Ronald Reagan was a great leader.
But in this case, he was either misquoted, misunderstood… or WRONG.
Actually, I believe the quote is accurate. The real problem is that people find it helpful to hide behind the “Reagan gospel” so they can justify the compromise of core values. Let me explain what I mean.
Someone who is your friend 95% of the time, but helps your child kill your unborn grandchild is NOT your friend.
That is, of course, if one of your core values is to protect unborn children.
There are other core values that allow little or no compromise. Freedom and limited government are a couple more of them.
So, who are your “political” friends? Those who agree with your CORE VALUES are your political friends. Someone who SAYS they hold the same values, but demonstrates by their actions they do not, is NOT your political friend.
Reagan, after all, is not the final authority on moral truth. Jesus is, has been… always will be.
If we are going to “live or die” by a quote, perhaps it should be a quote from Jesus rather than Reagan. In Mathew 7:20, Jesus said “by their fruits ye shall know them”. That would be a much better means by which to identify your “political friends”.
If their VOTES or their BEHAVIOR line up with your core values, they are your friends… even if they disagree with you some of the time. The disagreement, however, shouldn’t be on significant core values and issues.
It is certainly true that even our friends will not always be in lock step with us. We don’t expect that. But when it comes to identifying “political friends”, and making political endorsements, we should identify our core values and then stick to them.
Claiming to support values and issues, but endorsing candidates who significantly represent the opposite of those issues and values by their VOTES and their BEHAVIOR only serves political expediency for those making the endorsements at the expense of the very values the “endorsing” individual or organization claims to be supporting.
Just for the record, I don’t think Reagan was wrong, I think he just provides a convenient hiding place for those who are willing to compromise their values in exchange for political advantage.
We are in a battle of our lives. God help us.
***Gordon Howie is a nationally syndicated author, host of Liberty Today TV and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***
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