Gingrich: Confront "Radical Secularism"
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told 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, who is considering a 2008 presidential run, quoted Bible passages to a mournful crowd of about 17,000 packed into the university's football stadium four days after Falwell's death.
Despite the somber tone of the day, graduates who covered the football field chanted "Jerry! Jerry!" in tribute to Falwell.
"A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot 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.
Liberty's commencement has become a forum for conservative politicians. Last year's address came from Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who made amends with Falwell after attacking him by name during McCain's failed 2000 White House bid.
Gingrich said he won't decide until October whether to run for president.
It 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.
His son, Jerry Falwell Jr., addressed Liberty's students Saturday as the school's new chancellor.
"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. It was to be 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.
Gingrich said after his speech that Falwell's death would not slow the Christian right's efforts.
"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.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Gingrich, who is considering a 2008 presidential run, quoted Bible passages to a mournful crowd of about 17,000 packed into the university's football stadium four days after Falwell's death.
Despite the somber tone of the day, graduates who covered the football field chanted "Jerry! Jerry!" in tribute to Falwell.
"A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot 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.
Liberty's commencement has become a forum for conservative politicians. Last year's address came from Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who made amends with Falwell after attacking him by name during McCain's failed 2000 White House bid.
Gingrich said he won't decide until October whether to run for president.
It 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.
His son, Jerry Falwell Jr., addressed Liberty's students Saturday as the school's new chancellor.
"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. It was to be 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.
Gingrich said after his speech that Falwell's death would not slow the Christian right's efforts.
"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.
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I am quite proud of my "radical secularism" and totally stand with ozilot on this.
Posted by sy2502 at 12:42 PM : May 21, 2007
As an atheist I stand by them both. The idea that if you don't have religion in your life that you're not able to be moral is an arrogant statement of religious fundamentalists. Morals, values, a sense of right and wrong, being a good person and doing good works are all human values that were adopted by religion, not the other way around.
Posted by lestb35 at 06:07 PM : May 21, 2007
The fact something was held as value in the past doesn't make it good, and doesn't mean it should be kept around forever. The drafters of the Constitution believed in slavery, and were against women's vote: should we continue that way? Societies evolve, and their laws should evolve accordingly. Acknowledging the judeo-christian roots doesn't mean putting them on a pedestal, away from legitimate criticism and well-needed updates.
But that's not my point and tried to convey it as such. My point is not coming from a religios standpoint but taking his statement as a call to fight "radical secularism", then examining what that meant. What I decided is for the preservation of our society as we know it we should uphold our history of judeo-christian values to ASSURE us that the constitution and bill of rights will stay intact forever. Once you deviate and take away the original intent you have no control on what may happen in the future.
Posted by lestb35
That's the point. They don't want to preserve that portion of history. The objective is to give fairies special rights, denigrate the institution of marriage, give kids access to condums, oversex them, give them ecstasy make sure they are well addicted and f/u, and then government can take over and administer all sorts of social programs to keep the masses in place. They want total social re-engineering and so-called equity only for the select. Social welfare is what they are looking for and by taking morality out of the equation and secularizing society, they can proceed with partial birth abortions and cloning with impunity. You have to kill the conscience first. Once that's gone that you can control the masses.
Posted by lestb35 at 12:14 AM : May 21, 2007
Sorry, but you are basically saying that unless you have religion, you have no morals? You know, people can do what is right to others without doing it for god, or to avoid going to hell. In fact, did you know that atheist couples have lowest rates of divorce than fundamental christians? And that atheists make up only 2% of the prison population? Have you ever heard of a crusade by atheists? Or of atheists torturing people and burning them at the stake to make them renounce their religion?
I am quite proud of my "radical secularism" and totally stand with ozilot on this.
POWER TO THE INFIDELS!
Newt, pleeeeeeeese SHUT UP!
I'd be more concerned about fake Family Values Christians, like this Republican lawmaker who was just arrested in SD:
A former South Dakota lawmaker is accused of molesting his own foster children and legislative pages.
Ted Klaudt, 49, a Republican rancher from Walker, faces a long list of charges: eight counts of rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of witness tampering, sexual contact with a person under 16, and stalking.
Court documents mention five possible victims. Three were foster children between the ages of 15 and 19 who lived with Klaudt's family. One is a cousin of one of those girls, and the fifth is a friend of Klaudt's daughter.
In the most disturbing accusation, the girls say Klaudt had them convinced they could earn up to $20,000 by donating their eggs to a fertility clinic. And even though he has no medical training, the girls say Klaudt did all the supposed "exams" and "procedures" himself.
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