Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
6 Quotes: Ronald Reagan on freedom
6 Quotes: Ronald Reagan on freedom
Apr 25, 2026 6:25 AM

Today is the 106th birthday of Ronald Reagan, the fortieth president of the United States. Reagan wasa great lover of America and one of the most eloquent advocates of liberty in modern history

In honor of his birthday, here are six quotes on freedom by President Reagan:

“Freedom is the right to question and change the established way of doing things. It is the continuing revolution of the marketplace. It is the understanding that allows us to recognize ings and seek solutions. It is the right to put forth an idea, scoffed at by the experts, and watch it catch fire among the people. It is the right to dream — to follow your dream or stick to your conscience, even if you’re the only one in a sea of doubters. Freedom is the recognition that no single person, no single authority or government has a monopoly on the truth, but that every individual life is infinitely precious, that every one of us put on this world has been put there for a reason and has something to offer.” (Source)

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” (Source)

“If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth. And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except to sovereign people, is still the newest and most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man. This is the issue of this election. Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.” (Source)

“With regard to the freedom of the individual for choice with regard to abortion, there’s one individual who’s not being considered at all. That’s the one who is being aborted. And I’ve noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born.” (Source)

“If we look to the answer as to why for so many years we achieved so much, prospered as no other people on earth, it was because here in this land we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before. Freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available and assured here than in any other place on earth. The price for this freedom at times has been high, but we have never been unwilling to pay the price.” (Source)

“The dreams of people may differ, but everybody wants their dreams e true. And America, above all places, gives us the freedom to do that.” (Source)

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Shaun King and the advent of cultural iconoclasm
Our open national strife entered a new phase when a leader of Black Lives Matter suggested his members move from cultural iconoclasm to religious iconoclasm. Shaun King’s call to smash all European-looking images of Jesus – echoing an ancient heresy – perfectly illustrates the underlying beliefs and ideologies motivating present-day anarchists. On June 22, King – a surrogate for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders’ campaign – tweeted that “the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should e down....
Rev. Robert Sirico: The Church’s ‘anemic response’ to COVID-19 hurts everyone
The political response to COVID-19 has created an economic downturn unprecedented since the Great Depression. However, the Church’s “anemic response” has deprived the poor of spiritual solace and the Church of its vocation and vitality, said Acton Institute President and Co-founder Rev. Robert Sirico on a nationally syndicated radio interview. “If we sit back and look at the big message of the Church, it’s, ‘We’re closed. We’ll let you know when we open again.’ And I think that’s very dangerous,”...
Following the crowd: Rene Girard on the denial of Peter
This week, June 29, was the solemn feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The Apostle Peter is remembered for many things: his declaration of Jesus as the Messiah; his boasting of fidelity, followed by his threefold denial of Christ; and his subsequent repentance and heroic martyrdom The late French anthropologist and former Stanford professor Rene Girard has an insightful discussion about the denial of Peter and the problem of scapegoating and contagion. He sees in it an archetype of the...
When police get it wrong (repeatedly): The rule of law and police reform
We have a policing problem in America, and we have a particular problem with how we police underserved populations. This is especially true within e, munities. These are some of the primary issues brought to light in the recent Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. In the aftermath of the brutal May 25th killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which catalyzed new activism across not only in the United States but also around the world, there have been calls to...
Video: How ‘Poverty, Inc.’ can help the West cure global poverty
The Acton Institute continues to lead the global poverty discussion, as the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business hosted a screening of its award-winning documentary Poverty Inc. Afterwards the chamber held a virtual panel of speakers from around the world, including the film’s producer, Acton Institute Research Fellow Michael Matheson Miller, about how the movie’s insights apply to poverty eradication programs. The panel was moderated by Garreth Bloor, president of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business and formerly a leader of a free-market...
Rand Paul on the fatal conceits of COVID-19 central planning
When the first wave of COVID-19 hit the United States, Americans were generally sympathetic to the various lockdowns. Yes, we were likely to endure significant economic pain, but given how little we knew about the virus and how great the risks could be, we were willing to accept the cost. Now, after months of mismanaged responses, contradictory analyses, and flip-flopping guidance from our esteemed sources, trust in our leaders and institutions is wearing thin. Despite all that we have learned,...
How to drain the poison of outrage out of social media
It is a universally acknowledged truth that there are deep-seated problems with social media. Academics have written books against it; once venerable institutions are being torn asunder by it; individuals are being demonized on it; and all the while, we are spending more and more of our lives on it. Social media firms are keenly aware of the problem and are trying, in ham-fisted and halfhearted ways, to address it. Venkatesh Roa, founder and editor-in-chief of the blog ribbonfarm, gives...
Acton Line podcast: Are we in a revolutionary moment?
Since late May, many parts of the United States have grappled with unrest. Anger over George Floyd’s death sparked protests, with looting and violent riots breaking out, as well. Protesters have also been defacing and tearing down statues across the country, including statues of Confederate leaders, as well as monuments to George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and even abolitionists. The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), also dubbed the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP), was a six-block area in Seattle where...
Espinoza v. Montana: A victory for school choice – but for how long?
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue admirably defended religious liberty, school choice, and parental rights. However, the court may have also paved the way for teachers unions and hostile politicians to undermine that victory. On June 30, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that excluding religious schools from a privately-funded, state-established scholarship program is an “infringement on free exercise” of religion and is “fatally underinclusive” by denying benefits to people of faith. “Discrimination against religious...
6 quotes for Frédéric Bastiat’s birthday
The French writer, philosopher, and exponent of liberty Frédéric Bastiat would turn 219 years old this week. For more than a century Bastiat’s concise, wisdom-infused words have led people on both sides of the Atlantic to embrace the timeless principles of limited government, freedom merce, and unalienable rights. Even Karl Marx begrudgingly acknowledged Bastiat as “the most adequate representative of the apologetic of vulgar economy.” Bastiat was born in France on June 30, 1801 (although some sources give June 29...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved