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 ...
your post 22 -- I guess us xx are all going to Hell, huh? and Sd said it's not true.
instead of saying "ok", your post 32 called us "religious bigots" -- really? when we say that your statement about our beliefs is false?
John 14:6. New International Version (NIV). Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Look. If Salvation says that his church is the one true church, and since I’m not a member of that church - that NECESSARILY means I’m going to Hell.
But SD corrected me. He graciously pointed out that Catholics have decided we can go to Heaven (Oh Goodie) Even though we are imperfectly linked.
That pal - is condescending. So yeah. I’ll retract the sarcastic comment that us proddies are going to Hell. As soon as you Catholics get off your high horse about your church being the “Only True Church”.
On what basis does the Church of Christ believe one is saved?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Easy answer.
The Bible. Whereas you guys need someone else to add to it. (The Pope.)
I think he's got a bad moral past. On policies while in office he has been conservative. I think he'd be a good choice for candidate -- and note that before him I supported first Bachman then Cain before I only in the past couple of weeks (slightly before Cain's "scandals") started seeing Gingrich as the viable choice with Cain.
I was on this board months ago before the debates supporting Bachman despite the lib media's attempts to cause friction between Catholics and her campaign. I supported her as I thought she was the best person -- Lutheran or not, but then she turned out to be a whiner attacking everyone BUT Romney.
I supported a Baptist like Cain because I believed he was the right person -- I still like him and hope he gets a position in the cabinet if not VP.
Now I support Gingrich because he is a good choice -- he has been conservative IN government, he is anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage. he is fiscally sound and he is against Islam.
And he can kick Obambi's hind-quarters in any debate.
He may skip, but he can still kick Obmbi and bring the US out of its terminal velocity.
Nailed it. Like Catholics care what other sorts of Christians think of them enough to lie about what is believed or not believed on an anonymous internet forum.
Freegards
If I could support a Baptist or a Lutheran or a Pentecostal or whatever other conservative, I would -- 4 more years of Obama ensures that the US becomes a failed state in 2020.
Even Romney isn't as bad as Obambi -- he would slow it so that we'd only fail in 2025 :)
Palin would be best for a complete reversal back to our position of strength, but in her absence I sincerely believe that Gingrich, with all his flaws, is the best choice. He will reverse the rot. He may not be able to kill it -- but we can push him to do that -- at the minimum he will reverse it.
But as you can see here on this thread, some of the closet Dim supporters are out there trying to prove me wrong that they will toss out a candidate just because he's Catholic and not saved according to them (post 33).
yes, Jesus said “NO ONE comes to the Father except through me” - and Jesus Christ is Lord, God and Savior. Those who reject this, like Jevhohs Witnesses put their salvation at risk — do you not believe that?
I do. Thanks for posting Gospel.
No -- that logical process chain is wrong.
the One true church, incidently your Church of Christ says that same thing.
You are not a member of that Church, true, but you still believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, God and Savior, right? Part of the ONE triune God, right? If you do believe that, then you are still connected to us, you are not damned for not being in full communion with us.
Now, whether you go to heaven is between you and God. We just repeat that if one does not acknowledge ONE GOD, Father-Son-holy Spirit, then Jesus Christ, the WORD of God points out that one will not get to heaven.
I know you do believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, God and Savior — you, esquirette are a Presbyterian and believe in the tenets of the Nicene Creed, correct?
As Hegewisch said It's something between hopelessly sad and ludicrously amusing that so many here feel the need to tell Catholics what they believe, even when they are repeatedly corrected and told it is not true
Responsibility2nd --> why does your post 22 make false statements?
your post 22 -- I guess us xx are all going to Hell, huh? and Sd said it's not true.
instead of saying "ok", your post 32 called us "religious bigots" -- really? when we say that your statement about our beliefs is false?
If you do believe that, then you are still connected to us, you are not damned for not being in full communion with us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, I believe “in Jesus Christ as Lord, God and Savior, ... Part of the ONE triune God...” But I REJECT that I’m “connected to us” (us being your Catholic Church.
So. Am I “damned”?
Yet, that is what the Church of Christ believes, doesn’t it — that the CoC is the one True Church. Do you believe that as a member of the CoC?
And then we tell you we don't believe that and you state another false statement trying to tell us what we believe in -- why?
Sadly, many in our brotherhood would answer yes to this question.
Are there devout Christians in denominations? No.
Your religious group, the Church of Christ clearly calls all Protestants as not devout Christians -- why?
why does your religious group put it's own spin on the Gospel?
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.