Reagan Was Right, ACU Wrong: Atheism Is Enemy of America

Townhall.com ^ | March 5, 2014 | Terry Jeffrey

[Kaslin]

Are atheism and promoting atheism consistent with American -- let alone conservative -- values and principles?

The operational policy of the American Conservative Union now appears to contradict Ronald Reagan's view on this.

Reagan believed atheism was not merely wrong, but the enemy of freedom. The ACU has functionally adopted the position that groups promoting atheism can be featured at its annual Conservative Political Action Conference -- so long as they promote godlessness with civility.

In the same 1983 speech in which he declared the Soviet Union an "evil empire," Reagan unapologetically spelt out the "ideals and principles" that brought him into politics.

"The basis of those ideals and principles," said Reagan, "is a commitment to freedom and personal liberty, a commitment that itself is grounded in the much deeper realization: That freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are avidly sought and humbly acknowledged.

"The American experiment in democracy rests on this insight," Reagan said, "its discovery was the great triumph of our Founding Fathers voiced by William Penn: 'If we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.'"

CNN reported last week that American Atheists would be sponsoring a booth at this year's CPAC.

American Atheists' point of view is plainly discernable from its website, which features a recent press release applauding President Barack Obama.

"Obama's administration has recognized atheism as having a place at the table more than any previous administration," the group said. "There is still a lot of work to do, and we have a long way to go, but this is progress."

Explaining American Atheists involvement in CPAC, ACU Communications Director Meghan Snyder told CNN: "The folks we have been working with stand for many of the same liberty-oriented policies and principles we stand for."

In the same article, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins rebutted this contention.

"Does the American Conservative Union really think the liberties and values they seek to preserve can be maintained when they partner with individuals and organizations that are undermining the understanding that our liberties come from God?" said Perkins.

"If this is where the ACU is headed, they will have to pack up and put away the 'C' in CPAC," Perkins said.

Also in the same CNN article, American Atheists President David Silverman said: "The Christian right should be angry that we are going in to enlighten conservatives. The Christian right should be threatened by us."

By the end of the day, ACU had disinvited American Atheists -- not because it was promoting atheism but because of the way it attacked Christians.

"We spoke with Mr. Silverman about his divisive and inappropriate language," ACU Communications Director Snyder told Breitbart.com. "He pledged that he will attack the very idea that Christianity is an important element of conservatism. People of any faith tradition should not be attacked for their beliefs, especially at our conference. He has left us with no choice but to return his money."

William F. Buckley Jr., the founder of National Review, described atheism as the main enemy in his classic first book, "God and Man at Yale." "I myself believe the duel between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world," said Buckley. "I further believe that the struggle between individualism and collectivism is the same struggle reproduced on another level."

Whittaker Chambers, an early senior editor for National Review, expressed the same view in his own classic book, Witness.

Ronald Reagan, the greatest American political leader of the 20th century, often cited Chambers -- including at CPAC.

"The crisis of the Western world, Whittaker Chambers reminded us, exists to the degree in which it is indifferent to God," the newly elected president told the 1981CPAC. "'The Western world does not know it,' he said about our struggle, 'but it already possesses the answer to this problem -- but only provided that its faith in God and the freedom He enjoins is as great as communism's faith in man.'"

"This is the real task before us," Reagan told CPAC, "to reassert our commitment as a nation to a law higher than our own, to renew our spiritual strength."

Two years later, in his Evil Empire speech, Reagan declared: "We will never abandon our belief in God."

"A number of years ago, I heard a young father addressing a tremendous gathering in California," said Reagan. "It was during the time of the Cold War when communism and our own way of life were very much on people's minds. He was speaking to that subject.

"Suddenly," said Reagan, "I heard him saying, 'I love my little girls more than anything in the world, but I would rather see them,' and I thought--oh, no, not that. But I had underestimated him.

"He went on: 'I would rather see them die now, still believing in God, than have them grow up under communism and one day die no longer believing in God,'" Reagan continued.

"There were thousands of young people in that audience. They came to their feet with shouts of joy," Reagan said. "They recognized the profound truth in what he had said."

Now the ACU seems ready to welcome the right types of atheist groups to promote their godless vision to the young Americans attending CPAC.

[cripplecreek]

I don’t doubt there are atheist conservatives but I do doubt the motives of agenda atheists who need to proclaim their atheism.

[Jim Robinson]

This is not your father’s ACU. CPAC be damned.

[xzins]

Conservatism is incompatible with atheism.

Atheism is amoral and directionless.

Conservatism has morality, meaning, purpose, and direction....all from God.

