Gingrich Warns Against 'Radical Secularism'
He Lauds Falwell at Liberty University Commencement
By BOB LEWIS
AP
LYNCHBURG, Va. (May 19) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich challenged Liberty University's graduating class Saturday to honor the spirit of school founder Jerry Falwell by confronting "the growing culture of radical secularism" with Christian ideals.
Gingrich, a Republican considering a 2008 presidential run, repeatedly quoted Bible passages to a mournful crowd of about 17,000 packed into the university's football stadium four days after Falwell's death.
"A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation can not profess the truths on which it was founded," Gingrich said. "We are told that our public schools can no longer invoke the creator, nor proclaim the natural law nor profess the God-given quality of human rights.
"In hostility to American history, the radical secularists insist that religious belief is inherently divisive and that public debate can only proceed on secular terms," he said.
Gingrich also rebuked what he said was an American judiciary that had gone too far separating church and state.
"Too often, the courts have been biased against religious believers. This anti-religious bias must end," he said.
In a news conference later, Gingrich said Falwell's death has not slowed the Christian right's efforts.
"I think anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.
Gingrich also said he won't decide until October whether to run for president, and when he does, he won't subject himself to what he called "game show" debate formats for already declared candidates 18 months before the November 2008 election.
"I am totally uninterested in applying for a game show as if this were the equivalent of `Bachelor' or `American Idol' where some television personality defines the interrogation, decides who to call on, tells them they have 30 seconds, cuts them off. I mean, how do you get to be the leader of America if you're already subordinate," he said.
Liberty's commencement services have become a forum for conservative politicians. Last year's address came from Republican presidential candidate John McCain , who used the opportunity to make amends with Falwell after attacking him by name during McCain's failed 2000 White House bid.
It also was the first commencement without Falwell, the Baptist preacher who established the church-based university in 1971, before he founded the Moral Majority that helped elect Ronald Reagan president in 1980.
On Tuesday morning, the 73-year-old Falwell was discovered without a pulse in his office at Liberty and pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour later. His physician said Falwell had a heart condition and presumably died of a heart rhythm abnormality.
His funeral was set for Tuesday.
Despite the somber tone of the day, graduates who covered the football field chanted "Jerry! Jerry!" in tribute to Falwell.
The service also marked the first time his son, Jerry Falwell Jr., addressed the students as the college's new chancellor.
"I didn't plan to say anything today because we've all been crying all week," Falwell's son said.
"No one can replace dad, but," he said before he choked with emotion. Applause rippled across the crowd as he struggled to regain his composure. ".... But there's a team here ready to carry on and we're going to give it everything we have as he did for so long."
Falwell intended Liberty to be his most enduring legacy. He envisioned it as a "Protestant Notre Dame," projecting fundamentalist Christianity for generations. He saw it as a training ground for conservative politicians, lawyers and judges - warriors in what Falwell perceived as a cultural war against liberals, gay rights, legalized abortion and forces he saw as a threat to Christianity. Falwell took pride in national championships Liberty's debate team has won.
The university's executive vice president, Ronald S. Godwin, exhorted more than 3,500 graduates - including the first 50 students to receive law degrees - "to go forth from these halls to confront the culture and enrich the body of Christ with the timeless truths of the word of God."
My question is...what the hell is this "radical" secularism? Suicide secularists anyone? It really puts them in a strong light when you read they want "warriors" against liberal values. Who's the one with the radical extreme views, again?
Darth Wong wrote:These idiots think it's "extremist" to advocate separation of church and state. Of course we're radical.
By radical, I'm sure they mean people like us keeping them and the people they support in check and preventing them from turning our country into a totalitarian state thereby reducing the U.S into a Christian Middle East. Then yes, I say we're pretty radical.
"I think anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.
So he's talking about the opportunity to convert all of America, the seculars are saying "you can have your religion, but just have it over there so it doesn't bother anyone" and somehow the seculars are the ones that are radical?
"I am totally uninterested in applying for a game show as if this were the equivalent of `Bachelor' or `American Idol' where some television personality defines the interrogation, decides who to call on, tells them they have 30 seconds, cuts them off. I mean, how do you get to be the leader of America if you're already subordinate," he said.
I see Newtie still hasn't figured out that his 15 minutes of fame were used up long ago. Pathetic little man...
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
"I think anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.
Oh, we know exactly why those religious schools were created, Newt. Trust me.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
How can these tards say human rights have a "God-given quality" while turning around trying to silence the opposition and criticism and other infringements on our freedom of expression?
"everytime a person is born the Earth weighs just a little more."--DMJ on StarTrek.com
"You see now you are using your thinking and that is not a good thing!" DMJay on StarTrek.com
"Watching Sarli argue with Vympel, Stas, Schatten and the others is as bizarre as the idea of the 40-year-old Virgin telling Hugh Hefner that Hef knows nothing about pussy, and that he is the expert."--Elfdart
Darth Servo wrote:How can these tards say human rights have a "God-given quality" while turning around trying to silence the opposition and criticism and other infringements on our freedom of expression?
Simple if your premise is that living with Godspeak 24/7 is a "right" and its denial or negation a violation of your God-given right to be made to believe in the same religion as everybody else.
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
"I think anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.
Oh, we know exactly why those religious schools were created, Newt. Trust me.
In the Middle East, I believe they call them "madrassas".
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
Darth Servo wrote:How can these tards say human rights have a "God-given quality" while turning around trying to silence the opposition and criticism and other infringements on our freedom of expression?
Doublespeak, as always. Or they might just genuinely believe that human rights only apply to them.
"The surest sign that the world was not created by an omnipotent Being who loves us is that the Earth is not an infinite plane and it does not rain meat."
"Lo, how free the madman is! He can observe beyond mere reality, and cogitates untroubled by the bounds of relevance."
"I think anybody on the left who hopes that when people like Reverend Falwell disappear that the opportunity to convert all of America has gone with them fundamentally misunderstands why institutions like this were created," Gingrich said.
So he's talking about the opportunity to convert all of America, the seculars are saying "you can have your religion, but just have it over there so it doesn't bother anyone" and somehow the seculars are the ones that are radical?
We don't agree with him and his myopic world view.
Therefore we are radical! And EVIL! And that means we don't have any human rights because God hates us!
Yep, us "radical secularists" are the problem alright.
"I do not understand why everything in this script must inevitably explode."~Teal'c
