Jerry Falwell Catholics

What is this? The new Jerry Falwell of Catholicism?

“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.”

[...]

“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.

[...]

“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.” ”

Like WTF?  Imagine these same words issuing from a Muslim ... all of Christendom would be up in arms.  Come to think of it ... most conservatives and most definitely Christians are already up in arms whenever a Muslim spews just this kind of crap, where those who oppose them are considered instruments of Satan. 

Conservative Catholics used to rage at the Christian evangelical fringe for just this kind of stuff ... sure, it makes for good red meat when talking to hardcore "Christians" ... but in the process you isolate yourself on an island that few Americans will join, including fiscal conservatives and all those sensible people in the middle who are common sense conservatives who don't see the world in terms of Satan versus the USA.

America is committing suicide through debt ... first and foremost; but the latest greatest GOP flavor is ranting about "Satan" in the same terms that Muslims do.

The DNC can't believe its good luck ... they're just winding up what is perhaps the worst 4 year term in decades, yet they are poised to retain power because the latest GOP darling is talking Satan.

Frankly, even Satan can't believe his good luck.



Update: In response to Rush

Yes Rush, Santorum sounds as loony as Chavez and Alinsky when he makes statements like he did. But, there is something deeply disturbing about Santorum's comments.

He seems to suggest that Satan has targeted "America" in general ... that America holds some sort of special place in God's eyes that Satan would single her out.

That notion ... this sort of "nationalistic Christianity" is dangerous talk ... it's the thinking of Old World Catholics and "non-bible believing" Christians.

Jesus and all writings of the New Testament made it clear that Christianity is a doctrine of the individual ... a doctrine that concerns itself with saving "individual" souls and has nothing ... not one bloody thing to do with state institutions.

Jesus was a "fisher of men", not nations; and he came to establish his "Kingdom of Heaven" which exists in individual hearts.  Furthermore, the Kingdom of Heaven has even little to do with "church" institutions because the theology of the New Testament is the theology of personal faith and redemption ... not corporatism or salvation of the collective.  Churches were institutions of support, of learning and teaching, but salvation was offered to individuals and never to the church as an institutions.  Such notions are constructs of the Holy Roman Empire, and were designed to foment political power as much as anything.

As such, Santorum not only steps well outside the bounds of presidential behavior; but puts himself into a sort of Holy Roman Empire mindset where the very institutions of government and church are somehow ordained by god and therefore a target of Satan.

Jesus ... and all the Saints of the New Testament would cringe.