Gingrich was mum in Texas Sunday on his own controversial past. | AP Photo Newt talks faith at Texas church

SAN ANTONIO — Newt Gingrich stood before thousands of evangelical churchgoers Sunday night to deliver a dire warning that nation's Christian roots are under attack.

"I have two grandchildren — Maggie is 11, Robert is 9," Gingrich said at Cornerstone Church here. "I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."


The former House Speaker held up his own faith (he converted to Catholicism two years ago) as proof of his undying patriotism. He lashed out at the college professors and mainstream media he says are seeking to wipe out the Founding Father's Christian values. And he targeted the judges who he charges are effectively re-writing the Constitution.

But Gingrich was mum on his own controversial past, one of martial indiscretions and divorces that have made courting religious conservatives a tall task as he nears a likely presidential run. Over the last year, through religious news outlets, Gingrich has sought to explain and seek forgives for those infidelities. Standing on the dais of Cornerstone Church, a prominent evangelical congregation led by the pastor John Hagee, Gingrich avoided the subject. Just hours earlier, Gingrich had insisted on Fox News that leading the impeachment charge against Bill Clinton while in an affair himself did not amount to hypocrisy.

"I'm really here as a historian," he said in opening his remarks Sunday night. "I'm not preacher. I'm not a theologian."

The evening worship was a boisterous celebration of American patriotism. A 100-person choir sang "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" between hymns. The church's orchestra struck up the anthem for each of the five military branches and a loud cheer went up for veterans and active duty members who stood up during their song.

Gingrich said he hadn't intended to fight another political battle, and was looking forward to relaxing in private life after leaving public office. But in 2002, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the phrase "under God" in the pledge of allegiance was unconstitutional (the ruling was later overturned).

"I had been watching the courts grow steadily more secular and steadily more anti-religious starting with the 1963 school prayer decision," he said. "But for some reason this particular decision struck me as so blindingly stupid, so profoundly un-American."

Gingrich has turned to religion with missionary zeal in recent years, producing two documentaries and a book. He launched nonprofit organization whose goal is to "preserve America's Judeo-Christian heritage," and filled its board with evangelical leaders. Renewing American Leadership's political arm recently raised thousands of dollars to help fund a successful campaign that denied retention three Iowa Supreme Court justices who struck down a ban against same-sex marriage in the state.

"Bravery will come from our churches, our synagogues, everyday folks," Gingrich said. "It won't come from the elites. It won't [come from] those currently in power because if it could have come from them, it would have."

As congregants streamed out of the church, a number spoke approvingly of Gingrich's proposal to mandate the teaching of the Declaration of Independence to elementary school children and insisting that immigrants learn more American history.

"If we don't have someone who knows his history, we're doomed," said Mike Goodlett, a regular churchgoer.

Bob Conant, who came to Cornerstone for the first time to see Gingrich, called the speech "very uplifting."

"I was really impressed with his sincere faith," he said. "He didn't brag, but you can tell he's a man of God."

This article tagged under: 2012

Newt Gingrich

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