Mainline Protestantism ‘Gone from’ Christianity; Santorum Just Lost the South

…I Believe, Michigan too, I Fear

 

Update:

This update is made simply to point out the problem with Rick Santorum’s speech, excerpted below, as many are apparently having difficulty seeing it. I apologize for not making it clearer, earlier.

The problem lays in two sentences:

“And of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is a shambles. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.

“…mainline Protestantism…. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.”


2/19/2012 @ 1:50pm CT

It was almost an excellent and critically important speech, but then…

In the Daily Caller, emphasis (ed., in black at the end of the article) ours:

Santorum in 2008: Mainline Protestantism ‘in shambles … gone from the world of Christianity’ [AUDIO]

By David Martosko – The Daily Caller   12:42 AM 02/18/2012

A speech former Senator Rick Santorum delivered at a Catholic college in 2008 began burning up the left-wing blogosphere Friday afternoon. At Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida, Santorum argued that Satan was using the national debate over abortion as a tool to destroy the institutions of American culture — including universities, the government, popular culture, and mainline Protestant churches.

“This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war at all. This is a spiritual war,” Santorum said during his August 29, 2008 speech. “And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies, Satan, would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country, the United States of America.”

The portion of his remarks that have attracted the most attention — including scorn from the liberal People for the American Way, which identified the university’s podcast of Santorum’s speech on Friday — concern his view that Protestant churches have been compromised by that “spiritual war” over the question of when life begins.

Santorum is a devout Roman Catholic.

(LISTEN: Excerpt from Santorum’s 2008 speech at Ave Maria University)

“Once the colleges fell, and those who were being educated in our institutions,” he said during the speech, “the next was the church. Now you’d say, ‘Well, wait, the Catholic Church?’ No.”

“We all know that this country was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic, but the Judeo-Christian ethic was a Protestant Judeo-Christian ethic. Sure, the Catholics had some influence, but this was a Protestant country and the Protestant ethic. Mainstream, mainline Protestantism.

“And of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is a shambles. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it. So they attacked mainline Protestantism, they attacked the Church, and what better way to go after smart people who also believe they’re pious — to use both vanity and pride to go after the Church.”

Many have now seen the videos of Santorum that are circulating, as he goes out of his way to assail libertarians (link) and the Tea Party (link). Now we can add to the list, Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians.

I observed Rick Santorum in the U.S. Congress carefully. He can be one of the best rhetoricians and debaters out there. However, as a tendency, when he is on his game, he is attacking. And he attacks even those with whom he should be coalescing.

Here is the reality. Protestant churches, as the Roman papal church, are split. They are hardly “gone from Christianity.” This behavior now begs us to be reminded that Rick Santorum bears allegiance to another city-state nation, The Vatican. Has he issued a speech declaring himself completely American, politically, as did John Kennedy?

Writes Kelleigh Nelson, to remind us of the question of just how Vatican oriented Santorum could be:

Santorum would not be our first Catholic president. In 2002, Rick traveled to Rome to speak at a centenary celebration of the birth of Saint Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei. He and his wife were invested as Knight and Dame of Magistral Grace of the Knights of Malta in a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on November 12, 2004.

These newly spreading words from Santorum hardly present him as the new, nice guy conservative on the scene, apparently the basis for his popularity over the last few weeks. For one, I am not at all sure I would want him in the White House and am loathe to see him nominated, to represent what must be an unified and energized conservative coalition (though I would not vote for anti-sovereignty Quisling, pro-Agenda-21 Romney, even in the General Election were he a candidate).

Why the Daily Caller would issue this story before the Romney-critical Michigan Primary, a state in which Santorum leads in the polling, is another pertinent question. I fear that with it, Romney may now win in Michigan. Further, it becomes likely that the Gingrich campaign will be reinvigorated in the South, which may be the silver lining to this dark cloud.

Comments

  1. Plain Old American says

    The best Republican candidate was rejected by the people as well as the media. America will get the leadership the American people deserve.

  2. We are Gulag bound BECAUSE satan has usurped this Nation…
    you watched the grammies, & the halftime super bowl Rituals…yes??

    Figure it out quickly please.

    amen, amen.

  3. South is too smart for media spin…

  4. Santorum is 100 % correct and any Christian that does not agree with him, that we are on a slippery slope to HELL, had better find another church… The Daily Caller just proved as I thought,, it too is establishment.. what a non surprise.. Tucker Carlson.,. who parties with all the rest of the faux journalists in DC… The PLAN of the establishment on both sides of the aisle is to keep us all DUMB about the FACT that THEY worship Satan as they undermine America from within, corrupting her to HELL

    • Hello… Deb. Read the line just above your comment.

