Gotta love the way that stellar example of Christian virtues, Gingrich, wants to hold the line against pagan values. Values like ethical violations while holding public office, giving your wife divorce papers while she's in the hospital with cancer, having affairs--what would we Christians do without Newt around to tell us what's right and wrong?

We are talking about serial adulterer Gingrich, tight? Also religious racist bigot Huckabee. Now I have seen everything.

Pagans??? I can't wait until Newt gets to fornicators.

So called "Paganism" predates Christianity by a couple of millenia. In fact Christianity coopted many of the old ways, including various holidays. Even the Golden Rule comes from the Wiccan Rule of Three.

In other news, I sacrificed a goat this morning, for the coming Equinox. Because I couldn't find a virgin, or a volcano. . .

Two leading voices of the Republican Party's evangelical wing

hahaha... newtie's now officially acknowledged as a leading voice for the american taliban.

Next time Newt passes out in a bourbon stupor in front of the TV, make sure that the Ackroyd-Hanks "Dragnet" isn't on.

Exactly what form of idol do liberals worship? Near as I can tell most liberal principals, as espoused by Christian, Jew, Muslim, religious and atheist, are grounded in the very Christian notion of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Idol worship featuring a mindless devotion to Ronald Reagan and other false gods like "capitalism" are pretty much Republican stock in trade. Elevating greed to a virtue is another rather unChristian notion current in Newt Gingrich's Republican world view.

Why are we still paying attention to Newt Gingrich anyway?

"Principles" not "principals." Sorry.

And what's wrong with paganism? When will christians stop hateful persecution of pagans?

The statements of both Newtire & Hucklebee veered toward calls for theocracy.

Just what does this mean?

"I am not a citizen of the world," said Gingrich, who was first elected to the U.S. House from Georgia in 1978 and served as speaker from 1995 to 1999. "I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator."

Has "historian" Gingrich never heard of the 14th Amendment?

Democrat Pagan Party. That has a much better ring to it than Democrat Socialist Party. Where can I get a bumper sticker?

So I guess Newt et al really DON'T want to bring back that ol' time religion.

These republicans remain inept, no matter the bizarrely articulate Gingrichs'
of their world.
Their tragic inattention to the country, and far too many miscalculations,
were aptly recognized by voters in 2006 and 2008,
too bad/so sad for the republican party establishment, now in shambles.
These conservatives are unable to spin the reality like they use to.
Undeterred, they continue in their very precise and disasterous downward direction.

This morning--to my delight--a caller to Washington Journal on Cspan said President Obama can't even squeeze the Charmin without Republicans criticizing him endlessly, and another caller wondered who would be the next Turd Blossom of the republican party. Bwa ha ha

Gotta love how voters got so very intelligent the past few years!
They aren't swayed by the party of continual crisis, of no solutions...the party of noooooooooooo
Talk about a major repudiation!

Perhaps he went there because gun sales weren't doing all that well in Virginia?

""today's liberalism is really just ... a philosophy rooted in ancient pagan traditions."

Well duh, isn't that the definition of philosophy? Pythagoras, Plato and Socrates were not Christians after all.

There aren't many pejoratives left. But just like Liberal seems to be losing its sting, "Pagan" has also had a revival. Certainly to old guys like Gingrich and Pope Benedict, it still has that old voodoo. But I doubt in the 18-25 age group, it is the pejorative they think it is. As it is now associated with nature based religion.

"I sacrificed a goat this morning, for the coming Equinox."

Silly pagan. The summer Solstice is coming. Equinox is first day of spring and fall.

"The summer Solstice is coming. Equinox is first day of spring and fall."

I was planning ahead.

Sort of like devout c(small c)hristians attending church on Xmas and Easter. . .

Ah, Newt is channeling Hal Lindsey. Will he take Lindsey's former spot on TBN? Yes, Newt, paganism has been in our midst for quite a while. Remember Shrub "Trick or Treating" in the Middle East or even attempting to force Easter upon the Middle Eastern locals? Hmmm, Lindsey divorced three times, Newt divorced..... pattern?

Am I the only one who sees flash images from old sword and sandal movies when they hear the word pagan? The heaving bosoms and fake bronze torsos of Tony Curtis, Edward G. Robinson, Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner coming to mind.

aimai

It's the Newt and Huck show. Sounds like a Twain novel. I don't think even ole Mark could have come up with a pair like those two idiots.

I might be described as a pagan, but I don't feel like I've been surrounding anybody lately.

Mark Twain novel? Yeah, aren't these two the guys who hooked up with Huck and Jim on the raft?

"It's one thing to lament feeling surrounded by liberalism, but to feel surrounded by paganism is to kick it old school. Really old school"

Nah man. He's kickin' it Old Testament.

"Am I the only one who sees flash images from old sword and sandal movies when they hear the word pagan?"

I think Obama would look great in a toga and sandals, although he could work on his pecs and biceps a bit. It would be fun to watch him address Congress like that, and see the exploding heads of GOPers all over the room. Gingrich and Huck would literally self-combust in horror.

