This is in response to an increasing number of Evangelical endorsements of Newt Gingrich.
The Failure of Rev. Dr. Bill Monroe, Florence, South Carolina Fails to Defend His Christian Faith's Moral Standards Against Newt's Sexual History of Repeated Sexual Indiscretions Is a Serious Denial of Fundamentalist Beliefs
South Carolina is home to 2,100 Southern Baptist Churches with 670,000 members. It has apparently lost its authority and hold on itself to the moral high ground.
The moral high ground (Character Counts) has been abandoned by one of the state's most well-known T.V. minister and denominational leader, Pastor Bill Monroe. Why?
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More and more Baptists/Evangelicals/Pentecostals are slipping out of the yoke of rigid fundamentalism and going for a new polity, a religion driven and based on a Marketplace, economic model, abandoning the prior commitment to the sterling principles found in the Holy Bible.
The Evidence of Change (God Hopping) is Everywhere
Their new churches look and act like humongous country clubs with clergy who aspire to become media celebrities. Many newly-erected buildings are festooned with boutique names to hide their actual doctrines and denominational affiliations. Now, more and more, these formerly Fundamentalist congregations are simply formed as non-denominational, inter-denominational, or free form.
Mega Churches are choreographed with hi-tech congregational karaoke-style singing "praise songs and choruses" steeped in adoration and praise, filled with scant theological content, infused with high calorie emotionalism and passion. Intimacy with Jesus, confession of personal failure, an outpouring of neediness, and a plaintive cries for comfort are palpable. It's a tough world out there!
Mega Churches play a role as platforms/stages for commercialism, business networking, hard-driving Entrepreneurs and MLM recruiters.
Millions of dollars of books, tapes, DVD's and other paraphernalia are hawked in the vestibules. Some churches publish a Christian Directory to their members to keep the flow of business inside the flock.
Attending church represents a ripe business opportunity!
So in Low Country a gigantic shift has eroded away the standards and faith of the forefathers of faith there. Doubtless, the rough ride taken having endorsed and backed "Cowboy Christian" G.W. Bush took much of the shine off the concept of Christian-in-chief once enthusiastically ascribed to W.
Foggy denial is a perfect place to hide from the momentous and terrible carnage and human suffering laid at the feet of a "war of choice" George W. Bush-the man who claimed God's blessing and guidance in his political debacles and warmongering.
The tragic consequences of the Bush failures and willful mayhem lie openly at the feet of South Carolinians who were the first block of "values voters" to propel Bush into the 2000 Presidential Race.
The "values voters" egregious mistake: Putting their full "righteous" faith and confidence behind George W. Bush, knowing his weaknesses, alcoholism, drug use, insincerity, intoxicated debauchery and loose/wild-living prior to his pronouncement of personal "salvation" succeeded in suckering many.
A good salvation/redemption story is always a big hit, especially if it is coupled with a celebrity. The mantra became, "He's 'born-again'- now he's one of us."
Christian South Carolinians this presidential primary season "seem more pragmatic about choosing a candidate than they have before." They are making an adjustment. TODAY, BEING 'BORN-AGAIN' TAKES BACK SEAT TO 'ELECTABLE.'
Beat Obama is more sacred than beat the Devil: Politics trumps "born again" salvation as the highest value.
They want a candidate who "will be best suited to defeat President Obama, fix the economy and promote Republican values according to interviews with dozens of voters, analysts , elected officials and religious leaders" interviewed and reported by Serge F. Kovaleski of the New York Times. 1.18.12.
Perhaps it is beginning to dawn on South Carolina; the impact their humongous mistake in endorsing G.W. Bush. Failure to carefully examine W morally and politically; Evangelicals thereby dismissed certain attributes and flaws that would have otherwise have been clear red flags for them as to the flawed quality of Bush's leadership abilities and his weak intellectual acumen. America and the whole world have paid an incalculable price for their omission!
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The use of the "born again" miracle, as a prime reason for a political endorsement, seems not to factor as much in their rush to embrace the sexually addicted Newt Gingrich here in 2012.
Some Fundamentalists seem to have chosen to accept the mode of redemption that Newt has adapted for his moral scrub-up.
Does Newt's use of the Roman Catholic system of long and expensive, legalized annulment(s) to enter the realm of the "redeemed" strike on authentic note with them? Newt's sins are now only "past history?" Newt's Catholic conversion, as described, is definitely not the Evangelical/Baptist equivalent of being "born again."
However, the compromise which "evangelicals" such as Dr. Bill Monroe have made by endorsing Newt, compounds their earlier compromised stance to overlook or ignore the glaring character flaws of W. Such sell-outs have now greased the rails, lowering the standards, to admit Gingrich to the place of religious acceptance and approval by "values voters" portends a tragic future and a nasty national election campaign and beyond. This process is taking a mighty toll on Fundamentalists' historic allegiance to the Bible and high moral standards.
"The Marketplace" has encroached upon the House of God and made it into a neo-pagan temple of commerce and politics.
The power and authority of the Ten Commandments has been abandoned - Commandment Number 7: Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.
Newt Gingrich's fancy footwork mitigating his sexual addictions and divorces has been brought to the forefront. Southern Baptists in the Evangelical block, e.g. 60% of South Carolina's GOP primary voters are Fundamentalist Christians. Voting for Gingrich in large numbers, they have abandoned truth and biblical principles based on literal truth found in the Bible. This is a serious lapse, a tell-tail indicator of coming problems for the denomination and "values" movement impacting its moral authority going forward.
Most "frequent church attendees" are apparently woefully ignorant of the basics of the Southern Baptist trademark: literal interpretation of the Ten Commandments and Scripture. Charge this up to the shift of its pastors and leadership, who have become more interested in single issues and winning at politics than doing the gospel work of encouraging and securing confessions of faith and teaching the unchanging Biblical laws for human behavior via helping people become "born again."
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How did the South Carolina Baptist leader Rev. Dr. Bill Monroe defend his endorsement for Gingrich?
1.) Pastor Monroe states "after meeting with Newt Gingrich, I believe he not only holds conservative values, but HE WILL FIGHT for them. His broad knowledge and experience in both foreign and domestic affairs give him a distinct edge over other conservatives and HE IS FAR AND AWAY THE BEST DEBATER which will be a critical factor in the upcoming Presidential debates. While I like Gov. Perry and Rick Santorum's conservative views, I BELIEVE NEWT GINGRICH IS THE ONLY CONSERVATIVE WHO CAN WIN. I WANT TO GIVE HIM MY UNQUALIFIED ENDORSEMENT." (emphasis added)
-- PRESS RELEASE from: Newt 2012, 1.18.12
2.) "Though Monroe has endorsed Newt Gingrich in the Republican presidential primary, he says the endorsement is personal and individual and does not represent an endorsement by his church as a whole."
-- WBTW News13
Original.
Disclaimer: This is in response to a number of recent evangelical endorsements of Newt Gingrich, and not meant to be an attack on Evangelicals or infringe on the right of any American to freely practice their own faith.
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