[frogjerk]

Conservatism is incompatible with atheism.

Amen.

[Heartlander]

The US Constitution assumed all human rights were bestowed to us by our Creator through Natural Law . How would our Declaration of Independence look without our ‘Creator’?

We hold no truths to be self-evident, that all (men) are evolved based on chance, that they are endowed by a mindless chemical process from a mindless universal algorithm with uncertain inalienable illusions that among these are a delusion of life, and the pursuit of happenstance.

[Zionist Conspirator]

The most important thing about atheism isn't that it's the enemy of America or of conservatism, but that it's just plain WRONG.

[strider44]

Here’s your problem...a billion people would change one word of your statement and agree whole heartedly:

Take out conservatism and replace it with Islam.

“Islam has morality, meaning, purpose, and direction...all from god.”

I’m not a militant Atheist. But I recognize the futility of religious arguments. Christians KNOW they’re right. Unless you’re the wrong sort of Christian. Like a Catholic. Then a bunch of Protestants think you’re deluded. And a bunch of Catholics think the same thing about Protestants.

Muslims are so sure they’re right that they will cut your head off for being an infidel. If you’re Jewish it’s even worse. Oh, and let’s not get started about the Mormons.

See my point? It’s futile. Believe what you want, don’t push those beliefs on others. Mind your own business.

I realize many Atheists are obnoxious blowhards. So are many “devout” believers. For me, god has nothing to do with lower taxes, less government, 2nd amendment rights, etc. It’s just common sense.

[Dr. Thorne]

"This is a rebellious people,
Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
Get out of the way,
Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel
To cease from before us.”

Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel,
Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare." - Isaiah 30:9-14

[xzins]

Atheism lacks morality, meaning, purpose and direction because that is what it is about. It doesn’t lack it because I believe in God.

Atheism has no foundation that provides for those things. All are a matter of whim and circumstance.

[3boysdad]

Atheism is intellectually inferior to belief in God.

[secretsexposed89]

I would rather have atheists who support limited government than religious people who do not in politics. I do not know that I would want their viewpoint on religion promoted. However, one of the tenants of America is that one is free to believe and worship in whatever way one sees fit. So maybe a bit of a catch-22, but I would rather have them sharing conservative ideals as opposed to liberal ones.

[Slyfox]

Two years later, in his Evil Empire speech, Reagan declared: "We will never abandon our belief in God."

When Reagan spoke he did so as in "We the people" not as a tyrant like Obama.

We the people will never abandon our belief in God, no matter what entity presumes to speak for us.

[hawkaw]

Thank you for saying that and fully support it.

[strider44]

So are Atheists a greater threat than say...Muslims?

[xzins]

Yes, if the millions killed in the “political atheist movements” (communist, fascist) movements are any indication.

[ifinnegan]

“I realize many Atheists are obnoxious blowhards”.

The public crusader ones for sure, like the ones who want to be at CPAC.

Problem with atheists is they are naive and obtuse.

Put another, they are dumb and ignorant.

That’s OK, but the problem is that they see themselves in the exact opposite light, that they are intelligent and informed.

[re_nortex]

Conservatism is incompatible with atheism.

That is the truth, and along that line, permit me to quote from a report made to the Seventy-sixth Congress on January 3, 1939:

Americanism is based upon the recognition that the inherent and fundamental rights of man are derived from God and not from governments, dictators, kings or majorities. It is as un-American to hate one's neighbor because he has more of this world's material goods as it is to hate him because he was born into a different race. Americanism is is a philosophy of government based upon the belief in God as the Supreme Ruler of His Universe.

That report was submitted by -- get this -- a Democrat from Texas, Martin Dies, pictured below. Back in 1939, there were actually people with a D next to their name, many from the South and quite a few from Texas, who loved America and realized that God was the foundation of this great country. Congressman Martin Dies of the Texas Second (now served by Ted Poe) launched the Dies Committee, authoring that report, which later became the HUAC, paving the way for war hero Senator Joe McCarthy to expose the communist enemy within.

And here's an additional quote from a genuine Patriot about Our Creator:

Without God, obviously we’d have no God-given unalienable rights. We’d have only the “rights” government decides we should have. That’s the way it was done all throughout history until our founding fathers recognized the “self-evident truth.” America was founded on the principle that all men are created equal by God and granted their unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... and self-rule. No king. No dictator. No ruler. No king but God.

His name is probably more familiar than that of Martin Dies. It came from a February 26, 2014 post by the American Hero pictured below.

[Jim Robinson]

This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you very much.