Santorum: Satan has taken over America (2008 speech)

[All Along The Watchtower]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

and:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/rick-santorum-thinks-satan-has-taken-over-america/

The speech itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4jopm7hYFk

Yeah, Santorum is totally mainstream and electable.

[Person Man]

He sounds more like an Islamist politician from Iran than a Republican politician from Pennsylvania.

[Torie]

Invoking Satan is just so old school. God may not be dead, but Hell is.

The "demonization" of academia (what a particular appropriate word in this context; thanks Rick ),  sometimes reaching near pathological levels, is a particularly unattractive tendency in a far too large segment of my party. It embarrasses me.

I don't get the transition from mainline Protestantism is in shambles, so "they" attacked the [Catholic] Church. What is that about Rick? Are you saying Rick that mainline Protestantism was already dead, so the "Satanic" "they" then moved on to finish off that branch of Christianity which was still alive, to wit, the Catholic Church?  

[All Along The Watchtower]

I don't get the transition from mainline Protestantism is in shambles, so "they" attacked the [Catholic] Church. What is that about Rick? Are you saying Rick that mainline Protestantism was already dead, so the "Satanic" "they" then moved on to finish that branch of Christianity which was still alive, to wit, the Catholic Church?  

Given that I am a mainline Protestant, that was a particularly obnoxious remark to me. Apparently, in the 21st century, you have to have Medieval views in order to remain incorruptible as a Christian. According to Rick, anyway....

[Likely Voter]

So in summary he is saying:
Devout Catholics & Evangelicals = Good Christians
Everyone else = spawn of Satan

Nice

[All Along The Watchtower]

Santorum attacked a Republican-voting demographic:

http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/How-the-Faithful-Voted.aspx

Non-evangelical Protestant: 55-44 McCain.

You can't make this up.

[All Along The Watchtower]

So in summary he is saying:
Far-Right-Wing Catholics & Evangelicals = Good Christians
Everyone else = spawn of Satan

Nice

Fixed for accuracy.

[ajb]

If Santorum is the nominee, he'll have to spend a great deal of time this fall talking about why contraception is sinful, why homosexuality is equivalent to bestiality, and why the Episcopalian Church is a minion of Satan.
Personally, I think that could be kind of entertaining. But Republicans should be sure that that's what they really want.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_02/santorum_to_mainline_protestan035489.php

Not surprising.

[Simfan34]

"Santorum to Mainline Protestants: You Are Satan’s Spawn"

He said nothing of the sort. He really said "secularism in mainline churches is rising", and while that's the pot calling the kettle black, it is wholly non-offensive.

[ajb]

"Santorum to Mainline Protestants: You Are Satan’s Spawn"

He said nothing of the sort. He really said "secularism in mainline churches is rising", and while that's the pot calling the kettle black, it is wholly non-offensive.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/santorum-satan-systematically-destroying-america

"He [the Father of Lies] was successful. He attacks all of us and he attacks all of our institutions. The place where he was, in my mind, the most successful and first successful was in academia. He understood pride of smart people. He attacked them at their weakest, that they were, in fact, smarter than everybody else and could come up with something new and different. Pursue new truths, deny the existence of truth, play with it because they're smart. And so academia, a long time ago, fell.

And you say "what could be the impact of academia falling?" Well, I would have the argument that the other structures that I'm going to talk about here had root of their destruction because of academia. Because what academia does is educate the elites in our society, educates the leaders in our society, particularly at the college level. And they were the first to fall.

And so what we saw this domino effect, once the colleges fell and those who were being education in our institutions, the next was the church. Now you’d say, ‘wait, the Catholic Church’? No. We all know that this country was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic but the Judeo-Christian ethic was a Protestant Judeo-Christian ethic, sure the Catholics had some influence, but this was a Protestant country and the Protestant ethic, mainstream, mainline Protestantism, and of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it. So they attacked mainline Protestantism, they attacked the Church, and what better way to go after smart people who also believe they’re pious to use both vanity and pride to also go after the Church."

[Torie]

The most damaging part of Rick's comments to Ava Maria University (which explains a lot - Rick just let it all hang out to an audience attending a school founded to foster old school Catholicism due to the secularization of academia in general of the type to which Rick subscribes ), is that mainline Protestantism is "gone from the world of Christianity."  So while some may think the LDS is not Christian, apparently Rick does not consider mainline Protestantism "Christian."  Christianity is becoming an ever more elite club.

If that sound bite gets out there on the Fruited Plain in a major way, Rick will have some more "walking it back" to do, presumably saying well I didn't mean the adherents, but just its leaders, which I doubt will solve the problem for him, since essentially he is telling mainline Protestants that their pastors and ministers have abandoned Christianity, and have become something on the order of Godless secularists in false costume.

