--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When, in 2012, Newt Gingrich was asked…" description: "\"“When, in 2012, Newt Gingrich was asked about how his religious beliefs would affect his conduct should he become president, the Republican nominee hop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/candida-moss-97177_christianity_when-in-2012-newt-gingrich-was-asked-abo_1428731.jpg" --- # When, in 2012, Newt Gingrich was asked about how his… ![“When, in 2012, Newt Gingrich was asked about how his religious beliefs would affect his conduct should he become president, the Republican nominee hopeful answered, "One of the reasons I am running is there has been an increasingly aggressive war against religion and in particular against…” quote by Candida Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/candida-moss-97177_christianity_when-in-2012-newt-gingrich-was-asked-abo_1428731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/candida-moss-97177_christianity_when-in-2012-newt-gingrich-was-asked-abo_1428731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/candida-moss-97177_christianity_when-in-2012-newt-gingrich-was-asked-abo_1428731.jpg) > ““When, in 2012, Newt Gingrich was asked about how his religious beliefs would affect his conduct should he become president, the Republican nominee hopeful answered, "One of the reasons I am running is there has been an increasingly aggressive war against religion and in particular against Christianity" in the United States. For a potential president to state that he sees himself as a wartime candidate who will defend his party against other citizens is astonishing. There is not even a pretense here of "united states".”” [Candida Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candida-moss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A political candidate frames his campaign as a defense of Christianity against perceived attacks, portraying himself as a wartime defender of faith. **In simple terms:** He claims to fight against aggression toward Christianity. Key Takeaway Recognize political rhetoric that mixes religion with conflict. Themes politics religion conflict campaign rhetoric identity Mood contentious defensive ideological Type Christianity:1 Faith:1 Martyrdom:0 Newt gingrich:1 President:0 Religion:1 Religious beliefs:1 Republican:0 War:1 Republican Nominee:0 Gingrich Asked:0 Candidate Defend:0 Potential President:0 When to use this quote - political speeches - campaign rallies - media interviews - public debates Key Concepts faith political identity war metaphor religious freedom Questions to Reflect On - How does framing politics as religious war affect public discourse? - Can faith be a unifying rather than divisive force? A Different Perspective The claim may oversimplify complex social issues and alienate pluralistic audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Candidate Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-defend-5081649/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Gingrich Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gingrich-asked-5081648/) [Martyrdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyrdom/) [Newt gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newt-gingrich/) [Potential President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potential-president-5081650/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-beliefs/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republican Nominee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican-nominee-288706/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [If you want a candidate to defend life and marriage and religious liberty and the Second Amendment and to appoint strong constitutionalists to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/if-you-want-a-candidate-to-defend-life-and-marriage-and-religious/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“The myth of Christian martyrdom and persecution needs to be corrected, because it has left us with a dangerous legacy that poisons the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candida-moss/the-myth-of-christian-martyrdom-and-persecution-needs-to-be-corrected/) [Candida Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candida-moss/) > [I will support the Republican nominee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/i-will-support-the-republican-nominee/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [I've always been pro-life from conception to natural death. 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Nixon:\] The Republican nominee would be far worse than another Eisenhower - he is Tricky Dicky of the first magnitude. His… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-rawalt/on-richard-m-nixon-the-republican-nominee-would-be-far-worse-than/) [Marguerite Rawalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-rawalt/) > [There is no doubt in my view that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldo-rivera/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-view-that-donald-trump-will-be-the-republican/) [Geraldo Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldo-rivera/) > [Donald Trump's numbers are historically low for a Republican nominee with women. Historically low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/donald-trump-s-numbers-are-historically-low-for-a-republican-nominee/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [I'm honored to be the Republican nominee for Texas' 13th Congressional District and I'm excited to get to work for the people of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-m-honored-to-be-the-republican-nominee-for-texas-13th-congressional/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [I think Donald Trump is now kind of in love with the idea of becoming president of the United States. I think he truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/i-think-donald-trump-is-now-kind-of-in-love-with-the-idea-of-becoming/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [As the Republican nominee, it was Romney's job to find a way to speak to some of those groups of voters and offer practical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/as-the-republican-nominee-it-was-romney-s-job-to-find-a-way-to-speak/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [ I'll support Donald \[Trump\] if he's the Republican nominee. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-ll-support-donald-trump-if-he-s-the-republican-nominee/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our post-denominational age should be the perfect time for a Mormon to become president, or at least the Republican nominee. Mormons share nearly all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/our-post-denominational-age-should-be-the-perfect-time-for-a-mormon/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Interestingly enough, if you search Twitter, you'd see I have been saying this for 3-plus years now. I cannot believe we are now in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-teigen/interestingly-enough-if-you-search-twitter-you-d-see-i-have-been/) [Chrissy Teigen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-teigen/) ## More by Candida Moss > [“The myth of Christian martyrdom and persecution needs to be corrected, because it has left us with a dangerous legacy that poisons the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candida-moss/the-myth-of-christian-martyrdom-and-persecution-needs-to-be-corrected/) [Candida Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candida-moss/) [Explore all 2 Candida Moss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candida-moss/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. 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