Carter Calls for Gender Equality in the Baptist Church

By: Prerana Swami
Topics: In The News

(AP Photo/Atef Safadi, Pool)

Former President Jimmy Carter is getting some attention for recently reiterating his separation from the Southern Baptist Convention due to gender discrimination. In an opinion piece that appeared in The Observer, a weekly newspaper in London, the former president said "the words of God do not justify cruelty to women."

In the op-ed last week, Mr. Carter called his severance with the church "painful and difficult." Yet, he said his decision was "unavoidable," as the church preached sexism, using examples of Adam and Eve to fuel female subservience and prohibiting women from serving in the church.

"The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women," Mr. Carter wrote. "They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter."

Mr. Carter says that such beliefs justify many crimes in addition to denying them access to equal education, employment, and other benefits.

"The view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief," Mr. Carter wrote. "This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries."

The former president says he and a group of prominent independent global leaders are challenging world leaders to change such teachings and practices.

"It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population," Mr. Carter wrote. "We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices."

Mr. Carter says the sexism by the church is not only a "clear violation" of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set down by the United Nations, but also a violation of the teachings of many religious figures.

The former president announced his severance in 2000, after the church took a position against women pastors.

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by DismasUSA July 24, 2009 1:36 PM EDT

My personal opinion of Jimmy Carter is; he's an antisemitic, old, Jew hating, reprobate, and he's probably a card carrying member of the KKK.

As for Carter's opinion of women's role in the Southern Baptist Church, the SBC just follows the outline of hierarchy, Paul described in the New Testament. There is no cruelty involved. And, no one is kidnapping women and making them wear burqas, or beating them for speaking to other men, in the SBC. They simply can not have leadership roles in the Church.

If a woman wants to be a preacher, there are plenty of "churches" that allow women to preach. There is no cruelty going on. If someone's liberal sensibilities are wounded by the SBC's policies, then go somewhere else. It's not (yet) a crime to believe that the Holy Bible has a description in it, that is the best way to run a Congregation.

I could understand all the hubbub if they were actually causing harm to women, rather than just saying, "Women can not be preachers or hold a leadership role in the SBC churches. You liberals stick your noses in others people business, to much. Why don't you go worry about the women in Islam? The get beaten, and experience clitoral mutilation, and are subject to honor killings if they don't do what the males in the family tells them to do.

Southern Baptist women can't preach. . . Islamic women are murdered for saying no to their fathers, or husbands. Southern Baptist women are asked (underline asked) to defer to their husbands. . . Islamic women are forced to wear burqas and have their ******** removed. Get a little perspective, go fight a fight that needs fighting. Southern Baptist women are not being abused. There is no cruelty being perpetrated on Southern Baptist women.

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by bluiiis61 August 29, 2009 12:18 PM EDT: You obviously didn't read the full statement. Not that it would make very much difference to you, I'm afraid, based on what I gather from your vitriolic statement. May you be, one day, blessed with peace.


by PneumaPilot July 21, 2009 6:22 PM EDT: Yes, how dare those Southern Baptists believe that women can only teach lowly women! If they are not able to also teach the much higher-esteemed men, then they must not be full-fledged human beings! Yes, anything endorsed by the UN must be of a higher authority than the word of God. Let's call for a change of this Bible thing posthaste! [/sarcasm]

Only a respect for God's authority in His word can lead someone to see both the equal value of both genders and the difference of their roles.; Reply to this comment


by excoachken July 21, 2009 2:06 PM EDT: Care Mr. Carter, you are talking to the most sexually insecure men in America.; Reply to this comment