Fox News recently aired the movie “Killing Reagan.” Of all of the “Killing” movies on Fox News, “Killing Reagan” is the one where the titled character was not actually killed. It is also the one event portrayal that I can actually remember. I was too young to remember the Kennedy assassination. At the end of the movie, Nancy Reagan pled with her husband to take advice from an astrologer with the belief he could avoid getting shot again. The president went along to pacify her.
I can remember when Donald Regan’s book came out bringing to light Nancy Reagan consulting an astrologer to organize the president’s schedule.1 This is very telling and explains her position on abortion.2 While she would have called herself “pro-choice,” that always gets back to the question – Choose what?
What does Nancy Reagan’s consulting an astrologer have to do with her position on abortion, you ask? Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy, and in his last letter that we have, states in 3:16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”3
There are several points to be made here. The first point is that when Paul, Jesus, or any of the New Testament writers refer to scripture, they are referring to the Hebrew Bible or what we now call the “Old Testament.” The New Testament was still being written and organized. So right here, Paul, who wrote half of the New Testament books, is telling us that the Old Testament teaches us truth, and what is right and what is wrong.
Jeremiah, my favorite prophet, quotes God in Jeremiah 10:2 – “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars.4 This is just one of many Bible verses speaking out against astrologers, mediums, psychics, soothsayers, fortune tellers, etc.5 So it is obvious that the Bible was not foundational to Nancy Reagan’s worldview, even though I am sure that Nancy Reagan considered herself a Christian. I am not going to say whether she was or was not. I can definitely say that she did not necessarily have a biblical worldview.6
So when the Bible speaks out against child sacrifice in Jeremiah 7:30-31 – “The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes,” says the Lord. “They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it. They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!7 – as well as numerous other places,8 it is not a wonder that this did not have an effect on Nancy Reagan. I would also argue that Nancy Reagan not building her worldview on the Bible, even though she was a professing Christian, could have been a factor in her son, Ron, becoming an atheist.6 Ron is an intelligent person. He could see his mother’s inconsistent world view did not make any sense.
Again, you cannot expect people to have a biblical worldview if they do not believe the Bible. And if you do not believe the Bible starting with Genesis, you do not believe the Bible.
Terry Read
8. http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Child-Sacrifice