Newt Gingrich, hypocrite extraordinaire, blames secularism for "all the problems we have"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Appearing on Saturday at the extremist social conservative / theocratic "Thanksgiving Family Forum" in Iowa alongside Cain, Parry, Santorum, Bachmann, and Paul (but not Romney, who declined the invitation, and Huntsman, who wasn't invited (appearing on SNL instead, where he was quite funny), Newt Gingrich blamed secularism for America's problems:

A country that has been now since 1963 relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life shouldn't be surprised at all the problems we have. Because we've in fact attempted to create a secular country, which I think is frankly a nightmare.

This is hardly new. Back in June 2009, Newt appeared with Mike Huckabee and Oliver North at the Rock Church in Hampton Roads, Virginia, to speak on "Rediscovering God in America." He had a different word for secularism then:

I am not a citizen of the world. I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator... I think this is one of the most critical moments in American history. We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism.

Here was my response then:

What the hell does "only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator" mean? That America is oh-so-special because it's fundamentally a Christian nation? Well, I suspect that Locke and Jefferson, among others, would take issue which such a ridiculous claim. America was built on a philosophical foundation of natural rights, not a theocratical foundation of Christian dogma.

And then there's the "surrounded by paganism" claim. Of course, it should go without saying that non-religiosity, including secular humanism, is not "paganism," which is, broadly speaking, a religion itself -- sorry, but I'm not a polytheist -- but such a simple truth just can't go without saying when it comes to the lies, deceptions, delusions, and ignorantly ideological utterances of Newt and his ilk.

Besides, I'm not sure Newt was being so Christian when he was getting blown by his various mistresses (but not, he claimed, committing adultery, because oral sex apparently doesn't count) -- or when he demanded a divorce from his first wife Jackie in her hospital room, where she was recovering from uterine cancer surgery -- or when he refused to pay alimony and child support after their divorce -- etc., etc., etc.

How all very... pagan of him.

And how all very typical.

He's still the same old Newt

Still a hypocrite, still pandering to the Christianist right, still making utterly ridiculous pronouncements based on ideology and opportunism, all while masquerading as a serious man of ideas.