Ronald Reagan Quotes

The article contains quotes from Ronald Reagan, the California governor who became the 40th president of the United States from 1981-1989 and whose time at the White House was a defining moment not only for modern socio-political life in the U.S. but also, more importantly, for modern world history.

“Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” – Ronald Reagan

“It was the hard work of our people, the freedom they enjoyed and their faith in God that built this country and made it the envy of the world.” – Ronald Reagan

“If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.” – Ronald Reagan

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” – Ronald Reagan

“Let every spire and belfry in the land ring out the glad tidings of liberty once again. Let every American rejoice in the blessings of freedom as they hear the jubilant music of carillons carried on the night air.” – Ronald Reagan

“While never willing to bow to a tyrant, our forefathers were always willing to get to their knees before God. When catastrophe threatened, they turned to God for deliverance. When the harvest was bountiful the first thought was thanksgiving to God.” – Ronald Reagan

“Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, whose message would truly be one of good tidings and great joy, peace and good will.” – Ronald Reagan

“The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality’s foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they’re sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive.” – Ronald Reagan

“We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave it bereft of belief. All are free to believe or not believe; all are free to practice a faith or not. But those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief, to apply moral teaching to public questions.” – Ronald Reagan

“Freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are avidly sought and humbly accepted.” – Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan Quote: God and Democracy

Ronald Reagan Quote: Christmas and The Prince of Peace

“We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.” – Ronald Reagan

“This [Berlin] wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.” – Ronald Reagan

“Strength is the most persuasive argument we have to convince our adversaries to negotiate seriously and to cease bullying other nations.” – Ronald Reagan

“We are a nation that has a government -- not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government, which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.” – Ronald Reagan

“Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.” – Ronald Reagan

“It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment… it’s not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work -- work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.” – Ronald Reagan

“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” – Ronald Reagan

“I consider the trust that you have placed in me sacred, and I give you my sacred oath that I will do my utmost to justify your faith.” – Ronald Reagan

“I am not a politician. I am an ordinary citizen with a deep-seated belief that much of what troubles us has been brought about by politicians.” – Ronald Reagan

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” – Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan Quote: When Forces of Freedom are Weak

Ronald Reagan Quote: I am not a Politician

“… we now have a trillion-dollar debt [1982]. To give you some idea of how much a trillion is, if we started paying off the debt at a billion dollars a year, it would take a thousand years to wipe it out.” – Ronald Reagan

“I believe we should have less spending, less taxes, and more prosperity.” – Ronald Reagan

“There is another road that leads to permanent recovery. It begins with a responsible budget now…. an end to runaway taxes, spending, government debt, and high interest rates.” – Ronald Reagan

“As government expands, liberty contracts.” – Ronald Reagan

“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” – Ronald Reagan

“It is said that prayers can move mountains. Well, it certainly moved the hearts and minds of Americans in their times of trials and helped them to achieve a society that, for all its imperfections, is still the envy of the world and the last best hope of mankind.” – Ronald Reagan

“The right of parents and the rights of family take precedence over those of Washington-based bureaucrats and social engineers.” – Ronald Reagan

“Unless and until it can be proven that the unborn child is not a living entity, then its right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must be protected.” – Ronald Reagan

“It [Freedom] gives breath to our laughter and joy. It gives voice to our songs. It gives strength as we race for our dreams.” – Ronald Reagan

“Yes, the family is the bedrock of our nation, but it is also the engine that gives our nation life.” – Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan Quote: Paying Off a Trillion-Dollar Debt

Ronald Reagan Quote: The Unborn Child, A Living Entity

“Prayer is today as powerful a force in our Nation as it has ever been. We as a Nation should never forget this source of strength. And while recognizing that the freedom to choose a Godly path is the essence of liberty, as a Nation we cannot but hope that more of our citizens would, through prayer, come into a closer relationship with their Maker.” – Ronald Reagan

“The Constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray.” – Ronald Reagan

“It is the power of the family that holds the nation together, that gives America her conscience and that serves as the cradle of our country’s soul.” – Ronald Reagan

“If we can put a man on the moon, we can find ways to heat and light our homes and industries.” – Ronald Reagan

“So let us go forward to create our world of tomorrow in faith, in unity and in love. God bless you and God bless America.” – Ronald Reagan

“In fact, prayer is one of the few things in this world that hurts no one and sustains the spirit of millions.” – Ronald Reagan

“The glory of this land has been its capacity for transcending the moral evils of our past.” – Ronald Reagan

“But if history teaches anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.” – Ronald Reagan

“I urge you to beware the temptation of pride — the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.” – Ronald Reagan

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?” – Ronald Reagan, Presidential Debate of 1984

Ronald Reagan Quote: The Freedom to Pray

Ronald Reagan Quote: Appeasement of Enemies is Folly

“Every first lady makes her own choices, and mine was to become very involved in planning White House events, right down to the details...” – Ronald Reagan

“Throughout our history, Americans have put their faith in God and no one can doubt that we have been blessed for it. The earliest settlers of this land came in search of religious freedom. Landing on a desolate shoreline, they established a spiritual foundation that has served us ever since.” – Ronald Reagan

“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” – Ronald Reagan

“A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” – Ronald Reagan

“This is a very special time of year for us, a time for family reunions and for celebrating together the blessings of God and the promises He has given us. From Thanksgiving to Hanukkah, this is a season of hope and of love.” – Ronald Reagan

“Prayer is the mainspring of the American spirit, a fundamental tenet of our people since before the Republic was founded.” – Ronald Reagan

“Well, I’d like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There’s only an up or down –  Up: man’s old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism.” – Ronald Reagan

“Now it doesn’t require expropriation or confiscation of private property or business to impose socialism on a people… The government can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute. Every businessman has his own tale of harassment. Somewhere a perversion has taken place. Our natural, unalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment.” – Ronald Reagan

“Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” – Ronald Reagan

“We must be cautious in claiming God is on our side. I think the real question we must answer is, are we on His side?” – Ronald Reagan

“The Marxist vision of man without God must eventually be seen as an empty and a false faith -- the second oldest in the world -- first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden with whispered words of temptation: ‘Ye shall be as gods.’” – Ronald Reagan

“It is this heritage that evokes the images of a much-loved land, a land of struggling settlers and lonely immigrants, of giant cities and great frontiers, images of all that our country is and all that we want her to be. That’s the America entrusted to us, to stand by, to protect, and yes, to lead her wisely.” – Ronald Reagan

“There is no institution more vital to our nation’s survival than the American family.” – Ronald Reagan

“Indeed, the true meaning of our entire history as a nation can scarcely be glimpsed without some notion of the importance of prayer, our declaration of dependence on God’s favor on this unfinished enterprise we call America.” – Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan Quote: The First Lady / Image: The White House