      100% correct, eh?

      I may have to censor anti-Protestant bigotry in Gulag Bound comments. We have a reputation to uphold.

      • Arlen – you may have to censor EVERY reader of your blog since it seems NOBODY agrees with your ridiculous analysis.

        Why not just tout the positives of your own candidate without resorting to these ridiculous smear jobs?

        • What analysis is necessary?

          Rick Santorum’s condemnation of Protestantism are his own words.

        • SOMEBODY does agree with Arlen…. I do. The country was founded on Christian principles and I believe the country should remain so (please exit Obama, Pelosi, Reid, et al who seem to be anti-God), but there is more to leading a country than being a religious fanatic. Whether Santorum means to or not, he sounds like he’s saying only Catholics are true Christians! While many people are guilty of judging others’ righteousness, I believe only God’s judgement is the one that counts. Yes, we criticize; we lament, and we work as best we know how to improve life in America. I also believe Romney, if elected, will become the Democrats’ “new baby,” and he will further the cause for Agenda 21, and he will change his statement from “I will repeal Obamacare” to “I have decided it will best serve America to make adjustments to Obamacare.” That’s my opinion and I’m stickin’ to it!!

          • LINDA, YOU ARE SO RIGHT. THERE WONT BE DENOMINATIONS IN HEAVEN ONLY CHRISTIANS, SO WHO IS RICK SANTORUM TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE BELIEVES CATHOLICS ARE THE ONLY CHRISTIANS? MANY OTHER FAITHS ARE CHRISTIANS TO. I CHOOSE TO BE A BAPTIST, BUT THAT WONT MATTER WHEN CHRIST COMES BACK, HE WILL LOOK AT MY LIFE & WHAT I HAVE DONE TO SPREAD HIS WORD. BUT REMEMBER SATAN LOOSES IN THE END! OH HAPPY DAY. STAY FOCUSED ON THE LORD, PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY. CHRON 7:14

  5. If Gulag Bound samples the speech in the way the media would, you may be right that some Protestants would be concerned, but I just listened to the 4 minute excerpt on The Daily Caller and I can’t say I disagree with Sen. Santorum. Mainline Christian denominations such as Methodism and Evangelical Lutheran have fully embraced heretical ideas. Considering the Emergent Movement and the call for “relevancy” confusing many within the Church today, I do not marvel that a Catholic would notice these problems within Protestantism; after all, the Catholics have had their struggles with heresy for many years now, so those who are saved within the Catholic Church should know it when they see it. American philosophy is fundamentally BIBLICAL. If Sen. Santorum continues to highlight this, he will win–more importantly, the United States will win. We will win the cultural battle, the moral battle, and the ideological battle. So long as the Truth is expressed, I for one will be delighted. I hope we can give more credit to each other. We all know the real problem, and that problem is Tyranny. Thank you so much for you continued efforts to inform us Mr. Williams.

    • This…

      Mainline Christian denominations such as Methodism and Evangelical Lutheran have fully embraced heretical ideas.

      …is flatly wrong – and either ignorant or libelous. As the article states, these denominations and effectively all of them including Roman Catholics are split.

      What part of all this is difficult to understand?

  6. Rick could lose all the king’s horse’s and all the king’s men ..pundits and talking heads and if he has God on his side anything is possible.

    • That’s quite a big “if,” if he’s involving himself in slandering some of God’s own – or even disobeying the wheat and the tares sentiments. There is a big, big difference between spiritual warfare and religious warfare.

  7. I’m a Southern Baptist from Alabama and I have no problem with what Rick Santorum said because it is true. Many liberal churches really don’t believe anything like what I believe. They water down the truth and twist meanings to fit what they want to believe. They worship a god of their own imagination.

    “If I had to choose between putting a saloon or a liberal church on a corner, I’d choose the saloon every time. People who drink up the pay check in the saloon are less likely to become Pharisees, thinking that they don’t need the Great Physician, than those who weekly swill the soporific doctrine of man’s goodness.” ~ Jay Adams

    • David, David, Rick Santorum did not say “many.” You did.

    • THERE SHOULDNT BE ANY SUCH THING AS A LIBERAL CHURCH, BUT THANKS TO ALL OUR FALSE PROPHETS OUT THERE MANY CHURCHES HAVE BECOME TO LIBERAL, SINCE WHEN IS IT OK IN GODS EYES TO HAVE GAY PEOPLE THERE WITHOUT TEACHING THEM ITS AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD? IM NOT AGAINST HAVING GAY PEOPLE AT CHURCH, THEY NEED TO BE THERE, BUT TEACH THE TRUTH ABOUT GODS WORD, MAYBE THEY WILL CHANGE. NO WE ARE TO SCARED WE WILL OFFEND SOME ONE THEN WE WONT HAVE THE BIG NUMBERS OR THERE $$$$$$. THESE PASTORS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN THE END AS WILL ALL OF US FOE WHAT WE DO.

