Truce - History of the Christian Church

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The Iran-Contra Affair was a major political scandal in the United States during the second term of President Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s. At its core, the affair involved the secret sale of arms to Iran—despite an arms embargo—in the hopes of securing the release of American hostages held by Hezbollah in Lebanon. These sales were initiated covertly by members of the U.S. government, who believed they could foster better relations with moderate elements in Iran while also achieving humanitarian aims. The operation violated official U.S. policy and Congressional restrictions, particularly the Boland Amendment, which explicitly prohibited aid to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

The second part of the scandal involved diverting profits from the Iranian arms sales to fund the Contras, a right-wing rebel group fighting the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The Reagan administration had viewed the Contras as essential to stopping the spread of communism in Central America. However, Congress had explicitly forbidden further military aid to the Contras, making the diversion of funds both illegal and secretive. Key figures in the affair included Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council, who helped coordinate the operation, as well as senior officials like National Security Advisor John Poindexter.

When the operation was exposed in 1986, it triggered a political firestorm and led to multiple investigations by Congress and an independent counsel. While President Reagan claimed he had no knowledge of the diversion of funds, the scandal significantly damaged his administration’s credibility. Several officials were convicted of crimes related to the affair, though many were later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush. The Iran-Contra Affair remains a powerful example of executive overreach and the risks of conducting foreign policy outside the bounds of democratic oversight.

Sources:


Nixonland by Rick Perlstein


Vietnam Ken Burns documentary, especially episodes 2 and 7


Time article about the credibility gap

Reagan's 1981 inaugural address on C-SPAN


Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz

fun video about the video game Contra

Brief article about the Boland Amendment

PBS article about Iran-Contra


Way Out There In the Blue by Frances Fitzgerald


article about North's time as NRA head

article about Oliver North

Fox News website about Oliver North

Los Angeles Times article “Religious Right Drums Up Support for North” September 3, 1988


The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald


Shadow Network by Anne Nelson

Battiata, M. (1987, Sep 26). "Beverly LaHaye and the hymn of the right; leading her women in support of Reagan, bork, and SDI: The
Washington Post (Pre-1997 Fulltext)"


article about Robert Bork

Discussion Questions:

What was the Iran-Contra scandal about?

Why did the US support the overthrow of Nicaragua?

Should politicians be held accountable for their lies? How?

What crimes/ actions are enough to make you stop supporting a politician?

What happens when we tie our Christian faith to politicians? Political movements?

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A bunch of evangelicals like Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell pushed many in the evangelical movement to support Ronald Reagan for president. The New Right tied them to the Republican Party. But... what did they get for their efforts?

In this mini-episode, Chris lays out some of the few things they got. And some of the things that Reagan did that upset these evangelicals with large followings.

One thing they didn't like was the appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female Supreme Court judge. But Reagan did dedicate a day of prayer and offered an amendment to protect prayer in schools (though it was never going to pass).

It's possible that what Reagan really left these evangelicals with large followings was not legislation, but permission to use deeply flawed individuals to achieve their goals.

Sources:


God's Own Party by Daniel K Williams


The Invisible Bridge, Nixonland, and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein


Proclamation 4999. National Family Week 1982


Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz


The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald


New York Times article about the O'Connor opposition


Christianity Today article about O'Connor's opposition


New York Times Article “Reagan Proposes School Prayer Amendment, May 18, 1982.


Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ by John G Turner


Article on National Ice Cream Day


Letter from Gary North to Paul Weyrick


Article on the US overthrow of Grenada


Revive Us Again by Joel Carpenter

Discussion Questions:

What did evangelicals get from Reagan?

How did these evangelicals with large followings continue after Reagan?

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Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, often referred to as “Reaganomics,” were based on supply-side economics. His administration focused on reducing the role of government in the economy by cutting taxes, especially for corporations and high-income individuals, with the belief that this would stimulate investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 was a cornerstone of this approach, slashing income tax rates across the board. Reagan also prioritized deregulation, aiming to reduce government oversight in industries such as banking, energy, and transportation, under the idea that less regulation would foster greater business efficiency and innovation.

