It has been over a week since the passing of Ronald Reagan. America's 40th president passed away on June 5th, 2004, and America watched the services to honor him in mourning. Much emotion is automatically brought up at Reagan's name. Some were even insulting him and his memory, while the services were going on, such as political cartoonist Ted Rall who said that Reagan should be a crispy brown by now.

For such diehard conservatives as myself, such a remark is one that can only arouse anger. Many of us never knew him personally of course. I certainly didn't. When I was born, he was president-elect. I don't remember much personally, but I do look back on history and hear the arguments from both sides, and read the quotes of what Reagan said and have eventually come to the conclusion that he was the greatest president we ever had.

Let me also add that I am not coming from a rich family. I would say that we are middle-class but we are by no means well off. There are a lot of financial struggles. However, I would also point out that though I favor the way Reagan handled the economy, that is not the main reason I think he was the best president, so I will not comment on those.

One of the first stories I remember hearing is about the air traffic controllers. These people went on strike and refused to work. Reagan went out to handle it and did not buckle a bit to their demands. He just came out and told them they were to go to work or they were fired. Some refused to believe him. Their begging did not get them their jobs back either.

Too often in our society we've entered the position where we cater to whiners. I could say today that the cry for gay marriage, and our submitting too often is because we are catering to whiners. I would even say the same for abortion now as I believe that if we had a vote today on whether abortion should be legal or not, it would lose.

We didn't get this from Reagan. We got a man who was rock solid and if something was right to do, it was right. If it was wrong to do, it was wrong. When the UPS strike was going on during the Clinton era, I couldn't help but wonder how it would be different if Reagan was still president.

I would also like to bring up his humor. Reagan could always say something to make people laugh. As I listened to radio programs, I heard quotes of Reagan speaking. The man always said things that were funny which brought me down to my parents and saying "Do you remember that?" Such an example is when after the assassination attempt when he was in the hospital room he looked at the doctors and said "I hope you're all Republicans."

And this clearly shows in how he handled the best memory of his presidency, the defeat of the "Evil Empire." First off, Reagan called evil, evil. There was never any doubt about it. When he used the term "Evil Empire", the media balked and felt sure Russia would start bombing us then and there.

They never did though. Reagan knew that we could not compromise with Russia. What they were doing was evil against mankind. He knew that evil would always fall in the end, and that if people had the truth, they would be ready to fight.

There is a story that when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor that Winston Churchill broke open a bottle of champagne and said "We've won the war!" His generals thought he was crazy, but he responded by saying that the American people were the type that if you lit a fire under them, they would not relent. I believe Reagan had the same thought in mind and knew that if he lit America's fires, America would rise to any challenge.

At his funeral, Gorbachev is reported as saying we both lost the cold war as we each lost billions of dollars and wasted plenty of time. Mr. Gorbachev was wrong. America did not lose the cold war. America won it. This is simply historical revisionism. One nation is still here today. One nation isn't. The answer is clear.

Reagan handled even Russia in a humorous way. He warmed up his mike before a presidential radio address in August of 1984 by saying, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation what will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." The media panicked of course, but Reagan never had any fear in making his remark. He knew evil could not win and indeed, it didn't.

And before too long he was giving the orders. He was in Germany with the order of "Mr. Gorbachev! Tear down this wall!" All one needs to do is go to Germany and see if that wall is still there. Reagan did what no one else had done to Communism, and it could have been even from going as far back as remembering Whittaker Chambers warning us about the evils of Communism in the 50's.

Reagan had such an impact that the one who was his enemy showed up at his funeral. (Mr Gorbachev I mean, not the Clintons.) He had such an impact that a nation watched in mourning. Newspapers sold out rather quickly in several areas as people wanted to have the memories of Reagan. This wasn't generated by the media. This was a direct outworking of what the American people wanted.

So why am I writing this as an apologist? Because I believe in heroes. I believe the world needs heroes. I see the superhero movie craze, which I enjoy as well, and think that it indicates that people want heroes to come and fight evil. I also believe that Reagan was one of those heroes.

It helps that Reagan was a man of faith as well as one heard listening to those he knew commenting on his life. Men have to have faith to be heroes. If you look at evil as it is, you will be intimidated. If you look at evil against the face of goodness though, one has no need to be intimidated.

The point comes home when I remember what radio host Rush Limbaugh said on his radio program. When asked if there would be another Reagan, he replied that there would be. He said though that there were already many Reagans. These were the people on the street that might never be famous but do what Reagan did. They call evil evil, and they don't compromise.

And now I look at the world. Evil is rising. Unfortunately, it can't be confined to a single nation. It can't be confined to Russia or to Islamic terrorist nations. Evil is universal. I see a world that is dying. That concerns me but doesn't surprise me. However, I see the church dying. That does concern me.

Yes. I know the church will never die. I know that the gates of Hell will not stand against it, however, that doesn't mean we need to be lax. I also know according to Revelation that evil will be ultimately defeated someday. That doesn't mean though that I should be lax in how I face evil.

The church is dying though. Our youth don't see Christianity as relevant to them today. Christiantiy is too often seen as a way to be a good person and go to Heaven when you die instead of a view that changes how you see everything in the world. Christianity is a world-view. It's not a self-view.

We see the rise of many cults and false religions. Secularism is increasing in an age when it should be decreasing. Friends. Never before have we had as much information as we do today that can be used to defend the faith. However, we could also have the greatest ignorance of all of these truths.

The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons are not afraid to come to our doors. Why should they be? We haven't properly trained up our churches to answer their challenges. Friends, these groups should be trembling to come before us. I've debated the Mormons at my church and they stay away. The Jehovah's Witnesses were at my door earlier this year and after we got to the deity of Christ, could only respond in fear. A circuit overseer showed up at my door after the lesson on Christ and did not want to discuss theology a bit. When I go into Jehovah's Witnesses rooms on the internet PALtalk chat program, I get thrown out on sight, assuming I'm not banned from the room. They are in fear. My question is, why can't the whole church leave them in fear?

But Nick, someone will say. We don't want to scare them away. Friends. I think we should have them scared. I think we should put the fear of God in all false religions. Christians have too often been viewed as simple-minded and ignorant. Imagine the Watchtower giving orders to its followers to not go to the houses of Christians. How many might wonder why? (I use Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons also because they are the ones we usually encounter most.)

Walter Martin said that the average Jehovah's Witness could make the average Christian a doctrinal pretzel in 30 seconds or less. What if it was the other way around? What if Christians took the example of Reagan and stood up to fight. What if they called a lie a lie and refused to compromise? What if we really stood up and said "We believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and not only do we believe it, we'll stand by it and defend it."

Yes. The church needs heroes today. To me, Ronald Reagan is an inspiration. He made a difference when he lived and left the world a better place when he found it. There is a quote that says "When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice."

So today, I issue the challenge. Reagan has passed away, but has left us a tremendous example. Let us stand up and rise to the challenge.

Let's be heroes.