The Political Fish

Former President Jimmy Carter has been affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention for over 60 years now. He is well known to have been a Bible teacher in his local church. Apparently now that relationship has ended, and its very likely that the SBC will not be sorry to see him go.

Carter, now an 85 year old ex-President, wrote an essay in an Australian publication called the Age stating his disdain over the Southern Baptist Convention’s long held policy that women are not ordained to be pastors.

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

In my mind, as a practicing Christian, it is about time that President Carter splits with the church. His entire political career has been marked with significant differences with the church, namely the SBC on policy and his steadfast anti-semitism that he has consistently shown in his “negotiations” for peace in Israel and Palestine.

Disgustingly, Carter ties in the SBC policy of not ordaining women with the barbaric practices of religion around the world.

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

Mr Carter, the Southern Baptist Convention does not condone these practices, nor are these practices carried out legally in the United States at all. To tie in a Biblical principle of male leadership in the church to the mutilation of women in remote places in the Middle East is assinine. If your problem comes with the policy of the SBC, then deal with it here. Sadly, Mr. Carter had to go to a little known (at least here in the States) Australian publication to state these so-called strongly held beliefs, instead of voicing his concern here at home. Would the Atlanta Journal-Constitution not allow him to write an op-ed piece? Highly unlikely, as he has long been allowed to write some of the most illogical op-eds in recent memory ranging in subjects from Israel, Middle East, or his constant bashing of President Bush. His “courageous” stand that he is taking against the church is actually quite cowardly when you look at how it was done. Georgia has an enormous amount of Southern Baptist Churches, and would not likely receive the former Presidents “progressive” views very kindly, as he compares their churchs to Islamism in the Middle East.

Also, this is not a new policy. It is grounded in Biblical teaching and truth. Male leadership in the church is reserved to pastoral duties, deacons etc. Female leadership in the church extends much further. The Bible clearly states these truths, and to imply that women are relegated to sitting in the back rows on Sunday and listening only, is irresponsible at the very least, and is a dangerous statement about the church, as it could cause reprisals against them. Women in fact are not relegated to the “seen and not heard” mantra that Carter seems to link them to. They are teachers, administrators and the list goes on. The Bible only limits womens duties to pastoral leadership. Apparently it has taken Carter more than 60 years to figure this out.

So long President Carter, you have not represented your Christian faith yet again. In fact, you have opened up the Church in America to even more persecution, and have tried to damage the good reputation of the SBC. Thankfully, you were not smart enough to write your illogical op-ed here in the US, so you will continue to remain an irrelevant feature here at home.

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