At the same time, Reagan significantly increased defense spending while aiming to cut domestic programs, which contributed to a substantial rise in the federal budget deficit. While the economy experienced a period of strong growth and declining inflation during his presidency—especially after the early 1980s recession—critics argue that the benefits were unevenly distributed. Income inequality widened, and the national debt tripled by the end of his two terms. So... was it worth it? Who benefited from his programs? And what does that say about us as a nation?

Sources:


Article about Reagan's radio program


The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein


The story of Tom Smith, the bread manufacturer


Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot


Way Out There in the Blue by Frances Fitzgerald


Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz


A bio of Bob Taft

A helpful article about the savings and loan crisis

Discussion Questions:

What does the term "Reaganomics" mean?

Why is trickle-down economics helpful to the rich and not the poor?

Do you think that Americans favor the rich? Why?

How have your opinions about the rich and the poor shaped your faith?

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The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), announced by President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983, was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from nuclear attacks, particularly those launched by the Soviet Union. Often dubbed "Star Wars" by critics, the initiative aimed to develop a space-based shield that could intercept and destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) before they reached U.S. territory. The plan called for the use of advanced technologies, including ground-based interceptors, space-based lasers, and other futuristic weapon systems, many of which were in the early stages of research or purely theoretical at the time.

Reagan's vision for SDI was rooted in his desire to shift U.S. defense policy away from the Cold War doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), which relied on the threat of retaliatory strikes to deter nuclear war. Instead, SDI aimed to make nuclear weapons "impotent and obsolete" by providing a defensive solution that would render enemy missiles ineffective. The initiative sparked intense debate, both domestically and internationally. Critics argued that it was technologically unfeasible, enormously expensive, and risked escalating the arms race by undermining existing arms control agreements like the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.

Despite its ambitious goals, the Strategic Defense Initiative faced numerous scientific and budgetary challenges, and many of its proposed technologies never moved beyond the conceptual or experimental stages. Nevertheless, SDI played a significant role in the strategic dialogue between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the 1980s, influencing arms negotiations and highlighting the role of technological innovation in defense policy. By the early 1990s, after the Cold War ended, the program was scaled back and eventually evolved into the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization under subsequent administrations.

Sources:


Way Out There in the Blue by Frances Fitzgerald


Reaganland by Rick Perlstein

JFK Library article about the missile gap

PBS article about Reagan's security plans

Reagan's "evil empire" speech

Article from harvest.org about their predictions for Magog

Bill Graham's sermon, which uses the fear of communism to create a sense of urgency


Armageddon and the Coming War with Russia pamphlet by Jerry Falwell


Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ by John G Turner

Discussion Questions:

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative?

What were its goals?

Why did they keep it around even after it was obvious it didn't work?

Does Reagan fit the mold of conservatives of his time? Of conservative Republicans through American history?

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Ronald Reagan was an odd choice for evangelicals. For one, he and his wife regularly consulted a medium. He was a Hollywood actor, which should have put him at odds with fundamentalists. Also, Christians have a long history of charity and compassion, while Reagan's policies cut aid to poor people. But in 1980, a lot of evangelicals turned to the Republican Party to vote for him over the evangelical Jimmy Carter. What happened?

Jimmy Carter gave audience to evangelical audiences, though not in the same way as Reagan. Carter told people to conserve, while Reagan's optimistic consumerism played to the rising prosperity gospel. Reagan delivered his famous endorsement of evangelicals at the Religious Roundtable, while Carter was suspiciously absent. Also, evangelicals have built up a strong craving for leaders. They love a strongman leader. So when Reagan showed up and promised to be tough, they went for him.

Today, we're examining some of the reasons that Reagan became a favorite of evangelicals. And why... maybe that doesn't make sense.

Sources:


Article on shibboleths


Reaganland by Rick Perlstein


The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein


The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald


A Prophet With Honor by William Martin


James Robison's speech at the Religious Roundtable

1980 GOP Platform

Reagan's GOP acceptance speech in 1980

Reagan's inauguration speech

Discussion Questions:

What is a shibboleth?

How do you test if someone is really a Christian? What if they're a politician? Does it matter?

Why did Reagan seem like an unlikely match for evangelicals?

How did Reagan impress evangelicals?

What did this make you think about James Robison?

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