1、Ronald Reagan: The Evil EmpireRemarks at the Annual Convention of the the National Association of Evangelicalsdelivered 8 March1983, Orlando FLModerator: Ladies and Gentlemen: The President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.President Reagan: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Tha
2、nk you very much. Thank you very much.And, Reverend Clergy all, Senator Hawkins, distinguished members of the Florida congressional delegation, and all of you: I cant tell you how you have warmed my heart with your welcome. Im delighted to be here today.Those of you in the National Association of Ev
3、angelicals are known for your spiritual and humanitarian work. And I would be especially remiss if I didnt discharge right now one personal debt of gratitude. Thank you for your prayers. Nancy and I have felt their presence many times in many ways. And believe me, for us theyve made all the differen
4、ce.The other day in the East Room of the White House at a meeting there, someone asked me whether I was aware of all the people out there who were praying for the President. And I had to say, “Yes, I am. Ive felt it. I believe in intercessionary prayer.“ But I couldnt help but say to that questioner
5、 after hed asked the question that - or at least say to them that if sometimes when he was praying he got a busy signal, it was just me in there ahead of him. I think I understand how Abraham Lincoln felt when he said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I
6、had nowhere else to go.“ From the joy and the good feeling of this conference, I go to a political reception. Now, I dont know why, but that bit of scheduling reminds me of a story which Ill share with you.An evangelical minister and a politician arrived at Heavens gate one day together. And St. Pet
7、er, after doing all the necessary formalities, took them in hand to show them where their quarters would be. And he took them to a small, single room with a bed, a chair, and a table and said this was for the clergyman. And the politician was a little worried about what might be in store for him. An
8、d he couldnt believe it then when St. Peter stopped in front of a beautiful mansion with lovely grounds, many servants, and told him that these would be his quarters.And he couldnt help but ask, he said, “But wait, how - theres something wrong - how do I get this mansion while that good and holy man
9、 only gets a single room?“ And St. Peter said, “You have to understand how things are up here. Weve got thousands and thousands of clergy. Youre the first politician who ever made it.“But I dont want to contribute to a stereotype. So I tell you there are a great many God-fearing, dedicated, noble me
10、n and women in public life, present company included. And yes, we need your help to keep us ever-mindful of the ideas and the principles that brought us into the public arena in the first place. The basis of those ideals and principles is a commitment to freedom and personal liberty that, itself is
11、grounded in the much deeper realization that freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are avidly sought and humbly accepted.The American experiment in democracy rests on this insight. Its discovery was the great triumph of our Founding Fathers, voiced by William Penn when he said: “If we wil
12、l not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.“ Explaining the inalienable rights of men, Jefferson said, “The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.“ And it was George Washington who said that “of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religi
13、on and morality are indispensable supports.“And finally, that shrewdest of all observers of American democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville, put it eloquently after he had gone on a search for the secret of Americas greatness and genius - and he said: “Not until I went into the churches of America and hea
14、rd her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the greatness and the genius of America. America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.“Well, Im pleased to be here today with you who are keeping America great by keeping her good. Only through your w
15、ork and prayers and those of millions of others can we hope to survive this perilous century and keep alive this experiment in liberty, this last, best hope of man.I want you to know that this administration is motivated by a political philosophy that sees the greatness of America in you, her people
16、, and in your families, churches, neighborhoods, communities: the institutions that foster and nourish values like concern for others and respect for the rule of law under God.Now, I dont have to tell you that this puts us in opposition to, or at least out of step with, a - a prevailing attitude of
17、many who have turned to a modern-day secularism, discarding the tried and time-tested values upon which our very civilization is based. No matter how well intentioned, their value system is radically different from that of most Americans. And while they proclaim that theyre freeing us from superstit
18、ions of the past, theyve taken upon themselves the job of superintending us by government rule and regulation. Sometimes their voices are louder than ours, but they are not yet a majority.An example of that vocal superiority is evident in a controversy now going on in Washington. And since Im involv
19、ed Ive been waiting to hear from the parents of young America. How far are they willing to go in giving to government their prerogatives as parents?Let me state the case as briefly and simply as I can. An organization of citizens, sincerely motivated, deeply concerned about the increase in illegitim
20、ate births and abortions involving girls well below the age of consent, some time ago established a nationwide network of clinics to offer help to these girls and, hopefully, alleviate this situation. Now, again, let me say, I do not fault their intent. However, in their well-intentioned effort, the
21、se clinics decided to provide advice and birth control drugs and devices to underage girls without the knowledge of their parents.For some years now, the federal government has helped with funds to subsidize these clinics. In providing for this, the Congress decreed that every effort would be made t
22、o maximize parental participation. Nevertheless, the drugs and devices are prescribed without getting parental consent or giving notification after theyve done so. Girls termed “sexually active“ - and that has replaced the word “promiscuous“ - are given this help in order to prevent illegitimate bir
23、th or abortion.Well, we have ordered clinics receiving federal funds to notify the parents such help has been given. One of the nations leading newspapers has created the term “squeal rule“ in editorializing against us for doing this, and were being criticized for violating the privacy of young peop
24、le. A judge has recently granted an injunction against an enforcement of our rule. Ive watched TV panel shows discuss this issue, seen columnists pontificating on our error, but no one seems to mention morality as playing a part in the subject of sex.Is all of Judeo-Christian tradition wrong? Are we
25、 to believe that something so sacred can be looked upon as a purely physical thing with no potential for emotional and psychological harm? And isnt it the parents right to give counsel and advice to keep their children from making mistakes that may affect their entire lives?Many of us in government