  8. The Presbyterians just announced they have chosen sides with Palestine over Israel.
    The Methodest have been so liberal for so long it is hardly a Christ oriented church anymore.
    Shall I go on and on.
    I am no Catholic.
    I did listen to Santorum speech at Ave Maria University, 2008.
    There is nothing wrong with this speech.
    If he stepped on the toes of some of the fallen demoninations then so be it.
    (They have fallen into some sort of abyss.)

  9. Really don’t see a problem with the comments when taken in context. He is speaking about the pro-life issue. The Declaration of Independence states all men are CREATED equal. It doesn’t say BORN equal. CREATED. As in CONCEPTION not BIRTH.

    Straying from that concept and giving a timid nod to abortion is selling out the church. If Christians believe life begins at conception (as science also proves) and the Declaration states this as a an inalienable right then Santorum’s comments make absolute sense. You could take it further and say those Christians who support abortion are also selling out the signers of the Declaration.

    • ISNT IT AMAZING HOW ALL THE CANDIDATES ARE CHRISTIANS WHEN RUNNIG FOR OFFICE, BUT IF THEY WIN OR NOT NO FRUIT IS BARED AFTERWARDS. I FIND THIS FUNNY. EVEN LOCAL POLITICIANS. SICK OF HYPOCRITES.

  10. Arlen Williams joined a group, “Let’s do hit pieces on Santorum Day”.
    From my reading of “Gulag Bound” this is out of character.
    We are waiting on an apology, a retraction.
    DRUDGE has been accused ot being on Romney’s payroll for their part in this.
    BigGovernment’s little Ben Sharparo went bannanas writing one hit piece after another after another.
    What is going on here? What is going on?

    I will restate, Santorum said nothing wrong in this speech, N O T H I N G.

  11. I still wait for someone to deal with the actual subject of this article (Santorum’s two sentences which stand alone while also placed in context) and in any salient way, to refute its concerns.

  12. I would agree with what Rick apparently said about “mailine” protestantism – but would add the same is true of mainline Catholicism .

    The bride of Christ altogether needs to get it together. The “church” is full of people who are dead and regard it only as tradition or a social network. Homosexuality, infidelity, porn and acceptance of all kinds of sin have permeated.

    I never use the word “Protestent” or “Catholic” so I couldn’t care the least as a believer in Christ what Rick might have said – and Jesus Christ never did either.

    I voted for Newt but I will say with confidence that I do believe that Rick is a great man and a true conservative. Romney KNOWS he can’t gain a single additional percentage in MI – and Romney Knows – that his only chance to remain alive is to win Michigan.

    Hence, Romney knows that he MUST get Michigan supporters of Santorum to defect to Newt. If he can get 4% to switch from Rick to Newt in MI – he can hi-jack this thing just like McCain.

    Oddly, Newt’s best interest is for Santorum to win MI and AZ so he can get Romney OUT of the race and make it a ONE on ONE against Rick. There is NO WAY Newt wins Michigan buy siphoning a few points from Rick.

    ROMNEY will do everything he can to encourage Santorum voters to defect to Newt. He may even have some shells run ads not only bashing Rick – but promoting Newt in Michigan. That’s the beauty of local advsrtising buys. Mitt can isolate MI & AZ to be his “pro-Newt” strategy. Mitt is very savvy when it comes to slime tactics. In reality, Newt should CEDE Michigan to Rick if he wants to ultimately win.

    Rick has the mid-west solidly. Newt has the South. That leaves them battling for the North.

    Either way – CONSERVATIVES WIN – with Romney gone.

  13. I don’t know how anyone can possibly agree with the specific words Santorum used, in their order, in those two sentences.

    There is a huge difference between our founders’ vision of a Christ-informed populace participating in self governance and a policy of trying to run the entire (federalist) nation from Washington DC, to obey the dictates of a city-state located on a boot-shaped peninsula of Europe.

    http://gulagbound.com/27042/post-supertuesday-song-for-americans-fighting-for-our-sovereignty/comment-page-1/#comment-151491

    Newt Gingrich is pro-life and pro-marriage. So is Santorum. Gingrich wants to aggressively defend America from Agenda 21, plus audit The Fed and act upon what information is attained. Santorum is wobbly on this and is a ‘team player.’ Which is more moral?

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