How Ron Reagan, Son of a True Believer, Became an Atheist

I’ll miss the Democratic presidential debates — especially watching Ron Reagan tell us he’s a “lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell.”

It may be my all-time favorite TV ad, delivered with a slight grin and perfect timing — very Reagan-like — by the son of the 40th U.S. president.

He’s touting the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a 32,000-member organization of nonbelievers that fights for the separation of church and state.

The 30-second spot was squirted into commercial breaks during three of the 11 Democratic debates. The major networks refused to run the ad, but CNN was fine with it — and the more than $200,000 the foundation said it paid for the TV time.

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How did a son of Republicans Ronald and Nancy Reagan become an “unabashed atheist”? And how did the parents take that?

As Easter approached, I thought more about this and called Ron Reagan, 61, at his home in Seattle.