The Guild 6-7-2004 President Reagan remembered

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, very much. And, Martha Weisend, thank you very much. And I could say that if the morning ended with the music we have just heard from that magnificent choir, it would indeed be a holy day for all of us.

It's wonderful to be here this morning. The past few days have been pretty busy for all of us, but I've wanted to be with you today to share some of my own thoughts.

These past few weeks it seems that we've all been hearing a lot of talk about religion and its role in politics, religion and its place in the political life of the Nation. And I think it's appropriate today, at a prayer breakfast for 17,000 citizens in the State of Texas during a great political convention, that this issue be addressed.

I don't speak as a theologian or a scholar, only as one who's lived a little more than his threescore ten -- which has been a source of annoyance to some -- [laughter] -- and as one who has been active in the political life of the Nation for roughly four decades and now who's served the past 3\1/2\ years in our highest office. I speak, I think I can say, as one who has seen much, who has loved his country, and who's seen it change in many ways.

I believe that faith and religion play a critical role in the political life of our nation -- and always has -- and that the church -- and by that I mean all churches, all denominations -- has had a strong influence on the state. And this has worked to our benefit as a nation.

Those who created our country -- the Founding Fathers and Mothers -- understood that there is a divine order which transcends the human order. They saw the state, in fact, as a form of moral order and felt that the bedrock of moral order is religion.

The Mayflower Compact began with the words, ``In the name of God, amen.'' The Declaration of Independence appeals to ``Nature's God'' and the ``Creator'' and ``the Supreme Judge of the world.'' Congress was given a chaplain, and the oaths of office are oaths before God.

James Madison in the Federalist Papers admitted that in the creation of our Republic he perceived the hand of the Almighty. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, warned that we must never forget the God from whom our blessings flowed.

George Washington referred to religion's profound and unsurpassed place in the heart of our nation quite directly in his Farewell Address in 1796. Seven years earlier, France had erected a government that was intended to be purely secular. This new government would be grounded on reason rather than the law of God. By 1796 the French Revolution had known the Reign of Terror.

And Washington voiced reservations about the idea that there could be a wise policy without a firm moral and religious foundation. He said, ``Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man (call himself a patriot) who (would) labour to subvert these . . . finest [firmest]\1\ (FOOTNOTE) props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere Politician . . . (and) the pious man ought to respect and to cherish (religion and morality).'' And he added, ``. . . let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.''

I believe that George Washington knew the City of Man cannot survive without the City of God, that the Visible City will perish without the Invisible City.

Religion played not only a strong role in our national life; it played a positive role. The abolitionist movement was at heart a moral and religious movement; so was the modern civil rights struggle. And throughout this time, the state was tolerant of religious belief, expression, and practice. Society, too, was tolerant.

But in the 1960's this began to change. We began to make great steps toward secularizing our nation and removing religion from its honored place.

In 1962 the Supreme Court in the New York prayer case banned the compulsory saying of prayers. In 1963 the Court banned the reading of the Bible in our public schools. From that point on, the courts pushed the meaning of the ruling ever outward, so that now our children are not allowed voluntary prayer. We even had to pass a law -- we passed a special law in the Congress just a few weeks ago to allow student prayer groups the same access to schoolrooms after classes that a young Marxist society, for example, would already enjoy with no opposition.

The 1962 decision opened the way to a flood of similar suits. Once religion had been made vulnerable, a series of assaults were made in one court after another, on one issue after another. Cases were started to argue against tax-exempt status for churches. Suits were brought to abolish the words ``under God'' from the Pledge of Allegiance and to remove ``In God We Trust'' from public documents and from our currency.

Today there are those who are fighting to make sure voluntary prayer is not returned to the classrooms. And the frustrating thing for the great majority of Americans who support and understand the special importance of religion in the national life -- the frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the name of tolerance, freedom, and openmindedness. Question: Isn't the real truth that they are intolerant of religion? [Applause] They refuse to tolerate its importance in our lives.

If all the children of our country studied together all of the many religions in our country, wouldn't they learn greater tolerance of each other's beliefs? If children prayed together, would they not understand what they have in common, and would this not, indeed, bring them closer, and is this not to be desired? So, I submit to you that those who claim to be fighting for tolerance on this issue may not be tolerant at all.

