“Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.”
- February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004
- American
- The 40th President of the United States, Actor, Politician, Governor of California
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Quote
“Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.”
Explanation
In this quote, Ronald Reagan emphasizes the moral and spiritual foundations he believed were essential to the survival of democracy. By declaring that democracy “will not and cannot long endure” without God, Reagan asserts that religious belief—specifically in a higher moral authority—is necessary to sustain the ethical framework upon which democratic institutions and freedoms are built. His message implies that laws and liberty must be rooted in a shared sense of right and wrong, which, for Reagan, was ultimately grounded in divine truth.
This perspective was a recurring theme in Reagan’s speeches, particularly during the Cold War, when he often contrasted the moral vacuum of atheistic communism with the faith-based values of the Western democratic tradition. He saw belief in God not only as a private virtue but as a public pillar that guided justice, restrained tyranny, and inspired civic duty. In Reagan’s view, democracy depended on citizens who were self-governing in both political and moral terms, and that self-governance required faith-based accountability.
In contemporary times, Reagan’s quote continues to resonate in debates about the role of religion in public life, civic education, and the sources of moral consensus in a pluralistic society. While interpretations vary, the core message remains poignant: that democracy is not just a system of rules, but a reflection of values, and for Reagan, those values were inseparable from a belief in God.
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