Posted on 12/14/2011 10:41:59 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Amid the hubbub surrounding the Gingrich surge, this is one question that has perplexed commentators of all religious and political persuasions. There’s no consensus about where to find the Catholic in Newt.
At this point, the question is not where it is exactly, but where to begin looking.
So, let’s review speculation about the Catholicity of Newt Gingrich. I’ll also advance my own hypothesis and give it a professorial flourish by using a suitably big word.
Hypothesis number one: The new Catholic Newt is simply being American.
Playfully characterizing Gingrich as a “religious flip-flopper” draws attention to how Gingrich, like many other Americans, has seemingly changed his religion to suit prevailing fashion. Perhaps there’s also an ironic part to this interpretation in that Gingrich has supposedly made use of the religious market place to embrace a religion that would take umbrage if treated as a “commodity.”
It might be reasonable enough to see Gingrich’s Catholicity as a kind of epiphenomenon reflecting American cultural propensities--after all, Newt is indeed American. But conversion as “flip-flop” seems to preclude understanding conversion as a turn toward something; it’s not just a lurching back and forth from one view to another. It also makes the Catholic in Newt hard to locate.
Hypothesis number two: Professor Newton Leroy Gingrich has recognized Catholicism’s intellectual appeal.
Reading oneself into Catholicism has a long and venerable history. For some generations, it was Karl Adam’s The Spirit of Catholicism or Ronald Knox’s The Belief of Catholics that opened up a new intellectual vista. For later generations, it was Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain or Malcolm Muggeridge’s Something Beautiful for God that made Catholic spirituality accessible and real.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Hypothesis number one: The new Catholic Newt is simply being American.
Hypothesis number two: Professor Newton Leroy Gingrich has recognized Catholicism’s intellectual appeal.
Hypothesis number three: Former Speaker Gingrich has found Catholic ammunition for the culture wars.
Hypothesis four: Newt loves Catholic style.
"Mrs. Gingrich #2 was dumped after her husband had carried on an extramarital affair with a fetching, blond congressional staffer named Callista Bisek, who went on to become the present Mrs. Gingrich #3. This Family Values paradigm was complicated by the fact that whilst Mr. Gingrich was filibustering Ms. Bisek over the Speaker’s desk, he was simultaneously leading the impeachment charge against a naughty president of the United States....The much-married Newt Gingrich converts to Catholicism this weekend—and I’d pay a year’s salary to have been a bug on the wall during his religious instruction."
-- Christopher Buckley, from the thread The Audacity of Poping
Atheists from WaPo commenting about Catholicism.
There’s a laugh-riot.
What kind of Catholic is:
Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Teddy Kennedy and the other Kennedys, Richard Daley and so many others.
Or, what kind of Christian is Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright.
The faith of Republicans and Conservatives is always questioned. Democrats are always given a free pass.
It is as simple as that.
In the conduct of his personal life, Mitt Romney is much more of a Catholic than Newt.
I am not a Newt fan but I have heard him address this issue before, particularly the serial womanizing which appears to be a weakness of many powerful men. I am also a Catholic convert and can say with certainty that Catholic theology does not deal with human imperfection as a circumstance of simply being “born again.” For that reason alone, I would imagine that had you been “a bug on the wall” during his religious instruction, you might have well refrained from the judgment you now seem so willing to make about Gingrich and his religion.
Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Teddy Kennedy and the other Kennedys, Richard Daley and so many others.
Or, what kind of Christian is Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright.
The faith of Republicans and Conservatives is always questioned. Democrats are always given a free pass.
You might have missed these ones:
A Troubling Question About Obama's Religion: Is He a Covert Catholic?
Obama's Devotion to the Virgin Mary: Who Knew?
Is Obama Thinking Like a Catholic?
A rather convenient one.
Newt is a Catholic? I guess he does have a flaw after all.
a very slanted article from the Wash compost.
Move on folks.
Gee, I must have missed all the articles that were critical of the faith and character of other politicians.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seriously?
Well click here.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/*/index
This site is full of articles slamming Mitt and Mormonism. Can’t miss ‘em.
Same kind as Kerry.
Are you the arbiter of Newt’s private life? I thought that was God’s job.
Or was your comment simply sarcasm?
What kind of Catholic is Newt Gingrich? Fair enough. How about:
What kind of Communist is Obama?
Did you hear this part?
Since his conversion, what I have seen from him is grotesque chutzpah as he has denied his despicable treatment of his ex-wife and even tried to paint serial adultery as a consequence of his intense love of country.“There’s no question that at times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard, and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate.”For the sake of argument, let’s completely check our brains at the door and believe this disgusting excuse for his double treason toward his family. What conclusion should we draw from it? My conclusion is, “For the sake of his soul, never let this man near power again just as I would never reassign a pedophile priest to work with children again.” But according to Newt, the solution to the corrupting effects of power that, by his own admission, led to his downfall is to make him the most powerful man on earth........I remember the Gingrich conservatives who said of the phonily contrite Bill Clinton, “If a man will lie to and betray his own wife, why should you think he will tell the truth to his constituents?”
-- excerpted from Mark Shea's 11/24 blog entry titled Why I Will No More Vote for Gingrich Than Obama
“[Newt] has seemingly changed his religion to suit prevailing fashion”
What fashion is that?
Being Catholic instantly puts a huge target on your back, especially in the media and here on FR though it is by far the largest religious affiliation.
Newt Gingrich on Catholicism and JPII
Why Newt Gingrich Converted to Catholicism
Exclusive: Newt Gingrich Opens Up on Catholic Conversion and Embracing 'Overt Christianity'
Newt Gingrich on his conversion to Catholicism
Gingrich Keeps Quiet on Catholic Conversion (received into Church over the past weekend)
Exclusive: Newt Gingrich conversion details; plans release of JP2 documentary
Gingrich to Become Catholic During Easter Season
The Newt Evangelization: Gingrich to become Catholic
You missed one:
....when he spoke on Dobson's radio show in 2007, Gingrich refused to say that he was actually repentant. The evangelical leader repeatedly pressed him on that point: "When I hear you talk about this dark side of your life...you didn't mention repentance. Do you understand that word repentance?"
-- from the thread Newt and Evangelicals: Not a Match Made in Heaven
I'm not all that interested in Newt's conversion other than what he claims. I've seen Prots convert because their fiance could not marry a non Catholic. Maybe wife #3 wouldn't marry him without conversion. Maybe he had a "road to Damascus" experience, who knows. He at least attends church. Would we rather have a Mormon that attends every time the doors open? How about Mosque? Would we still be so pious to want the Muslim candidate to attend Mosque? Newt says he is a Catholic, so what are we going to do, put him on the rack to question him? I see many every day that claim Catholicism and you would never know it. There is no fruit. Catholics such as Pelosi, Kennedy, Biden, or Kerry. Is Newt a worse Catholic than Pelosi that went to Rome and said abortion isn't settled in the Church after a visit with the pope?
Allowing an atheist to decide if Newt is Catholic enough, is pretty foolish, IMHO.
Instead of wasting time testing Newt, why not find out where Obama got his college money, or what his connection to Rezko is, or how close was he to Blago, or did he attend church the weekend Farahkhan was honored and preached from the Qur'an?
Romney, Bachmann, Palin, Santorum and other Republicans have been attacked for their faith. Democrats get a free pass.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.