Ronald Reagan on Religious Bigotry

Ronald Reagan made it very clear during his presidency that religious intolerance and bigotry was unacceptable in America. Sadly, decades after America appeared to overcome religious intolerance by electing a Catholic president, it appears vestiges of this bigotry still exist. John Geer, a political scientist at Vanderbilt, designed a survey to assess religious bias against Mitt Romney. The poll found that “bias against Mitt Romney’s religion is one of the reasons that the tag 'flip-flopper' sticks with the former Massachusetts governor but not his Republican opponents.”

The following are quotes from Ronald Reagan on intolerance and bigotry. My hope, like his, is that we, as a nation, will overcome this evil and vote for the best candidate based on qualifications and values, not religious affiliation.

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“Now, there's another major wrong done to traditional American values that needs to be corrected. Our forefathers were religious people, and they were also enlightened enough to realize the follies of religious intolerance.”

Remarks at the Annual Convention of the American Legion in
Salt Lake City, Utah, September 4, 1984

“So, please use your pulpits to denounce racism, anti-Semitism, and all ethnic or religious intolerance as evils, and let us make it clear that our values must not restrict, but liberate the human spirit in thought and in deed.”

Remarks at the Annual Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals
in Columbus, Ohio, March 6, 1984

“[W]e must teach tolerance and denounce racism, anti-Semitism, and all ethnic or religious bigotry, wherever they exist, as unacceptable evils.”

Remarks at the Young Leadership Conference of the United Jewish Appeal
March 13, 1984

“The ideals of our country leave no room whatsoever for intolerance, for anti-Semitism, or for bigotry of any kind -- none. ”

Remarks to Members of the Congregation of Temple Hillel and
Jewish Community Leaders in Valley Stream, New York
October 26, 1984

“We must never remain silent in the face of bigotry. We must condemn those who seek to divide us. In all quarters and at all times, we must teach tolerance and denounce racism, anti-Semitism, and all ethnic or religious bigotry wherever they exist as unacceptable evils. We have no place for haters in America -- none, whatsoever.”

Remarks to Members of the Congregation of Temple Hillel and
Jewish Community Leaders in Valley Stream, New York
October 26, 1984

“The Founders realized that we must guard freedom of religion with eternal vigilance against tyranny and bigotry.”

Proclamation 5866 -- Religious Freedom Week, 1988
September 27, 1988

“Today bigotry has been beaten down, but not yet totally destroyed. It falls now to you to carry on the battle. So, fight racism; fight anti-Semitism; fight in all its variations the bigotry and intolerance that we Americans have worked so hard to root out. I make much of all we've done to combat discrimination in our country because it seems to me of central importance to our essay on peace. Here in this green and gentle land people of all nations, people of all races and faiths, have learned to live in harmony to build one nation.”

Remarks at the High School Commencement Exercises in
Glassboro, New Jersey, June 19, 1986

“And let me add, in the party of Lincoln, there is no room for intolerance and not even a small corner for anti-Semitism or bigotry of any kind. Many people are welcome in our house, but not the bigots.”

Remarks Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the
Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas
August 23, 1984

“No one group in this country is better than another. No one race or religion or sex or color is better than another. And no region is better or worse than another. It's time we erased the last vestiges of intolerance, bigotry, and unkindness from our hearts. Decency demands this and so does our history.”

Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session at the
"Choosing a Future" Conference in Chicago, Illinois
September 5, 1984

“I was raised to believe that there's no sin greater than prejudice or bigotry.”

Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session at the
"Choosing a Future" Conference in Chicago, Illinois
September 5, 1984

“And let me say there is no place in the Republican Party for those who would exhibit prejudice against anyone. There's no place in our party for the kind of bigotry and ugly rhetoric that we've been hearing outside our party recently. We have no room for hate here, and we have no place for the haters.”

Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session With
Elected Republican Women Officials, June 29, 1984

“[R]acial discrimination and religious bigotry have no place in a free society.”

Remarks at the Annual Convention of the
National Religious Broadcasters, February 9, 1982

“And let me add that we will continue to fight against discrimination wherever there are any vestiges of it remaining, until we've removed such bigotry from our entire land.”

Remarks at a Meeting With Asian and
Pacific-American Leaders, February 23, 1984

“I firmly believe that there is no room for partisanship on this question. Democrats and Republicans alike must be resolute in disassociating ourselves from any group or individual whose political philosophy consists only of racial or religious intolerance....”

Letter to the Chairman of the Commission on Civil Rights
Concerning the President's Views on the Ku Klux Klan
April 30, 1984

“We will continue to fight against discrimination, wherever there are any vestiges of it remaining, until we've removed such bigotry from our entire land.”

Written Responses to Questions Submitted by Pacific Magazine on
United States Policy in the Pacific Island Region
May 4, 1984

“I was raised in a household in which the only intolerance I was taught was intolerance of bigotry.”

The President's News Conference, June 30, 1982