NEWT: Does Faith Matter? Absolutely.

www.youtube.com ^ | 10/18/2011 | Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich

[Yosemitest]

At 12 minutes 30 seconds into this video at the Western GOP Debate, Las Vegas, NV, started a question
that Newt Gingrich gave the most important and best answer in the whole debate.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR AND DEBATE MODERATOR: And welcome back to the CNN GOP debate live from the Venetian in Las Vegas.
Let's continue. We've got an e-mail question that was left at cnnpolitics.com.
This is from a Mike Richards who says:
"With the controversy surrounding Robert Jeffress, is it acceptable to let the issue of a candidate's faith shape the debate?"



Senator Santorum, this is in reference to a Baptist pastor who, at the Values Voter Summit, after introducing Governor Rick Perry, said of --
said that "Mitt Romney is not a Christian," and that "Mormonism is a cult."
Those were his words.

Should...

(BOOING)

COOPER: Should voters pay attention to a candidate's religion?

SANTORUM: I think they should pay attention to the candidate's values, what the candidate stands for.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

SANTORUM: That's what is at play. And the person's faith --

and you look at that faith and what the faith teaches with respect to morals and values that are reflected in that person's belief structure.
So that's -- those are important things.

I -- I'm a Catholic. Catholic has social teachings.
Catholic has teachings as to what's right and what's wrong.
And those are legitimate things for voters to look at,
to say if you're a faithful Catholic, which I try to be --
fall short all the time, but I try to be
-- and -- and it's a legitimate thing to look at as to what the tenets and teachings of that faith are
with respect to how you live your life and -- and how you would govern this country.

With respect to what is the road to salvation, that's a whole different story.
That's not applicable to what -- what the role is of being the president or a senator or any other job.

(APPLAUSE)

COOPER: Speaker Gingrich, you agree with that?

GINGRICH: Well, I think if the question is,

does faith matter? Absolutely.
How can you have a country which is founded on truths which begins
we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights?
How can you have the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which says
religion, morality and knowledge being important, education matters.
That's the order: religion, morality and knowledge.

Now, I happen to think that none of us should rush in judgment of others in the way in which they approach God.
And I think that all of us up here I believe would agree.

(APPLAUSE)

But I think all of us would also agree that
there's a very central part of your faith in how you approach public life.
And I, frankly, would be really worried if somebody assured me
that nothing in their faith would affect their judgments,
because then I'd wonder, where's your judgment --
how can you have judgment if you have no faith?
And how can I trust you with power if you don't pray?

(APPLAUSE)

Who you pray to, how you pray, how you come close to God is between you and God.
But the notion that you're endowed by your creator sets a certain boundary on what we mean by America.





Western GOP Debate Part 1





Western GOP Debate Part 2





Western GOP Debate Part 3





Western GOP Debate Part 4

[Yosemitest]

Excellent answer, Newt.

[stormer]

At least that’s what he told his first two wives...

[LottieDah]

“At least that’s what he told his first two wives...”

Maybe Newt learned from his mistakes. After all three times is a charm.

[SMARTY]

This country WAS founded by Christian Europeans after all.

Just in terms of basic pragmatism, how can our society work if we ignore that fact or if we behave AS IF that fact is incidental? It only makes sense.

You don’t see for example, Indians behaving as if there are no Siks or Hindus in their country.

[Night Hides Not]

Maybe Newt learned from his mistakes. After all three times is a charm.

Did the first two wives have crazy eyes like Callista?

[LottieDah]

Crazy eyes or contact lenses? Let’s find out!

[Yosemitest]

As is written...

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned "

[MHGinTN]

Newt was the only one who handled it right when addressing that ‘gotcha question’ from faggot Cooper. By referring to quotes from the founders, Newt deflected the divisive issue to a non-issue. Both Rominy and Perry fell into the trap though they didn’t go at each other or fawn at each other as CNN had hoped to display.

