Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.
Going around this country, I have found a great hunger in America for spiritual revival; for a belief that law must be based on a higher law; for a return to traditions and values that we once had. Our government, in its most sacred documents - the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and all - speak of man being created, of a Creator; that we're a nation under God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of spiritual values and higher principles in governance and society.
Ronald Reagan's quote reflects a deep yearning within America for a revival of spiritual and moral values that transcend mere legal frameworks. He suggests that true governance should harmonize with higher laws and the foundational beliefs articulated in the nation's core documents, which recognize a Creator and underscore the idea of being a nation under God. This call for a return to traditional values implies that the health of the nation relies not just on political structures but also on shared beliefs and ethical standards.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting discussing local values, one might quote Reagan to emphasize the need for moral foundations.
More from Ronald Reagan
All quotes →Our status as a free society and world power is not based on brute strength. When we've taken up arms, it has been for the defense of freedom for ourselves and for other peaceful nations who needed our help. But now, faced with the development of weapons with immense destructive power, we've no choice but to maintain ready defense forces that are second to none. Yes, the cost is high, but the price of neglect would be infinitely higher.
I'm spending more time at this library in four days than I did at the Eureka College Library in four years.
I'm not a politician by profession. I am a citizen who decided I had to be personally involved in order to stand up for my own values and beliefs. My candidacy is based on my record, and for that matter, my entire life.
My fellow citizens, our nation is poised for greatness. We must do what we know is right, and do it with all our might. Let history say of us: "These were golden years - when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, and America reached for her best."
We must have faith in the people of this country and faith in our principles.
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The very good people didn't convince me; I felt they'd never been tempted. But you knew; you understood; you had felt the world outside tugging at one with all its golden hands — and yet you hated the things it asks of one; you hated happiness bought by disloyalty and cruelty and indifference.
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Not even Ares battles against necessity.
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Each epoch has found in the Gospels what it sought to find there, and has overlooked what it wished to overlook.
I did not know then that this is what life is - just when you master the geometry of one world, it slips away, and suddenly again, you're swarmed by strange shapes and impossible angles.