Two leading figures in the Republican Party, who also happen to be converts to the Catholic faith, are making headlines with their comments on the secularization of US society. Bobby Jindal, the Governor of Louisiana and Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker who is contemplating a 2012 presidential bid—are both seen as powerful voices in the current debates over faith, politics and the future of America.
In a profile appearing in the Sunday edition of the New York Times, Gingrich is portrayed as a pundit eager to inject faith into his frequent appearances at conservative venues. Having recently produced, along with his wife Callista, a documentary film on Pope John Paul II’s role in the fall of Communism, Gingrich sees similarities between the Soviet attempts to separate Polish Catholics from the faith of their forefathers and modern efforts to strip US culture from its religious roots. In an address to an Ohio Right to Life banquet, he did not mince his words, saying:
“To a surprising degree, we are in a situation similar to Poland’s in 1979. In America, religious belief is being challenged by a cultural elite trying to create a secularized America, in which God is driven out of public life.”
Bobby Jindal echoed a similar theme in an interview with Christianity Today. However, he said fighting the forces of secularism is ultimately the responsibility of families.
“There are ways the government can create a more receptive environment in the public square. We can make sure our kids are educated in the foundations of Western civilization. But the primary responsibility shouldn't be on our government's shoulders, but on our shoulders as parents and Christians to make sure we're teaching our children foundational values."
Concern over the spread of secularism is nothing new. That leading voices are speaking this forcefully, and gaining traction, can only assist in efforts to restore sacrosanct teachings on human life and the dignity of marriage.
--David Naglieri
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