[sanjuanbob]

Time to open your heart; forgive and move on. It’s not healthy for you to hold grudges for another’s personal indiscretions for so long.

[MrB]

Someone’s “faith” determines their pre-suppositions,
such as the nature of man, the nature and existence of God, etc.

If you think there’s no God and humans are an accident of chance and natural selection, you’re going to view the role of governing and government a lot differently than
if you believe that humans are created in God’s image and that all will be held accountable to Him in the end.

[Salvation]

Two Catholics bump here!

Santorum and Gingrich

[Don Corleone]

Excellent answer, Newt.

Boy would he cream Obama in a one on one format. An educated man against an affirmative action disaster.

[ex-snook]

Must be true Newt. The GOP has never nominated a Catholic for President. Notice Newt didn’t say he was a Catholic.

[dragnet2]

How do you know what he told his wife?

[Gator113]

“After all three times is a charm.”

They certainly can be.

I am also on my 3rd. ... and last.

I sometimes think that after the first two failures, God sent me a guardian Angel.

We started as best friends and our lives came together more than I had ever thought possible.

We have raised two wonderful and successful children, that have blessed us 8 loving grandchildren.

My beautiful Bride has remained my best friend, lover, bride.... she is my everything.

She is the reason I bother to take my next breath, she has made me whole, she has helped us both grow in life and in more ways than I can count, and...... she remains my only fantasy.

Of course this marriage was a risk like any other marriage, but it turned into a dream that some folks never get to experience. Our dream has lasted for over 40 fantastic, love filled, meaningful and fun years.

I have no regrets... other than I didn’t meet her sooner. ;>)

When I see folks mention Newt’s “baggage”, I am reminded that every man has been in rooms that he would not have wanted to had died in.

As far as I know, their has only been one perfect man..... and He was Nailed to a Cross.

[MrB]

You can tell when someone has not received the life-changing experience of being saved & forgiven when they point to someone’s “old man” and assume that the person is still the same as they were.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

[djrakowski]

You’ve never heard of repentance? Our Lord has granted you the ability to read hearts and determine when sinners have demonstrated sufficient contrition?

[dragnet2]

In fact, you have absolutely no idea what told his wife or what their private conservations regarded.

[SoldierDad]

My father was married five times to four different women (twice to my mother). He never once forgot his obligations to his children and never missed a payment of child support. He rarely visited his children from his marriage to my mother (5, three boys, two girls), mostly because my mother didn't want him around, and caused a scene when he did come for visits.

My mother painted a horrid picture of our father to her children in an attempt to sway their favor to her, and away from him. Most of what she told us was untrue. Because of this my siblings only made contact with our father when they needed financial help.

I decided that I wanted a relationship with my father, and to allow my children to have a relationship also. I put aside my father's faults, most of which had absolutely nothing to do with me, and developed that relationship. My wife, my children, and me spent as much time as we could getting to know him. While he was pained by the fact his other children wanted nothing to do with him, he greatly loved and enjoyed the time with his granchildren, my wife, and me. This would not have happened if I had never put aside what took place between him and my mother.

My father will have been gone for 5 years on 11/4/11, having died in a motorcycle accident at age 68. After his death my siblings only showed up to see what they might inherit, which was nothing. I live peacefully in the knowledge that we had a great relationship. My siblings are unable to say the same thing. To this day they remain angry at this man that they never knew.

My point is, what happens in the private lives of others and between others should not be used to judge them so harshly. Doing so only enhances the pain. There comes a time when one needs to put the past to rest. Those who are unable to do so will be the miserable ones.

[68stanger]

Besides other issues with Newt (or Rudy) I have to wonder ... if he cannot honor a vow he made to his wife in front of God and witnesses, why would I expect him to honor the pledge to “us” to uphold the constitution? I can forgive him on a personal level sure, but I don’t have to put him in position to potentially betray my trust. I see it as a very severe “character issue”.