The Smartest Investors Club
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

The Smartest Investors Club

Politics

Jimmy Carter was a man of faith and that’s how we should remember him 

by January 9, 2025
January 9, 2025
Jimmy Carter was a man of faith and that’s how we should remember him 

When Jimmy Carter began attending the First Baptist Church in Washington after becoming president, I thought it a unique opportunity to better understand his faith. He taught a Sunday School class as he had done for years in his native Plains, Georgia, and I joined it. 
 
Carter was an excellent teacher. He knew the Scriptures well and on one occasion he asked me to teach the class, which was an experience I shall never forget. 
 
After the service, we went downstairs for coffee. There was a basket on the table for people to pay 25 cents for the beverage. Carter reached in his pocket and found no money. He asked wife Rosalynn if she had brought any change. She had not. I said, ‘How far have we declined when the president of the United States can’t pay for coffee?’ I gave him a quarter and he laughed. 

 
Years later, after he had left the presidency, we met at a function and I reminded him of that time in the church basement. He reached in his pocket and this time had a quarter which he handed to me and said, ‘we’re even.’ I kept that quarter on my desk for years, unable to prove he gave it to me, but we both knew. 

When Carter announced during the 1976 presidential campaign that he was a born-again Christian, most of the media were flummoxed. John Chancellor of NBC News announced that he had looked up the term and ‘it is nothing new.’ If he had read the Bible that Carter read, he would have known this. Carter’s announcement and faithful church attendance attracted many newly energized evangelical voters which helped him defeat Gerald Ford in the November election. 

 
By 1980 most of those voters had abandoned him in favor of Ronald Reagan, not because they necessarily doubted Carter’s declaration of his faith, but because they disagreed with his application of it. Carter had made Sarah Weddington part of his administration. Weddington was the attorney who argued the Roe vs. Wade case before the Supreme Court, resulting in the overturning of all state election laws restricting the procedure. Carter also hosted a ‘White House Conference on Families,’ which included same-sex couples, anathema to most conservative Christians. 
 
No one should question the sincerity of another person’s faith, but its application is fair game for analysis. Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion and Democracy says Carter’s faith was more in line with liberal Protestantism: ‘Although he professed admiration for Christian realist Reinhold Niebuhr, Carter’s accommodation of foreign adversaries, pseudo-pacifism, undermining of allies, and endless faith in personal diplomacy all more resembled the religious left’s utopian aspirations. It’s appropriate that Carter’s controversial UN Ambassador, Andrew Young, whom he removed for prematurely meeting PLO chief Yasir Arafat, later served as president of the National Council of Churches,’ a theologically and politically liberal organization. 

In 1979, at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Roman Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen began his remarks this way: ‘Fellow sinners.’ Turning to Carter, he added, ‘and that includes you, Mr. President.’ Carter laughed along with the audience. 

Related Topics

Opinion
Senate Democrats
Presidential
US Religions Christianity
Faith

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Newsom calls Trump’s claims ‘pure fiction’ after president-elect points finger over California fire tragedy
next post
Biden approves $500M Ukraine security package 11 days before Trump takes office

You may also like

House committee sets up vote to expand Section...

Blinken, on Gaza aid, says US has to...

Experts slam leaked UNRWA report claiming Israel coerced...

Trump says Biden admin. ‘knows what is happening’...

Biden vs. Trump. Is a debate fair game...

US scrambles as drones shape the landscape of...

Who is Kash Patel? Trump’s pick to lead...

Major pro-life group lays out aggressive plans for...

How Trump, or Kamala, could win, as all...

Harris suggests ‘consequences’ are on the table for...

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • Sycamore Gap: Two men convicted of felling one of UK’s most famous...

    • Putin, Xi and friendly world leaders celebrate Russia’s Victory Day at Moscow Parade

    • Ellen Miles is planting seeds of hope through guerrilla gardening

    • US Policy Momentum, Clinical Progress Fueling Psychedelics Market in 2025

    • China has spent billions developing military tech. Conflict between India and Pakistan could be its first major test

    Categories

    • Business (1,633)
    • Investing (4,791)
    • Politics (7,535)
    • World (6,128)
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • About us

    Disclaimer: thesmartestinvestorsclub.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 thesmartestinvestorsclub.com | All Rights Reserved


    Back To Top