Role Did Christianity Play In Ronald Reagan's Conception Of Freedom
Chelsia Allison
God and Ronald Reagan paper
April 27, 2013
What role did Christianity play in Reagan’s conception of freedom?
Ronald Reagan was a man that lived out his faith in every aspect of his life. It’s not that he lived his life just to be “good,” but Reagan lived his life as a light for Christ. This is exactly what he wanted for America as well. The US was to be a “shining city on a hill,” as he quoted from scripture quite frequently during his presidency. (91) Reagan felt strongly that this country was chosen for a distinct purpose, and that our forefathers established that purpose. “We’ve come a long way since those first settlers reached these shores, asking nothing more than the freedom to worship God. They asked that He would work in our daily lives, so America would be a land of fairness, morality, justice, and compassion.” (90) Reagan saw this country just as those original settlers saw it- as a …show more content…
Marx was a utopian and wanted a classless society. He believed that with such a society crime would disappear, the span of life would increase and life would be generally better. Marx called this a “leap from slavery into freedom” (61). This type of “utopian government system” may have been okay by itself. Unfortunately, Marx saw religion as “the opiate of the masses.” The Soviets wanted complete freedom from religion, and in doing so, it resulted a take-over from the state. Reagan saw this and wanted quite the opposite for the Soviets and for America. He claimed that this war was a simple and old quarrel. It was a “struggle between those of us who believe that man has the dignity and sacred right and the ability to choose and shape his own destiny and those who do not so believe.” Also, he believed the main difference in these two countries, worlds apart in beliefs, was those who “believe in the sanctity of individual freedom and those who believe in the supremacy of the state”
God and Ronald Reagan paper
April 27, 2013
What role did Christianity play in Reagan’s conception of freedom?
Ronald Reagan was a man that lived out his faith in every aspect of his life. It’s not that he lived his life just to be “good,” but Reagan lived his life as a light for Christ. This is exactly what he wanted for America as well. The US was to be a “shining city on a hill,” as he quoted from scripture quite frequently during his presidency. (91) Reagan felt strongly that this country was chosen for a distinct purpose, and that our forefathers established that purpose. “We’ve come a long way since those first settlers reached these shores, asking nothing more than the freedom to worship God. They asked that He would work in our daily lives, so America would be a land of fairness, morality, justice, and compassion.” (90) Reagan saw this country just as those original settlers saw it- as a …show more content…
Marx was a utopian and wanted a classless society. He believed that with such a society crime would disappear, the span of life would increase and life would be generally better. Marx called this a “leap from slavery into freedom” (61). This type of “utopian government system” may have been okay by itself. Unfortunately, Marx saw religion as “the opiate of the masses.” The Soviets wanted complete freedom from religion, and in doing so, it resulted a take-over from the state. Reagan saw this and wanted quite the opposite for the Soviets and for America. He claimed that this war was a simple and old quarrel. It was a “struggle between those of us who believe that man has the dignity and sacred right and the ability to choose and shape his own destiny and those who do not so believe.” Also, he believed the main difference in these two countries, worlds apart in beliefs, was those who “believe in the sanctity of individual freedom and those who believe in the supremacy of the state”