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 ...
Bingo
What authority do you have to say that Newt is unsaved. God will supply that answer, not you.
VERY nicely stated. A good email.
Ping a person when you talk about them.
Mitt Romney is a Morman. Michelle Bachmann is a Lutheran. Sarah Palin was baptized a Catholic. Around the age of twelve her family and her converted to an Assembly of God Church in Wasilla Alaska. She now describes herself as a nondenominational Christian. Rick Santorum is a Catholic.
Newt Gingrich was a Baptist and converted to Catholicism.
I don't know what you mean.
This is the first article I have read by Mr. Schmalz. It will probably also be the last.
It is beyond my imagination that this was written by a professor at a Jesuit institution - it shows none of the intellectual rigor or honesty I assocaite with the Jesuit tradition. Instead, it reads as a typical liberal "hit piece" on a political enemy.
That this author seemingly could not even bring himself to consider the possibility that Mr. Gingrich has sought to reform himself and has embraced Catholicism as the path by which he can again embrace Jesus Christ is stunning. The Catholic tradition is not one of vengence - it rests on the humble admission that we are all fallable human beings and acheive a state of grace solely through repentence of our sins and a reliance on God's mercy.
In addition, the author ignores the 600 lb gorilla in the room - abortion. The Catholic Church has never wavered in its belief in the sanctity of human life. The Catholic Church still embraces such out-of-fashion notions as the idea that marriage is a joining of one man and one woman. Period. End of sentence.
It is not hard for me to believe that a person of traditional moral values might choose to embrace the Catholic Church and its teachings.
What the truth is, only Mr. Gingrich and God know. But this author's refusal to even consider the possibility that Mr. Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism is motivated by genuine conviction reveals the political agenda he seeks to conceal in his nominally religious-based writing.
As stated on an internet site: "The beauty of Catholicism is that while Christ calls us to holiness, he is also merciful. Christ can forgive every sin that we throw at him! It is our hope that all Catholics are accepting of repentant sinners within their midst, and that they do not judge anybody's past mistakes. Sadly, since the Church is made up of imperfect humans, some parishes may not be as welcoming as they should be. "
Apparently and regretably some members of Jesuit faculties must be included in that last statement.
Great letter. Let us know if you receive any results about it.
A saved man would NEVER convert to Catholicism..the saved flee Rome
God will supply that answer, not you.
Newt may yet come to Christ in faith by the grace of God.. but as of now we just have the words of scripture to make this assertion..
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
1Jo 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.( or WIVES)
So do you think Newt is saved?
Catholics do and have.
Try not to bring up strawmen. Try reading the Catechism on the subject. “Proddies” are imperfectly linked to the Church.
Fine.....
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P29.HTM
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.336
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Ecclesiam_nulla_salus
Pope Boniface VIII, Bull Unam sanctam (1302): "We are compelled in virtue of our faith to believe and maintain that there is only one holy Catholic Church, and that one is apostolic. This we firmly believe and profess without qualification. Outside this Church there is no salvation and no remission of sins, the Spouse in the Canticle proclaiming: 'One is my dove, my perfect one. One is she of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her' (Canticle of Canticles 6:8); which represents the one mystical body whose head is Christ, of Christ indeed, as God. And in this, 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5). Certainly Noah had one ark at the time of the flood, prefiguring one Church which perfect to one cubit having one ruler and guide, namely Noah, outside of which we read all living things were destroyed… We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."
Pope Sylvester II, Profession of Faith, June AD 991: "I believe that in Baptism all sins are forgiven, that one which was committed originally as much as those which are voluntarily committed, and I profess that outside the Catholic Church no one is saved."
Pope Innocent III (1198–1216), Profession of Faith prescribed for the Waldensians: "With our hearts we believe and with our lips we confess but one Church, not that of the heretics, but the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside which we believe that no one is saved" (Denzinger 792).
And there's plenty more quotes from many popes which couldn't make it clearer. It's a recurring theme throughout the history of Catholicism.
The "elect" have spoken. How truly blessed we are.
If that post is an example of what being "saved" does to a body, I'll happily sit with Newt and the rest of the "unsaved" sinners. You and the other "elect" can look down from your celestial thrones and pity us.
Whatever Newt's faults (and he has plenty) I don't believe he's ventured into the realm of identifying the damned. Big ego though he has, even his pride doesn't extend that far.
Umm seems to me you just called me a bigot....ahhh caught you judging :)
When the Church starts getting serious about denying communion to high ranking, liberal, pro-abort politicians, let me know. Until then what they do with the common man is meaningless.
What authority does ANY Catholic have to say that any non-Catholic is unsaved, and yet it happens continually on these threads.
The term *heretic* comes to mind for starters.
Are you thinking as man thinks and not as God thinks? Have you never heard of deathbed conversions?
Please, when you reply to me, do not call in all your comrades — I do not wish to speak with them.
God bless you and Good bye.
Picture this:
Bill Clinton claims to have converted to Catholicism and that he’s a new man.
What would be said around here? Somehow I don’t think it would be what’s being said about Gingrich.
Those are not "faults" they are sins... call them what they are... but if he said 3 hail Marys and 3 our Fathers he is good to go I guess???
We are called to judge the spiritual condition of others.. condemnation is indeed the work of God ..but we are to judge according to the word of God
that may make some uncomfortable.. but that is not my problem
Scripture commands us to judge. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:43). To others, our Lord asked, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke 12:57).
A careful and open minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to judge.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" (1 Corinthians 10:15). Again, Paul declared, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1 Corinthians 2:15). It is our positive duty to judge. EA
Yeh the Wapo waxing philosophically about religion. Thats rich. You don’t just “turn” Catholic like Al Sharpton’s the church of whats happening now. You have to take 6 months of instruction. You have to show up every week. Its a committment you don’t just do it as a lark. Its serious stuff.
If one reads the scripture one learns the mind of God BTW
Jesuits seem to me to be among the more liberal Catholics, while Dominicans tend to be fairly conservative.
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