Has Newt been reading "The Da Vinci Code" lately or something?

My first reaction to this is that it seems to me that secular morality owes more to the side of new testament philosophy most often paraded as the primary benefit of religious self delusion, and the the pagan influences on organized religions (ritual, superstition, dogmatic irrationality) are those which we should be trying to extirpate.

Obviously the GOP has completely abandoned any hope of ever recovering the all-important Wiccan demographic. In fact, I think I'll take a peek in my cupboard and see if I still have enough Eye of Newt to cast a minor spell. If a certain GOP spokesperson finds his mane of white hair turning purple, you'll know who to credit.

When do the witch trials start? "AAARRRRHH, I saw Goody Obama with the Devil!"

This is absurd. Does anyone actually believe that Newt is genuinely religious? I couldn't even begin to tell you what denomination he is.

Looking it up, I see that he was a Baptist after graduate school, but converted to Catholicism, his wife's religion, a few months ago. Way to stand by your convictions, asshole.

"converted to Catholicism"

Now, if only someone would introduce Newt to a very "hot" young Muslim lady.

Paganism is the coming thing, Steve. It's time to change the name of your recurring religion post to "this week in gods".

" Even the Golden Rule comes from the Wiccan Rule of Three."

Uhh, the Jewish writers of Leviticus may disagree just a bit. Just because the ideas are similar and Christians took ideas from various non-Abrahamic sources doesn't mean you automatically ignore stuff from the Christians' root religion.

And let's see: Greek and Romans, who every standard interpretation credits with being the basis of Western Civilization are pagan. But the Roman Empire only declined after it went Christian. Plus, all the guys killing people left and right for minor differences on Two Swords Theory are Christian. The kiddie-diddlers par excellance are Christian - and not only that, but Newt's flavor of Christianity (did Newt convert so he could rape 6 year-olds? Irresponsible speculation - or it would be irresponsible not to speculate?). DC is a freaking pagan temple complex for G(g)od's(s') sake. So exactly why would we not want more paganism? It is positively brimming with good old-fashioned Founding-Father pro-Americanism - unlike the psycho-anti-Constituionalism of Christianity.

Well, since most neopagan traditions are non-violent if not outright pacifist, honor living things, and honor the land, Newt's criticism here can only be an oblique way of hinting about all the... [looks around furtively] "S-E-X" that's been going on...which, if you engage in without being duly ashamed enough about it then you might go to [lowers voice to a whisper] "H-E-double hockey sticks."

The reasoning is simple enough: the ancient Romans weren't ashamed about sex and Rome fell, because sex makes you corrupt and corrupt societies can't fend off barbarian invaders.

Never mind the fact that being a sleazy Republican serial adulterer who engages in graft and nepotism and profiteering and diviseness at the expense of the Republic makes you really, REALLY corrupt and guys like Newt have no problem with that stuff. We're talking about SEX here people! Seeeeexxxxx!!!!

The pagans are putting sex on tv and the intertubes! Won't someone think of the children? The flag? Our Puritan forebears?

Why is it that Eliot Spitzer, who has a lot of smart things to say on the financial meltdown, isn't allowed to have a TV interview without being required to address, and apologize for, his sexual misconduct, while Newt Gingrich gets a pass, even when he's essentially accusing Democrats of sexual immorality?

I am just back from my periodic sacrifice to Poseidon, the “Earth Shaker”. You see, here in San Francisco, you need all the help you can get.

"Looking it up, I see that he was a Baptist after graduate school, but converted to Catholicism, his LAST wife's religion, a few months ago." John

Fixed.

"Gingrich said. 'We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism'."

We are living in a period where we are burdened by Neanderthals.

Maybe he's referring to the wild and reckless motorcycle gang.

maybe he's hoping for a pagan's comeback...

Of all the bands that burst out of Cleveland in the mid- to late-'70s punk explosion, one of the most unjustly ignored was the Pagans. Despite breaking up in 1979 (they, however, reunited several times since), these grimy bohunks played fast'n'loud piss-and-vinegar garage rock that valued alienation and, at times, extreme bad taste. Led by the honking rasp of Mike Hudson and the rapid-fire guitar of Mike "Tommy Gunn" Metoff, the Pagans never played it safe, nor did they enter the rock & roll wars wanting to win any friends. And this, ultimately, was a good thing, for their anti-star pose and carpe diem attitude meant that many of their songs sound as if they were set to auto-destruct at the tune's end. Although their don't-give-a-damn attitude lends itself more than once to some sexist japes and homophobic ranting, the Pagans ultimately didn't care who they offended. In fact, listening to any of their vintage material (1977-1979), you'd think that offending everyone was their artistic raison d'être.

I second what Joe Buck said, but Joe, please get off my teevee machine when I'm enjoying a ballgame, and take McCarver with you, ok?

If decrying liberals as pagans is the best Newtie's got, then all I can do is chuckle.

Hey---give me a brigade of Viking Berserkers and I'll show them what it really means to "be surrounded by pagans".

So, will President Obama choose Republican Bobby Jindal to be his 'Witchfinder-General'?

Be a good fit.