26、would like to know what parents think about this intrusion in their family by government. Were going to fight in the courts. The right of parents and the rights of family take precedence over those of Washington-based bureaucrats and social engineers.But the fight against parental notification is re
27、ally only one example of many attempts to water down traditional values and even abrogate the original terms of American democracy. Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. When our Founding Fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect ch
28、urches from government interference. They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself.The evidence of this permeates our history and our government. The Declaration of Independence mentions the Supreme Being no less than four times. “
29、In God We Trust“ is engraved on 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 Supreme Court justi
30、ces and congressmen.Last year, I sent the Congress a constitutional amendment to restore prayer to public schools. Already this session, theres growing bipartisan support for the amendment, and I am calling on the Congress to act speedily to pass it and to let our children pray.Perhaps some of you r
31、ead recently about the Lubbock school case, where a judge actually ruled that it was unconstitutional for a school district to give equal treatment to religious and nonreligious student groups, even when the group meetings were being held during the students own time. The First Amendment never inten
32、ded to require government to discriminate against religious speech.Senators Denton and Hatfield have proposed legislation in the Congress on the whole question of prohibiting discrimination against religious forms of student speech. Such legislation could go far to restore freedom of religious speec
33、h for public school students. And I hope the Congress considers these bills quickly. And with your help, I think its possible we could also get the constitutional amendment through the Congress this year. More than a decade ago, a Supreme Court decision literally wiped off the books of fifty states
34、statutes protecting the rights of unborn children. Abortion on demand now takes the lives of up to one and a half million unborn children a year. Human life legislation ending this tragedy will someday pass the Congress, and you and I must never rest until it does. Unless and until it can be proven
35、that the unborn child is not a living entity, then its right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must be protected.You may remember that when abortion on demand began, many, and indeed, Im sure many of you, warned that the practice would lead to a decline in respect for human life, that t
36、he philosophical premises used to justify abortion on demand would ultimately be used to justify other attacks on the sacredness of human life - infanticide or mercy killing. Tragically enough, those warnings proved all too true. Only last year a court permitted the death by starvation of a handicap
37、ped infant.I have directed the Health and Human Services Department to make clear to every health care facility in the United States that the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects all handicapped persons against discrimination based on handicaps, including infants. And we have taken the further step o
38、f requiring that each and every recipient of federal funds who provides health care services to infants must post and keep posted in a conspicuous place a notice stating that “discriminatory failure to feed and care for handicapped infants in this facility is prohibited by federal law.“ It also list
39、s a twenty-four-hour; toll-free number so that nurses and others may report violations in time to save the infants life.In addition, recent legislation introduced by - in the Congress by Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois not only increases restrictions on publicly financed abortions, it also add
40、resses this whole problem of infanticide. I urge the Congress to begin hearings and to adopt legislation that will protect the right of life to all children, including the disabled or handicapped.Now, Im sure that you must get discouraged at times, but there youve done better than you know, perhaps.
41、 Theres a great spiritual awakening in America, a renewal of the traditional values that have been the bedrock of Americas goodness and greatness.One recent survey by a Washington-based research council concluded that Americans were far more religious than the people of other nations; 95 percent of
42、those surveyed expressed a belief in God and a huge majority believed the Ten Commandments had real meaning in their lives. And another study has found that an overwhelming majority of Americans disapprove of adultery, teenage sex, pornography, abortion, and hard drugs. And this same study showed a
43、deep reverence for the importance of family ties and religious belief.I think the items that weve discussed here today must be a key part of the nations political agenda. For the first time the Congress is openly and seriously debating and dealing with the prayer and abortion issues and thats enormo
44、us progress right there. I repeat: America is in the midst of a spiritual awakening and a moral renewal. And with your biblical keynote, I say today, “Yes, let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.“Now, obviously, much of this new political and social consensus Ive
45、 talked about is based on a positive view of American history, one that takes pride in our countrys accomplishments and record. But we must never forget that no government schemes are going to perfect man. We know that living in this world means dealing with what philosophers would call the phenomen
46、ology of evil or, as theologians would put it, the doctrine of sin.There is sin and evil in the world, and were enjoined by Scripture and the Lord Jesus to oppose it with all our might. Our nation, too, has a legacy of evil with which it must deal. The glory of this land has been its capacity for tr
47、anscending the moral evils of our past. For example, the long struggle of minority citizens for equal rights, once a source of disunity and civil war is now a point of pride for all Americans. We must never go back. There is no room for racism, anti-Semitism, or other forms of ethnic and racial hatr
48、ed in this country.I know that youve been horrified, as have I, by the resurgence of some hate groups preaching bigotry and prejudice. Use the mighty voice of your pulpits and the powerful standing of your churches to denounce and isolate these hate groups in our midst. The commandment given us is c
49、lear and simple: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.“But whatever sad episodes exist in our past, any objective observer must hold a positive view of American history, a history that has been the story of hopes fulfilled and dreams made into reality. Especially in this century, America has kept alight the torch of freedom, but not just for ourselves but for millions of others around the world.And this brings me to my final point today. During my first press conference as president, in answer to a direct question, I pointed out that,
