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Tags: Jerry | Falwell: | Ronald | Reagan | Hero

Jerry Falwell: Ronald Reagan, My Hero

Saturday, 05 June 2004 12:00 AM EDT

America needed a hero.

And Ronald Reagan was such a man.

Liberals continue to portray him as not much more than a grandfatherly simpleton who yielded control of the White House to his aides and his wife, but the Ronald Reagan I knew was a man of great intelligence, grace, humor and, most importantly, Christian values.

He’ll be remembered by many for championing a booming economy and conquering the “evil empire” of the Soviet Union (even though the mainstream press regularly attempts to credit Mikhail Gorbachev’s alleged defense of democracy as the reason for the Soviet downfall).

Anyone who believes that Ronald Reagan was the kindly dunce that the press often made him out to be needs to read the book Reagan In His Own Hand to comprehend the aptitude and vision of this man.

I will remember Mr. Reagan primarily for his relationship with the evangelical Christian values of our Founders. He respected the presidency (unlike our 42d president).

I had traveled to New Orleans to meet him at the airport. His plane landed and we rode together to the place where thousands were waiting to hear his fresh and conservative message.

In the back seat of the limo, he shared his vision for America with me. He told me how and when he had become a follower of Jesus Christ. He confirmed all my hopes that this was the man to save America.

On the day after his election in November 1980, he conducted his first press conference as the president-elect. From 3,000 miles away, I listened carefully as a reporter asked him if he would be listening to all these evangelicals and religious conservatives, i.e., “moral majoritarians.”

He said to this reporter, to us, and to the world that he would be giving special attention to the people who had helped elect him. And he did.

Early in his first term, I met privately with President Reagan in the Oval Office to communicate to our new leader a list of the major concerns of the so-called “religious right.”

I was so impressed with his crisp and convictioned responses, making it very clear to me that he was as pro-life, pro-family, pro–national defense and pro-Israel as we were. I left that meeting with a fire burning in my heart.

In answer to prayer and hard work, God had given us a great leader. The only other person in the room that day was Faith Whittles, his very loyal and conservative aide. Whenever I have seen Faith since then, we almost always speak of that special day when our beloved president commissioned me to tell the world that a new day had dawned in America. And I spent eight years doing so.

I appeal to all believers across this nation to rededicate ourselves to the Reagan agenda. Let us fearlessly stand up for the unborn, the Biblical family, strong national defense and unswerving support for Israel. This is what Ronald Reagan taught us.

I am thankful to God in 2002 that America again has a president who is committed to the Reagan agenda.

(This article first appeared in the September 2002 edition of the National Liberty Journal.)

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Pre-2008
America needed a hero. And Ronald Reagan was such a man. Liberals continue to portray him as not much more than a grandfatherly simpleton who yielded control of the White House to his aides and his wife, but the Ronald Reagan I knew was a man of great intelligence,...
Jerry,Falwell:,Ronald,Reagan,,Hero
529
2004-00-05
Saturday, 05 June 2004 12:00 AM
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