Newt Gingrich addresses Texas protestant 'mega-church'
- By Catholic Online
Speech made before announcement to run for president
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich addressed Cornerstone Church, a protestant "mega-church" this past weekend in San Antonio, Texas, led by the Reverend John Hagee, an influential leader among American evangelical protestants. Gingrich's speech was made hours after announcing that he expects to be running for president within a month. In his speech at the church, Gingrich said he's worried the United States could be "a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists," in the foreseeable future.
Newt Gingrich, who converted to the Catholic faith two years ago, affirmed religious faith and patriotism.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "I have two grandchildren: Maggie is 11; Robert is 9," Gingrich said at Cornerstone Church. "I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."
Gingrich, who converted to the Catholic faith two years ago, mentioned both his religious faith and his patriotism. He lashed out at some college professors and some in the mainstream media he says are seeking to undermine the Founding Fathers' values and the religious roots of the American experiment. He also targeted those activist judges he says are effectively re-writing the Constitution.
Gingrich remained silent on his own controversial past, one of martial indiscretions and divorces that have made courting religious conservatives difficult as he nears a likely presidential run.
The Reverend Hagee released a statement later this week praising Gingrich's appearance at Cornerstone. "It was such a great honor to welcome Mr. Gingrich to our church, and hear him describe the centrality of faith in our nation," he said.
Cornerstone Church's earlier endorsement of John McCain as president was controversial, one in which McCain ultimately rejected. Hagee had made controversial comments about the Holocaust which included these words: "God says in Jeremiah 16: 'Behold, I will bring them the Jewish people again unto their land that I gave to their fathers. ... Behold, I will send for many fishers, and after will I send for many hunters. And they the hunters shall hunt them.' That would be the Jews," Hagee had said in an earlier sermon.
"Then God sent a hunter," his sermon continued. "A hunter is someone who comes with a gun, and he forces you. Hitler was a hunter."
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