Hey that's great, Rick. Thanks for posting good news about women's issues. I always liked Carter for his commitment to public service, especially his work with Habitat for Humanity. His willingness to stand on principle, even this late in life, shows he is a man of integrity. It's amazing, how religion, the supposed fountain of love and kindness, breeds such bigotry and hatred toward gays, people of color and women.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <r...@...> wrote: > > > Jimmy Carter Leaves Church Over Treatment of Women > 7/20/09 > After more than 60 years together, Jimmy Carter has announced himself at > odds with the Southern Baptist Church -- and he's decided it's time they go > their separate ways. Via Feministing > <http://www.feministing.com/archives/016792.html> > <http://www.feministing.com/archives/016792.html> , the former president > called the decision "unavoidable" after church leaders prohibited women from > being ordained and insisted women be "subservient to their husbands." Said > Carter in an essay in The Age > <http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/losing-my-religion-for-equality-20090714-d > k0v.html?page=-1> > <http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/losing-my-religion-for-equality-20090714-d > k0v.html?page=-1> : > 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. > > And, later: > The truth is that male religious leaders have had -- and still have -- an > option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They > have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their > continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the > pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. > After watching everyone from philandering politicians to Iran's president > taking a sudden look heavenwards when the roof starts to come down on them, > it's refreshing to see Carter calling out the role of religion in the > mistreatment of women. > > The question for Carter -- and for others who find themselves at odds with > leadership -- is, when a group you're deeply involved in starts to move away > from your own core beliefs, do you stay and try to change from within or, at > some point, do you have to look for the exit? Carter did give the former a > shot -- in recent years publicly criticizing and distancing himself from > church leadership, while staying involved with his church. Now, he's seeing > if absence might do what presence did not. >
