Santorum: Protestantism "is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it."

[Ted King]

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/sa...ng-america

From a 2008 address to students at a Catholic university:

This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war. This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age? There is no one else to go after other than the United States and that has been the case now for almost two hundred years, once America's preeminence was sown by our great Founding Fathers.
. . . . . . . . . .
And so what we saw this domino effect, once the colleges fell and those who were being education in our institutions, the next was the church. Now you’d say, ‘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 in 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 also go after the Church.

I hope he is asked to explain these comments - I'm expecting another "bleh" or "man on dog" unintentional comedic moment.

[Grace62]

It's the "Satan hates America" theme of that speech that will give him heartburn. That speech is more inflammatory than anything Jeremiah Wright ever said, and these are the candidate's own words.

But Romney can't attack on that, he'll risk offending the base.

Democrats sure can, and if Santorum becomes the nominee they will, no doubt.

As for the comment about "mainline Protestantism," yes it's in decline, I don't think anyone could argue otherwise. 7th day Adventists, Mormons, non-denominational Christians and Catholics are growing, last I heard.

[Ted King]

Grace62 wrote:
It's the "Satan hates America" theme of that speech that will give him heartburn. That speech is more inflammatory than anything Jeremiah Wright ever said, and these are the candidate's own words.

But Romney can't attack on that, he'll risk offending the base.

Democrats sure can, and if Santorum becomes the nominee they will, no doubt.

As for the comment about "mainline Protestantism," yes it's in decline, I don't think anyone could argue otherwise. 7th day Adventists, Mormons, non-denominational Christians and Catholics are growing, last I heard.

Yeah, I don't think the Satan is taking over America stuff would go over well with a lot of Americans. It sure seems to me, though, that Santorum is saying more than that mainline Protestantism is in decline. He said, "...it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it." It's hard not to see that as saying that mainline Protestantism isn't really Christianity any more; in the context of his speech - that it lost the spiritual war with Satan and so is gone from Christianity.

[Grace62]

He's referring to the split in American Christianity between liberal and conservative thinking. He wants to say that the liberal view is no longer relevant, as membership in those churches is declining, and he's right about the membership part.

There is a clear divide on social issues between liberal Christians (typically mainline Protestants but not exclusively) and evangelicals and conservative Catholics. Issues like gay civil rights, social justice, and war have made the divide much bigger in recent years.
He is saying it very awkwardly, but his intended audience will hear that dog whistle: "our brand of Christianity is superior, theirs has caused the problems and is no longer relevant."

[Ted King]

Grace62 wrote:
He's referring to the split in American Christianity between liberal and conservative thinking. He wants to say that the liberal view is no longer relevant, as membership in those churches is declining, and he's right about the membership part.

There is a clear divide on social issues between liberal Christians (typically mainline Protestants but not exclusively) and evangelicals and conservative Catholics. Issues like gay civil rights, social justice, and war have made the divide much bigger in recent years.
He is saying it very awkwardly, but his intended audience will hear that dog whistle: "our brand of Christianity is superior, theirs has caused the problems and is no longer relevant."

I wouldn't say that that isn't an interpretation that could be made, but I don't see it in the context of the whole speech. Never-the-less, even if your interpretation is correct, I don't think it will go over well with a lot of Protestants.

[Grace62]

I see what you mean, but the people he is speaking negatively of, if you want to view it that way, are already people who would not vote for him.
It's not unusual for religious conservatives to come right out and say that they think "mainline Protestants" who for example allow pastors to be openly gay and who work for social justice are not really Christian.

I hear that a lot, so the shock value just isn't there.

[Acer]

Like the Republicans redefining themselves to exclude the moderates as "not really Republicans," he's trying to define socially liberal Christians as "not really Christians." Another angle I hear from fans of Santorum's politics of blending Christianity and Republicanism, is to define Christians who are not fiscally or politically conservative as "not really Christian."

[decay]

Rick would love a return to an intertwined Church and State, like the good old days of Catholicism in Europe.