I have been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief - confirmed in the holy scriptures - that we are all equal in the eyes of God.
Jimmy Carter is one of the few people who actually attempt to lead a Christian life. If he had been re-elected president in 80 the world would be in better shape today.
OK... Several things I should mention when it comes to Jimmy Carter;
1. He was President when I came of voting age in 1979. The choices were Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan or independent John Anderson. Like a typical narrow minded, dumb-ass republican (which is the party I grew up in), I wanted to have my I-HOP waffles and eat them too (neo-libretarian?). I voted for Anderson as a protest vote against both major party candidates. I soon realized that voting for Anderson was a wasted vote and I might as well have voted for Reagan.
2. Jimmy Carter was a Submarine Captain in the United States Navy. I was a submariner myself and I will personally rip the tits off anyone who slags me or any of my submariner brothers.
3. Carter has been the greatest Ex-President ever. I think he has accomplished more since he got out of office than he did while he was in.
4. I believe Jimmy Carter's church abandoned him as opposed to him abandoning his church. The Southern Baptist faith (among others) has, in my opinion, wildly over-reacted to 9-11 and have become that which they fear most (religious zealots).
5. I'm just going to go nuts here on this last point, and I know it's inviting a flame war but don't you red-neck dummies get it? They're not laughing with you, they're laughing at you. Do you not understand the meaning of "irony"? As I checked out RSU comments and profiles and blogs, I saw that the vast majority had some sort of intolerant message (ie; the Dems are going to take away your guns and bibles or Obama is the anti-christ, etc.) After 30 years of class wafare, actual warfare (and I'm a veteran so don't even go there with that sh*t), racism, economic suicide, willful ignorance of scientific truth, etc., etc,. Lets face it, the Republican party has hitched it's wagon to a horse that was first out of the gate in the 80's, faltered in the 90's, charged hard in the 00's but has dropped dead on the track. They've burned every bridge, crossed every line, violated every principle of decency. Today's Republican party bears no resemblance to that of my Father's Republican party.
I'm not sure, but I think all the right wingers who posted the intolerant messages fled this site once they realized there were people here who had opposing viewpoints. They thought they would come here and get an echo chamber. Good post on Carter. Despite any flaws he may have, he is a great man.
Jimmy Carter may have been the most moral, upstanding man ever to live in the White House.
And he didn't quadruple the national debt, he didn't preside over the most corrupt administration in American history, and he didn't fund and supply murder, torture and rape in Latin America.
The wife and I put in three weekends working on one of their houses. It was fun and enlightening. I was surprised at the way the work got done without anybody bossing anybody around: people just formed teams around the guy who knew what he was doing and went to work.
Does anyone actually remember the Carter administration? Stagflation, gas shortages, "malaise", the Soviet Union on the march in Afghanistan and Central America, the President meanwhile telling us that the Cold War would end when we learned to co-exist with a "not-undemocratic" Soviet Union, and the ayatollahs making him look the fool.
Yes Patrick, I do remember that era. I remember it well. Perhaps better than you do. Stagflation was the result of Nixon's ill-advised economic policies (deficit spending).
The gas shortage of 1976 was when our "allies" in Saudi Arabia decided to stick it to us (and let's not forget how they stuck it to us 25 years later).
" Malaise" was never in a Carter speech, that was Peggy Noonan, a Reagan speech-writer's words.
The Soviet Union was an independent country that neither Jimmy Carter nor you nor I had any control over.
By the way Patrick, I'm just curious. How many years have you spent in the service of your country? Are you a veteran of military service? I am. So unless you can step up...
The rest of your "question' or "comment" is rhetorical and/or un-supported so don't bother quoting your wacky right-wing talk radio douche bags.
Military service doesn't actually make you any more qualified to talk about political issues, as evidenced by your simplistic assertions about how Carter "had no control" over the USSR and that therefore he can't be blamed for his dismal foreign affiars preformance. More to the point, using your service as a rhetorical bludgeon is quite simply dishonorable to the armed forces.
Well, truth be told, yes it does. I actually risked my life for my country, I am sick and tired of blowhards like you regurgitating the Rush Limbaugh party line and claiming the patriotic high ground. The retarded era is over. Either step up or get out of the way because I'm done fuckin' around.