Of course, Rick probably said all of this before he gave serious consideration to running for POTUS. This in short is the real Rick Santorum,, before he began, albeit ineptly, to start self censoring himself.

The list of folks Santorum thinks are bad for America grows ever longer.

[Wisconsin+17]

Well, if you look at where the episcopalians are going and where the UMC is going and where the ELCA is going - how could you draw a different conclusion from Santorum?

I'm an ex-evangelical myself, and this talk is nothing strange. I left because of concerns that my denomination would carry down the exact same path, and it's already started to do the same. Left and sided with the whore of Babylon.

As for not appealing to evangelicals - this will solidify them, especially in the south (Baptists especially), who see things exactly the same way as Santorum. Same with the folks who are the conservatives in their respective denominations, particularly the lutherans.

The folks whom he's aiming at front and centre are the folks who have felt particularly dispossessed even by their own church. Instead of Rick saying - you folks don't matter - this is a direct shout out to them.

[ajb]

Well, if you look at where the episcopalians are going and where the UMC is going and where the ELCA is going - how could you draw a different conclusion from Santorum?

I'm an ex-evangelical myself, and this talk is nothing strange. I left because of concerns that my denomination would carry down the exact same path, and it's already started to do the same. Left and sided with the whore of Babylon.

As for not appealing to evangelicals - this will solidify them, especially in the south (Baptists especially), who see things exactly the same way as Santorum. Same with the folks who are the conservatives in their respective denominations, particularly the lutherans.

The folks whom he's aiming at front and centre are the folks who have felt particularly dispossessed even by their own church. Instead of Rick saying - you folks don't matter - this is a direct shout out to them.

All of this makes perfect sense as a strategy in a Republican primary. But he'll have to talk about this stuff in a general election if he's the candidate.

The real problem in that context, I think, is the arrogance and presumptuousness, the claim that he knows what makes someone a real Christian, and that ordinary Americans aren't smart enough to figure it out for themselves.

[Politico]

The Soviets infiltrated many American institutions, spreading their ideology in the process, but it's not something you can openly talk about when you are running for president. And it has nothing to do with God/Satan, really.

[LastVoter]

Well, if you look at where the episcopalians are going and where the UMC is going and where the ELCA is going - how could you draw a different conclusion from Santorum?

I'm an ex-evangelical myself, and this talk is nothing strange. I left because of concerns that my denomination would carry down the exact same path, and it's already started to do the same. Left and sided with the whore of Babylon.

As for not appealing to evangelicals - this will solidify them, especially in the south (Baptists especially), who see things exactly the same way as Santorum. Same with the folks who are the conservatives in their respective denominations, particularly the lutherans.

The folks whom he's aiming at front and centre are the folks who have felt particularly dispossessed even by their own church. Instead of Rick saying - you folks don't matter - this is a direct shout out to them.

So let me guess... you are a Rastafarian now?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He sounds more like an Islamist politician from Iran than a Republican politician from Pennsylvania.

Well, those two sound a lot more like each other than say an atheist scientist in San Francisco.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

http://drudgereport.com/flash3s.htm

SANTORUM'S SATAN WARNING
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:27:20 ET


"Satan has his sights on the United States of America!" Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has declared.

"Satan is attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity, and sensuality as the root to attack all of the strong plants that has so deeply rooted in the American tradition."

MORE

The former senator from Pennsylvania warned in 2008 how politics and government are falling to Satan.

"This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?"

"He attacks all of us and he attacks all of our institutions."

Santorum made the provocative comments to students at Ave Maria University in Florida.

MORE

The White House contender described how Satan is even taking hold of some religions.

"We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it."

Developing...

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

if he said these things from the pulpit (giving a speech in front of a church or a Christian school), then I have no problem with them.

but, if he said these things as a political statement, then he lacks common sense - we have seperation of church and state for a reason.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I'm not sure why this is something that needed to be said as if it were a new phenomenon. This is manifestly true at all points in history anyway if one shares the basics of Santorum's religious beliefs (which--remember I'm saying 'basics'--I do) and completely irrelevant to any conceivable political issue if one doesn't. It's actually pretty irrelevant to many political issues even if one does believe that it's true.

So, no reason why he should be talking like this on even religious grounds, to say nothing of political ones.

I still like him better than Romney.

[minionofmidas]

Drat, I've been found out.

[The Mikado]

[Eraserhead]

Religious Nut #1 and Religious Nut #2. It's your choice, Republicans.

At least Romney saves his religious hanky-panky for "quiet rooms" though, I guess.

[7,052,770]

All media references to Santorum's "Catholicism" should include a disclaimer of how far out of the mainstream he is.