The Intellectual Origins of Ronald Reagan's Faith

Heritage Foundation ^ | 4/30/04 | Paul Kengor, Ph.D.

[wagglebee]

Reagan foresaw Marxism's fate as no better than the ash-heap of history.

And while the intellectual influences on Reagan's faith and worldview were many, that unique cause and confidence was his own, from which he would not be deterred.

God Bless You President Reagan

[DoughtyOne]

California Freepers

Please check this thread out regarding participation in memorial activities related to the passing of President Reagan.

Thank you. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1148315/posts

[gilliam]

With all due respect, Ronald Reagan's faith came from his gut, not his head.

[wagglebee]

I absolutely agree, but I still thought this article had some great information.

[gilliam]

yes it does. A lot of nice things being said today, it is a good day to remember....

[wagglebee]

This is the first day in a long time when I haven't really been terribly concerned about all the terrible things the left is up to.

[gilliam]

good idea

[risk]

Thanks for the post! There's a lot to learn here. It led me to post this NR review of Whittaker Chambers' Witnes.

[KangarooJacqui]

Tearful ping...

[sasportas]

Thanks so much for posting this. I have learned much, I have learned what made Reagan tick. It has moved me deeply. Chambers and Reagan's faith, especially Reagan's POSITIVE faith that he was helping to render Communism to the trash heap of history, Ladies and Gentlemen, contributed mightily in bringing down the "mountain: of Communism.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be cast into the depths of the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things he saith shall come to pass; he shall have them.
Mark 11:22, 23

[Moonman62]

An informative post. Thanks.

[djreece]

marking

[knarf]

bump

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks to Adam Az, we have documentation of how the Soviet's Comrade al Querry tried to derail President Reagan rebuilding of our military after Comrade Himmey Carter.

Go to the link before for documentation from Comrade al Querry himself as he tried to gut President Reagan's rebuilding of our military.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1148513/posts

[risk]

A related NewsMax series: Kerry on the Record: Bashing Reagan, at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/3/12/192323.shtml

Blogger Citzen Smash has a summary of some of the quotes and cutbacks with hyper links to descriptions of the weapons here

AH-64 Helicopters, Tomahawk Missiles, the Aegis Air-Defense Cruiser, the Patriot Air Defense Missile, and most of the other systems al Query wanted to cancel have played important roles recently in our handling of the Axis of Evil.

Imagine having to face down Kim Jung Il without the Aegis system? Ask the Japanese how they would feel about our alliance if we didn't have either an airborne or ship-based missile defense system to help them now.

Imagine the Iraq war with Cobra attack helicopters instead of our modern AH-64?

Kerry wanted to hold our power back, and Reagan encouraged us to stay ahead. That's why the French and the Chinese are nervous. That's one reason why the Islamic world hates us.

And that's why we're not only free, but thriving.

[VOA]

bump

[VOA]

I heard an hour-long interview with Kangore on this topic.
I just laugh when I hear liberals try to lay that "amiable idiot" crap on Reagan.

[lavrenti]

Bertrand de Jouvenal was a big influence on Reagan, and I assume he read Richard Weaver as well. Much of Weaver is imprinted in some of RR's themes

Chambers was a brilliant writer--Ghosts on the Roof, his collection of essays is a good companion to Witness.

[wagglebee]

If I'm not mistaken every Republican president in the last century has been portrayed by the leftist elites as an intellectual lightweight who is bound to be outwitted at every turn; I think the president who got the most intellectual recognition from the elites was Bush 41 (but then again he basically folded everytime the Democrats forced his hand). The irony is the last time a Democratic president every had a real foreign policy victory was FDR and Truman in WW II, on the domestic side everything they've tried has been a disaster.

When Reagan took office, inflation was at 12.5% it dropped to 4.4%, interest rates were 9% and fell to 7%, unemployment was over 7% and fell to 5.5%, and after tax personal income (after adjusting for inflation) rose over 16%, the Dow was under 1000 and look where it is today. There is no way a "dunce" could pull this off, and we still enjoy the benefits of "Reaganomics today (inspite of the lefts efforts to derail it). And no "B movie" actor" would have the ability to stare down communism and prove to the left that it was a worthless sham. If we live long enough to have a leader of Reagan's stature we will be truly blessed.

[VOA]

thanks for the names of the writers...I'll save them for future reading...