Ronald Reagan's View On Family Values

In his March 1983 speech at the Annual Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals, U.S President Ronald Reagan pledges to maintain traditional Christian values in America. He addresses the concerns of many in his evangelical base; the diminish of traditional values in the United States, as progressive legislation was being passed at an increasing rate in Congress and in the midst of the threat of communist atheism. Reagan was one of the most influential presidents in American History due to his policies that changed the trajectory of the United States and the world in the late twentieth century. His fiscally conservative economic policies allowed the American economy to thrive following the recession in the early 1980’s and his

His values demonstrate the political stage in the second half of the 20th century because it exemplifies the influence and prevalence of social conservatism at a time where the American society was maneuvering into a more progressive liberal state.

Secondly, Reagan discusses the conflict between government interference in religious institutions. He does so by highlighting the issue of school prayer being removed from the public school schedule. He emphasizes that religious proceedings are prevalent in government institutions and that should uphold in the educational system. Reagan argues, “The Declaration of Independence mentions the Supreme Being no less than four times. ‘In God We Trust’ is engraved in our coinage. The Supreme Court opens its proceedings with a religious invocation. And the Members of Congress open their sessions with a prayer. I just happen to believe the schoolchildren of the United States are entitled to the same privileges as the Supreme Court Justices and Congressman. (Overfield, 369,370) Reagan emphasizes the prevalence of religion within the government and argues that it is not fair for the government to limit the religious privileges on

Reagan prompted interest in Evangelicals to defend the capitalist system by warning that communism does not allow for religion or strong family values. The Soviet Communist system aimed to undermine religion by closing down churches, denying legal registration to religious groups, and promoting scientific atheism through propaganda. (Rothrock, pg. 2) As a result of this knowledge, Reagan declares in his remarks that the most important message to send to the Soviet Union, is “We will never our principles and standards. We will never give away our freedom. We will never abandon our belief in God. And we will never stop searching for genuine peace.”

This portion of his address to the convention is significant because it highlights the fear of communist domination in communities in the Western World during this time period, but moreover demonstrates the resilience of the West. It was leaders like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher that implemented policies in the 1980’s that threatened the sustainability of the Soviet Union and thus led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Overall, Reagan’s remarks to the National Association of Evangelicals demonstrates the strength and confidence of the West in the years leading up to the downfall of the Soviet