism" ...


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[Enoch Root]

I expect Jindal or Palin to get less than 45% of the vote in 2012...

I don't believe in a god, but in case I'm wrong:

Dear Lord / Zeus / Santa,

Please grant Sarah Palin the GOP nomination in 2012.  It will provide a ridiculous amount of entertainment and comedy, not to mention the final nails in the Republican party.

If you wish me to sacrifice chocolate / a goat / a child in order to expedite this request, I trust you will make your holy will known to me via angelic messenger / sacred stone tablets / cable TV evangelist.

Amen.

[curiosityandthecat]

Let Palin win, I really don't care. I'll be in Asia enjoying the blossoming democracies and FINALLY feeling tall.   Just gotta wear my "Bill and Barack are my Homies" shirt and everybody will love me.

[McQ]

If they don't stop this, I will call on Ba'al and have him smite them!

[Squid]

They should be happy to be surrounded by paganism, it's Christianity's greatest source of material for their stories.

[karadan]

Let Palin win, I really don't care. I'll be in Asia enjoying the blossoming democracies and FINALLY feeling tall.  

[Unsterblich856]

He knows? Was it all the goat sacrifices to Odin that tipped him off? Oh well, it shouldn't matter. Republicans love the constitution, so they should have no problem with the existence of Pagans. After all, every religion is accepted with open arms.

[SallyMutant]

Pagan is all very fine. But Heathen is nicer. Aunt Esther constantly berated Fred for being a heathen but Fred maintained and just insulted back at her. Mr. Sanford would call Gingrinch & friends Big Dummies.