Jimmy Carter: 'Losing My Religion For Equality'

[yortsed snacilbuper]

For most of his life, Jimmy Carter has been an advocate for human rights. In 1982, one year after leaving the Oval Office, the former US President and his wife Rosalynn Carter, founded the Carter Center, dedicated to advancing peace and health worldwide. Still an activist at 90, Carter has authored 28 books, including a new book in 2014 called, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power.

Over the years, Jimmy Carter, a devout Christian, has become a very strong proponent of women's rights, to a point where he has spoken out against the falsehoods and extremism we see within the 'religion' of Christianity today. In 2009, he penned an open letter, severing ties with the mega SBC/Southern Baptist Convention, after being a member of the Convention for 60 years. Carter said the decision was difficult and painful, yet 'unavoidable,' after the Convention leaders chose to take bible verses out of context and claim 'Eve' was responsible to for 'original sin,' and thus all women must be subservient to men.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/04/24/1379812/-Jimmy-Carter-Losing-My-Religion-For-Equality?detail=email

[beam me up scottie]

1. I've always had a lot of respect for Carter, especially after he told the Southern Baptists

to fuck off.

But I lost some when he sided with Texas about same sex marriage:

"I don't think that the government ought to ever tell the church to marry people, if the church doesn't want to. I'm a Baptist and the congregation of our church will decide whether we have a man or a woman as pastor, and whether we'll marry gay people or not," Carter, the first elected evangelical Christian president, told WFAA-TV.

When asked if he saw same-sex marriage being established nationwide, Carter said, "I'm kind of inclined to let the states decide individually."

"As you see more and more states are deciding on gay marriage every year. If Texas doesn't want to have gay marriage, then I think that's a right for Texas people to decide," Carter said."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/27/jimmy-carter-gay-marriage_n_6055322.html

Very disappointing. We simply cannot let voters decide who gets what civil rights. I wish he would support lgbt rights as strongly as he does mine.

[mountain grammy]

2. Here's the thing about Carter

He will always do what's right.

[beam me up scottie]

3. So it's right to let states ban same sex marriage ???

[mountain grammy]

7. Of course not, and I don't think that's where carter is either.

[beam me up scottie]

8. What am I missing?

He actually said "If Texas doesn't want to have gay marriage, then I think that's a right for Texas people to decide,"

That doesn't leave much wiggle room for interpretation.

[mountain grammy]

9. I think he may be confused and conflicted

He's made it clear in the past that he thought the court should decide this for the country. I will always believe Carter will do the right thing. One of few.

[beam me up scottie]

10. So you're saying there's still hope for him.

He's made it clear in the past that he thought the court should decide this for the country.

Which court, SCOTUS?

He stated he thinks states should be able to decide for themselves, that's the opposite of letting SCOTUS decide. If he changed his mind I haven't heard about it.

It's too bad he had to weigh in on the wrong side of this issue, he's done so much good everywhere else.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. His comment sounds as stupid as a teabagger.

"I don't think that the government ought to ever tell the church to marry people."

This is just a fabrication to get people upset---no one is saying that the "church" must marry LGBT's. Hell, many churches will not marry heterosexuals who are not members of that church, and the government is not forcing them to change that policy.

[beam me up scottie]

6. I kept waiting for him to come back and say he changed his mind.

It's not like he's an uninformed rube who doesn't understand what's at stake.

It's just so fucking unfair to say that lgbt people have to wait until the majority thinks they can legally marry. Hell, slavery would still be legal in some states if they got to decide who's entitled to civil rights.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. I was totally shocked when I saw this title.

I first saw it in a different location, but it was something that I would never expect. Carter has always seemed to me to be the definition of a Christian...walking the walk. I am not surprised that he would stand up for women's rights.

I guess I have not paid attention to him recently, so I was not aware that he had left the SBC. I always wondered how he could side with that crew anyways.