Text of Ron Reagan Jr.'s Remarks at Father's Burial Service

AP ^ | june11, 2004

[ambrose]

As I said... arrogant.

[ambrose]

Seems truth hurts. Reagan didn't wear his religion on his sleeve.

[NCPAC]

Patti's eulogy was very good. Michael's was nice and obviously heartfelt, if not a bit arrogant and boorish. Ron, however, smoked both of them. He nailed it on every level.

[Al Simmons]

'As I said... arrogant.'

As I said...Saved.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Saviour? Would you like to know how you can invite him into your heart?

[alnick]

Mike Reagan turned me off with his "I'm going to heaven" line. Arrogant. Only God decides who goes to Heaven.

No, that's not true at all. Christians know they're going to Heaven.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish and have everlasting life."

[ambrose]

My beliefs are my own. On religion, I am like President Reagan. I don't wear my religion on my sleeve, and don't pound bibles on the table.

[Reagan79]

It should not turn you off it is standard Protestant Doctrine. Evangelical Protestants believe you can have an assurance of salvation.

[ambrose]

No, just one particular sect of Christianity believes you can say "Jesus, Amen!" and then are "saved" no matter what you do.

[sinkspur]

I don't see anything wrong with this statement.

I don't either.

[jbstrick]

Guys. Let this go. Who cares what we think he meant by these comments. It is RR's son at his fathers funeral.

I am willing to give him a little slack. Let's choose our battles wisely here.

[whadizit]

Michael ADORED his Dad and spoke openly about it all the time. Having been adopted, he, naturally, was more appreciative and felt he had to try harder.

[PokeyJoe]

Amen. Pass me a beer please.

[whadizit]

"Let's choose our battles wisely here."

Bravo!!

[kms61]

I guess you didn't notice his wife, to whom he's been married 20+ years, standing next to him.

Cut the guy some slack. He just buried his father.

[keithtoo]

You can have assurance of salvation. You can't earn it, it is a gift.

[Dolphy]

I said this on the live thread, but all of my left leaning friends talk about Bush and his supposed belief that he has been specifically called by God and has designed his foreign policy accordingly. I have had endless debates with my friends on this topic and as a result immediately recognized what was being said tonight by a son who has rejected all of his father's politics.

[ontos-on]

That jab is quite ugly. VERY unseemly!!!

Chris Matthews knew of this in advance, set it up for everyone to pay attention to Ron, then zeroed in on this line as a sharp rebuke of GWBush, that Bush will have to answer. Chris M and Howard F have been moaning fo rhteir piece, then .....how well do you like GW bush\\\\This seems the key... Matthews trying to get his mother to go .

[Old Professer]

Golden fields will spread beneath a blue dome of a western sky. Live oaks will shadow the rolling hillsides. And someplace, flowing from years long past, a river will wind toward the sea.

This is marvelously evocative, it warms the heart of a word-artist.

[SuzanneC]

"Humble as he was, he never would have assumed a free pass to heaven" ......that is a line used by unbelievers to slam evangelical Christians who believe in God's promise.

[NYCVirago]

Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage. True, after he was shot and nearly killed early in his presidency, he came to believe that God had spared him in order that he might do good. But he accepted that as a responsibility, not a mandate. And there is a profound difference.

The first part of this could apply to a lot of politicians, including Clinton. The second part was definitely designed as a slam at W.