Introduction
Tim Goeglein and his presentation videos indicate that we will be concentrating on our country,
which has been endangering our Christian beliefs. He describes how, over his thirty years of leading
community service at a church, George Washington oversaw the Sunday declaration of three creeds that
acknowledged Jesus as Lord. He didn't keep silent for long, though, because like Ronald Reagan, he
thought that faith and public policy should be related. However, several people questioned whether this
was true. This is how our country's foundation is created.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was president of the screen before he became president of the United States. He
began his career as an actor before becoming Governor of California in the 1960s. Everything changed in
1981, when Ronald Reagan was elected president and served until 1989. Nobody believed a funny
person on scree could be so serious about America's glory. Ronald Reagan is considered as the ninth
best US president of all time. His opinions on how to support America were highly praised. His greatest-
known accomplishment was lowering income taxes through two separate federal statutes: the Tax
Reform Act of 1986 and the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.Ronald Reagan used a line that became
popular in all his speeches, which was initially used by one of the pilgrim fathers, Father John Winthrop.
Ronald Reagan described America as "a city shining on a hill" (Goeglein 2013).
Soon after Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency in 1981, there was a debate about the
potential achievements of Reaganomics. Reaganomics rejected the economic dogma of the preceding
age, just like Bidenomics did. New theories on how to increase the supply side of the economy and
reframe the role of competition were put forth by both economic agendas. For Bidenomics to be
successful, it must complete the two initiatives to the same extent as Reaganomics did. Changes in how
the government approaches the supply side of the economy are also represented by Reaganomics and
Bidenomics. During the early Reagan administration, the supply-siders prioritized lowering the corporate
and marginal tax rates. On the other hand, the "supply-side progressives" in Biden's administration have
stressed the importance of government involvement in worker protection, investment, and the
expansion of the care sector in recent years (Konczal, 2023).
3 Major Attacks on Christian Foundations
The three biggest attacks on Christian foundations are untraditional marriages, abortions, and
the overarching colossal concerns of religious liberty and conscience. Untraditional marriage is the first
attack against Christian values. It has to do with same-sex or polyamorous marriages. Same-sex
marriages are those in which two men or two women marry. Polyamorous marriages consist of either
two men and a woman or two women and one man. All of this is considered untraditional marriages
since according to the Bible, marriages should only include one man and one woman. In Mark 10:6-9 it
says, “But at the beginning of creation God made the male and female. For this reason, a man will leave
with father and mother and be untied to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Therefore, what
God has joined together, let no one separate” (New International Version Bible, 2024, Mark 10:6-9). In
the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples in the United States,
regardless of where they live, have the same legal right to marry as different-sex couples. I believe that
love is love, and I believe that those who do not share Christian religious beliefs should not be punished
for things they cannot control or for those they love. I am not saying we must agree with it; I am simply
stating that people should be able to be open about who they love.
The most well-known Supreme Court case is Roe v Wade, which established the right of women
to medically safe abortions, making abortion lawful (Planned Parenthood, 2022). Since 1973, there
have been 55 million abortions in the US. I support abortion rights simply because some women may
require one for reasons, they are aware of. It might be anything from a medical diagnosis that could
harm either the baby or the mother, to a rape in which the mother simply cannot manage something so
serious, and I believe those women deserve the option to keep or abort. In Psalms 127:3-5 it says,
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a
warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not
be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court” (New International Version Bible,
2024, Mark 10:6-9). In June of 2022, Roe v Wade was overturned, making safe abortion illegal for
women in most states.
The third major attack on Christian foundations centers on the huge issue of religious liberty and
conscience rights. This religious liberty tradition reflected in the first amendment has been dubbed "first
liberty." It guarantees religious freedom of conscience, bans the government from establishing religion,
and implicitly recognizes the United States as a nation that allows for religious pluralism. Everyone has
the right to worship whomever they choose and to express their religious beliefs openly. In Ephesians
3:12 it says, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (New
International Version Bible, 2024, Ephesians 3:12). Ultimately, we cannot force individuals to become
Christians and follow God and the Bible's teachings. The Employment Division v. Smith decision
incorrectly diminished the Free Exercise of Religious Conscience as a fundamental right. In Employment
Division v. Smith, the Court deviated from its constitutional precedent by recognizing religious freedom
as a basic liberty interest protected by the First Amendment.
Same-sex Marriage
It is well recognized that same-sex marriage is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. By a
vote of 5 to 4, the court decided on June 26, 2015, that states are required by the Fourteenth
Amendment to permit same-sex marriages and to recognize marriages between people of the same
gender in other states. The majority in Obergefell v. Hodges concluded that state laws prohibiting same-
sex marriages are unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection and due
process sections. The protection of same-sex couples is beneficial since there is already too much
hostility in the world. Hate crimes are committed daily for several causes, including sexual orientation,
race, gender identity, and religious beliefs.
One case about same-sex marriage was, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights
Commission (Oyze, 2018). The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who
refused to produce a wedding cake for a gay couple due to religious beliefs. Phillips said that baking
cakes needs his "artistic skills" and that being forced to produce the cake would have violated his free
speech and religious rights. A second case is Van Garderen v. Montana (Clearinghouse, 2023). The
case involves transgender teenagers, their parents, and two medical providers who work with
transgender youth. They are contesting a 2023 Montana legislation that prohibits gender-affirming care
for trans youth. The plaintiffs accuse the statute of infringing their Montana Constitution rights, such as
the right to equal protection, access to medical care, and parental authority over their children's
upbringing. Tamer Mahmoud v. Monifa McKnight, a third case I found, occurred in Maryland
(American Civil Liberties Union, 2023). The case is about the ACLU, and the ACLU of Maryland
filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to support
Montgomery County Public Schools' attempts to guarantee that its English curriculum is LGBTQ-
inclusive.
Conclusion
Tim Goeglein ended his presentation by discussing the job of a Christian in light of the prior
attacks. I believe the world is reverting to its old ways, and we are not going forward as we should. I
believe this became evident to me when women's safe abortion rights were taken away. I'll never
understand why people can't just appreciate someone for who they are rather than projecting their
ideas onto someone who isn't like them. Everyone is unique in their own manner, including gender,
race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. As a Christian, I believe in loving others as you would
yourself, without judgment. I believe that God wants you to love everyone, no matter how they are.
References
American Civil Liberties Union. (2023). Tamer Mahmoud v. Monifa McKnight. Retrieved
from)https://www.aclu.org/cases/tamer-mahmoud-v-monifa-mcknight
Clearinghouse. (2023). Van Garderen v. Montana. Retrieved
from)https://clearinghouse.net/case/44159/
Konczal, M. (2023). “Bidenomics” vs. “Reaganomics”. Retrieved
from)https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/bidenomics-reaganomics/
#:~:text=Reaganomics—like%20Bidenomics—rejected%20the,as%20thoroughly
%20as%20Reaganomics%20did.
Masterpiece cakeshop, ltd. v. Colorado civil rights commission. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved
January 25, 2024, from)https://www.oyez.org/cases/2017/16-111
New International Version. (2024). Ephesians 3:12. Retrieved
from)https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=Ephesians+3%3A12&version=NIV
New International Version. (2024). Mark 10:6-9. Retrieved
from)https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A6-
9&version=NIV
New International Version. (2024). Psalms 127:3-5. Retrieved
from)https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms++127%3A3-
5&version=NIV
Planned Parenthood. (2022). Roe v. wade overturned: How the supreme court let
politicians outlaw abortion. Retrieved
from)https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/roe-v-wade