When John Kennedy was running for President in 1960, he said that his church would not dictate his Presidency any more than he would speak for his church. Just so, and proper. But John Kennedy was speaking in an America in which the role of religion -- and by that I mean the role of all churches -- was secure. Abortion was not a political issue. Prayer was not a political issue. The right of church schools to operate was not a political issue. And it was broadly acknowledged that religious leaders had a right and a duty to speak out on the issues of the day. They held a place of respect, and a politician who spoke to or of them with a lack of respect would not long survive in the political arena.

It was acknowledged then that religion held a special place, occupied a special territory in the hearts of the citizenry. The climate has changed greatly since then. And since it has, it logically follows that religion needs defenders against those who care only for the interests of the state.

There are, these days, many questions on which religious leaders are obliged to offer their moral and theological guidance, and such guidance is a good and necessary thing. To know how a church and its members feel on a public issue expands the parameters of debate. It does not narrow the debate; it expands it.

The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality's foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they're sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive.

A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the citizens, the more decent the state. If you practice a religion, whether you're Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or guided by some other faith, then your private life will be influenced by a sense of moral obligation, and so, too, will your public life. One affects the other. The churches of America do not exist by the grace of the state; the churches of America are not mere citizens of the state. The churches of America exist apart; they have their own vantage point, their own authority. Religion is its own realm; it makes its own claims.

We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave it bereft of belief. All are free to believe or not believe; all are free to practice a faith or not. But those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief, to apply moral teaching to public questions.

I submit to you that the tolerant society is open to and encouraging of all religions. And this does not weaken us; it strengthens us, it makes us strong. You know, if we look back through history to all those great civilizations, those great nations that rose up to even world dominance and then deteriorated, declined, and fell, we find they all had one thing in common. One of the significant forerunners of their fall was their turning away from their God or gods.

Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

If I could just make a personal statement of my own -- in these 3\1/2\ years I have understood and known better than ever before the words of Lincoln, when he said that he would be the greatest fool on this footstool called Earth if he ever thought that for one moment he could perform the duties of that office without help from One who is stronger than all.

I thank you, thank you for inviting us here today. Thank you for your kindness and your patience. May God keep you, and may we, all of us, keep God.

bringing over from last thread...

Michael Reagan to NewsMax Readers: Dad Is Home Now
Phil Brennan Monday, June 7, 2004

Michael Reagan, President Reagan's oldest son, a nationally syndicated radio host and columnist for NewsMax Magazine, made the following statement to NewsMax.com Sunday afternoon.

I can think about the times that we spent together as a father and son, sometimes just literally talking about nothing, but just being there and being in awe of him.

I think about those days when he was governor of California and how wonderful a job he did for the state. I can think about the times that he allowed me to be in his presence when tough decisions were ready to be made.

For example, on the evening that he chose George W. Bush’s father to be his running mate as the candidate for the vice presidency, Dad invited me to be in his inner circle as those decisions were made.

I remember the night in 1976 when I asked him what he missed most about not winning his party’s nomination as its presidential candidate. He said to me: "Michael, what I miss most is not being able to sit down with the Russians and saying to them "nyet" because it’s been so long that we’ve been giving up too much to get along with them. It’s time for the Russians to get along with us."

But what I remember most about my dad, and what puts me at peace with where he is today, is a conversation I had with him as he was flying back on Air Force One and he allowed me to accompany him back to Point Mugu [Air Base, Calif.]

It was Easter Week in the last year of his presidency, and he looked at me and he counted out 'nine' on his fingers. I asked what that meant, and he said: "Michael, it will be nine more months when I will be able to feel the freedom once again to go to church each and every Sunday. You know, Michael, ever since I was shot I have worried about putting other people in harm’s way by being among them, so I haven’t been to church on a regular basis and even though I have offered my presidency up to God I haven’t been with God on Sundays. That’s what I’m looking forward to."

And as I look back over Dad’s 93 years, what puts me truly at peace is knowing that my father was fully aware of who his God is. Not only did he offer up his presidency but he offered up his life a long time ago to serve his God.

And so now the peace I feel is knowing that my father has gone home to be with his God and his Lord, and that is the greatest gift that he ever gave me.
***
Good news from Michael Reagan.

179 posted on 06/07/2004 8:47:41 AM EDT by lodwick (WASP)

bringing over from last thread...

Also from Page Six:

TERESA Heinz Kerry didn't exactly knock 'em dead with her keynote address at last Thursday's New York State Democratic Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Post City Hall bureau man Stefan C. Friedman reports. Most high-ranking officials had already taken off before Sen. John Kerry's wife began her speech nearly an hour late, and those who remained were treated to an often-rambling missive delivered just above a whisper.

A particularly uncomfortable moment came when the ketchup heiress commented that if her late husband, Republican Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania, were still alive, he likely would have been at the dinner supporting her current husband. The morbid moment was met with uncomfortable silence. But one diner was anything but quiet after the half-hour speech ended. The Dem donor, who split seconds after Heinz's speech ended, could be heard saying, "That was the worst speech I've ever seen" as he exited the Hilton.

188 posted on 06/07/2004 10:29:48 AM EDT by mountaineer

BAD APPLES
Give some Democrats credit: many of the comments released by party factotums on the death of President Ronald Reagan at least attempted to be gracious. But, while some of the words may have been magnanimous, the actions of some Democrats was not.

In California, according to a Democratic House leadership staffer, Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi's office refused until late in the day West Coast time to prepare any remarks by the leader on the passing of the President.

"A call went out around mid-day on the East Coast that Reagan might be in serious condition, and that party leaders should be ready. But Pelosi's people basically said they couldn't' be bothered. [Democratic whip] Steny Hoyer had to get them in line. We got the impression they just didn't want to say anything that would be construed as supportive of a Republican."

Pelosi's office also nixed sending flowers to the funeral home where the president's body was being prepared for burial.

Back in Washington, staffers at the Democratic National Committee stopped a couple of interns who were lowering the flags to half mast outside their headquarters.

"The interns were just doing what they thought was right," says a DNC staffer, who heard about the incident. "But somebody a bit more senior told them not to lower the flags until they absolutely had to, I guess when President Bush announced that all flags should be lowered. There was only an hour's difference. It was pretty petty, but that's how bad things have gotten around here."

I lived in California for 15 years from 1979 to 1994. Most of that time I was surrounded with people who thought Reagan was a propped up actor-governor/president. They were openly contemptuous of him and were horrified to discover that I adored the man. It really miffed me.

Then one day one of them scoffed that I was "so normal". I didn't smoke pot or use the F word. I didn't enjoy their excessive gossip. I choked up when the American team entered the Olympic stadium. I was a history buff. I had a regular job with a big company and I visited my family often.

I could've taken it as an insult, as it was intended. Rather, I knew it was we "normal" people who responded to Reagan's optimism about the American people.

The "blue" state people are Sophisticates...too snooty to place their hands over their hearts when the national anthem is played. They think we "red" state people are corny. Reagan was corny. He loved the flag, revered the military, and respected the office he occupied. He dwelt on the greatness of America at a time when the Sophisticates preferred to mire themselves in her faults. (They still do.) He single-handedly elevated the reverence of D-Day. He reminded us that peace comes from strength. He believed in us. When he spoke of "morning in America" or that "city on a hill", it stirred our heart strings. Yes, we're corny. And Reagan was one of us.

I imagine Heaven is an even happier place than it was a few days ago.

I imagine Heaven is an even happier place than it was a few days ago.

I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum that my father, who suffered a fast-acting, early onset variant of Alzheimers and died at age 69 in 1993, still was not so far gone, mentally, all the time in 1992-1993 that he didn't realize what a slime Bill Clinton was. Even then, he would say of x42, "He's not my president." Several years before, he and my mother had been invited to the White House for his work with the American Cancer Society, and they met Mrs. Reagan. How wonderful for him now to meet Mr. Reagan, too.

.... One of the first mourners to pass through was Ed Reinecke, who served as lieutenant governor of California under Reagan from January 1969 to October 1974. "It's very sad. I respected and admired the man so much for what he did. He will be with us for many generations, I think," Reinecke said after exiting the viewing area.

Later, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, stood side-by-side at the coffin. They placed a white roses on the catafalque and after a few quiet moments, both crossed themselves.

Sen. John Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, is expected to visit the library Tuesday afternoon to pay his respects. [MUST ... BITE ... TONGUE!] He has canceled public campaign events this week, including major fund-raisers on both coasts, though some private events are expected to go on as planned. ...

Former President George Bush, Reagan's vice president, hailed the Republican icon for reshaping the party and for being a man of great charm and courtesy. "He'd no more walk by the guy running the elevator without asking him how his family was than fall off a cliff. And it was that kind, personal side that I think endeared him to the American people whether they were Republicans, Democrats, liberals or conservatives," Bush said on NBC's "Today" show. CNN

Not that it matters to anyone, but Ronald Reagan is the one and only man who changed a certain former 60's liberal into a clear-thinking, forward-looking conservative during the 80's.

"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."

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