6-5-11 Calista’s diamonds . . .
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sits with his wife Callista before speaking at the Kiwanis Club luncheon, Monday, May 16, 2011, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sits with his wife Callista before speaking at the Kiwanis Club luncheon, Monday, May 16, 2011, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) (Charlie Neibergall – AP) I, for one, don’t care at all whether or not Newton Leroy “Newt” Gingrich cut some kind of special deal with Tiffany’s in order to deck his wife with diamonds. What I care about is why, when Newt’s always going on about being “pro classical Christianity,” buying diamonds occurred to him in the first place
Poking around in polling data, it appears that a hefty majority of Americans still link themselves to Christianity. So if that particular religion is so important to so many of us this country, when are we going to demand our presidential candidates live the Christianity they purport to espouse? And if we’re not going to demand this of them, why? What does that say about us?
Newton Leroy “Newt” Gingrich is easy pickings for anyone who wants to write about Christian inconsistency. Newt’s so prone to lecture and moralize, and yet will brush aside such personal Christian peccadillos as affairs and divorces by saying (as he did during a 2011 interview with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network), “There’s no question at times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.”
I ask you! What kind of hornswoggle is that? Uttered by someone who claims to have gone from being a devout Southern Baptist to being a devout Catholic? If Newton Leroy’s that charitable toward himself, where’s his charity toward all those other people whose behavior he’s pretty quick to disparage?
As I’ve said before in On Faith, I am a person of faith who is not religious. As I’ve also said before, I am a complete fan of Jesus Christ, largely because, according to the Gospels, the guy was so not a hypocrite. He flat-out lived his faith, putting into practice all those inconvenient rantings about inclusiveness and giving a damn about the poor; gunking things up for the rest of us with bothersome statements about rich men, needle eyes and camels.
At no point did Jesus say thou shalt covet diamonds that cost more than the houses a lot of Americans are losing.
Of course, Newt’s not the only politician who exudes the toxic glow of Christian hypocrisy. Almost all American presidential candidates claim to be fans of Jesus. So what are they fans of? The man’s outfits? His hairstyle? His commitment to walking everywhere and thus getting regular exercise?
It’s obviously not his selfless poverty, which, to me, non-Christian admirer of Jesus that I am, appears to be the heart of his message.
So, my fellow Americans, when are those of us who are either Christians or admirers of Jesus going to hold Newt – and all other presidential candidates – accountable for living the faith they talk about so much?
Do we shy away from doing this because then, we too, would have to follow Jesus a bit more scrupulously? Are we secretly reasoning that if we cut Newt some slack in the diamond-purchasing department, then someday when we, too, have finagled access to a half-million or so, we’ll feel free to buy diamonds ourselves instead of using our shekels to help those just struggling to survive?
Tags: Calista Gingrich, Christ, Christianity, Newt Gingrich
The only thing that is more damaging to the human spirit than Newt, (or any politician), is looking to them for answers or guidance of any kind.
He is what he is. They are what they are.
Can we leave the Great what the F
and get back to the Great Whatever
Very good point Martha. Jesus often said “come follow me.” He once told a rich young man to sell all he had, give to the poor, and come follow Him.
Some people claiming to be Christian these days seem to believe that the central point of Christianity is to declare belief in Christ, rather than to follow Him. They say faith saves, not works. If we really had faith in Him, however, we would try in every way to become like Him.
This has been an age old problem, people using the control of religion for political advancement. Whether one says he a Jew, Muslim or Christian it is funny how groups protect their own even if they don’t follow the simplest religious guidelines. But let me clear it all up in the common sense manner, everyone is responsible for their own personal character. Even if Jesus himself was running for office I would look at his character first, how he lives, what he does in his own life. The character of a man is in what he does more that what he says and as Forrest Gump said “that all I am going to say about that”.
As a committed Christian, I am heartbroken about the way politicians, and even some of our own church leaders, represent Jesus to the world. I often wonder how they can read Scripture and spend time alone with God (as they all purport to do) without feeling any twinge of conscience about their addictions to wealth, power, and fame. Their behavior pains me because it is not just a perversion of my faith, it also turns people against Jesus and those of us who truly, although imperfectly, follow Him. I hear many conservative politiciansand preachers blame the “liberal” or “lamestream” media for promoting a negative view of Christianity. However, the truth is that we are often our own worst enemies. I pray that Christians like me — and I believe we are indeed the silent majority — will stand up and reclaim the message of love for all, tenderness toward the “least of these,” and unconditional self-sacrifice that was the focus of Christ’s life and death.
I agree. Anyone who has really experienced God’s love should realize that power and money are not that important. I wonder if many of the politicians who claim to be Christian have had this kind of experience with God?