Former Southern Baptist Convention leader believes today's Christians can draw valuable lesson — both positive and negative — from jimmy carter's faith.
Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, and immediate past president of the SBC, makes a similar point in a new column for the magazine. baptist reviewswhere Although he questions some of Carter's theological beliefs, he praises Carter's dedication to the church and humanitarian aid.
Carter, who served as President of the United States from 1977 to 1980, died on December 29th. age of 100. He was the oldest former or current president in the country's history.
“We need to learn a lot from Jimmy Carter's good deeds. His faithfulness to his church, his faithfulness to his wife, his steadfast charity, and his longing for peace among the people. who teeth trapped In combat zones, these things are dying out in our culture., and they are need to strengthened. I hope the occasion of his death is that time “When people defend these virtues,” Barber wrote.
“We all need to learn from Mr. Carter's mistakes,” he added. “Where President Carter went wrong, he made great use of what I long ago termed 'Hoover hermeneutics.' You can get away with almost anything while claiming to believe the Bible is correct. absolutely It's true for you just Continuing to claim that the Bible is rarely written absolutely clear. Carter did this well. ”
Barber said Carter deserves recognition for his dedication to his faith.
“Carter was more passionate about his faith than any of the Reagans: Bush, Clinton, Obama, Trump.” Barber wrote.
in fact, Some Americans thought Carter was “too Christian.””
”He was the first president to call himself a “born again Christian.”' He nearly canceled his winning 1976 campaign when he admitted in an interview with Playboy magazine: he “He committed adultery many times.” [his] heart' This is because he “looked at many women with lustful eyes.”' Quoting and applying the Sermon on the Mount was mostly done before it began during the Carter Presidency.” Barber wrote. “Late Night Talk is shown mocking Carter for saying these lines and portraying him as a lecherous man. Ironically, he was answering a question from Playboy magazine about whether he had ever been so pious, so disciplined, so careful. he There may be some some kind of If he were to occupy the Oval Office, he would be an inflexible theocrat. Whether they used the word to portray him as an arrogant, a wannabe lady friend, or a country clown, many people in the country were uncomfortable with Jimmy Carter's overt religiosity. ”
While in the White House, Carter's faith “remained an integral part of his life.” Barber wrote.
“He immediately joined First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and attended church more than 70 times during his term, an incredible record of church attendance for a sitting president.””
Carter's church attendance “increased after leaving office.”
”He and Rosalynn worked hard as volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.” Barber wrote. “Jimmy Carter received little attention for his efforts to eradicate the Guinea worm disease that afflicts people in some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa.Jimmy Carter led all of these efforts to Jesus. It is connected to the fruits of faith.”
“You know, I think it was sincere. I think it was Jimmy Carter.” Really reborn,” Barber wrote. “I hope to see him in heaven. personal He demonstrated a better Christian walk than we would expect from a political leader. ”
Still, Barber said Carter's beliefs were not without flaws.
“Jimmy Carter believed that humans can be saved Besides trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation,” Barber wrote. “He tended to be pretty evasive with his statements along these lines, rather than people just making claims. will be saved Apart from the Gospel, Carter believes that (1) the content of the Bible is subject to change, (2) Carter does not like to be critical, and therefore (3) believes that humans are capable of There was a tendency to say that I had chosen something. be saved Even if they reject the gospel. He was wrong on the first point, which made his conclusion also wrong. ”
When it came to abortion, Barber wrote, Carter tried and failed to find a middle ground.
“Mr. Carter said: personally Abortion is considered wrong;” he wrote. “He also said he didn’t think Jesus would approve of abortion. he opposed federal funding for abortion; But he supported the Roe v. Wade legislation that legalized abortion at any stage of pregnancy. This approach to abortion is incomprehensible, which is why abortion has become obsolete. The person in the womb is either the person in the womb or it is not. Why shouldn't abortion be done if there's no one in the womb? Why shouldn't the government fund it? If there is a person in the womb, what reason other than barbarity can there be for not protecting that person's life? carters position is always half house “Cry for abortion”' Today's Democratic Party Position, But Carter's Position myself That seemed to be his sincere belief. If he showed any evidence that his position had changed, I didn't know about it. ”
Carter also leans to the left on LGBT issues.
”His administration became the first to welcome gay rights activists to the White House.” Barber wrote. “He claimed (falsely) that Jesus said nothing about same-sex marriage. After the 2015 Obergefell decision, Carter endorsed a completely unchristian sexual ethic: “honest, honest, and without harm to others.” I think Jesus would encourage any kind of love.”' This approach would pave the way for adultery (if kept secret or condoned by the other spouse), polyamory, and all other forms of debauchery.”
carters Positions on social issues may have been driven by politics, Barber wrote.
“Part of Jimmy Carter's motivation for minimizing Biblical clarity on important issues and his reluctance to apply the moral teachings of his faith to others'' I think it was simply that his political supporters and his party were moving away from the Christian faith in these areas, and Carter wanted to maintain their affiliation and support. Ta.” Barber wrote. “At this very point, we Baptists need to show a little more respect for the Anabaptist project.…How much can Christians commit to politics without giving themselves over to politics? How difficult is it to accept it as your calling, without accepting it as your first and highest calling?”
Barber said both sides of the ideological aisle can learn from Carter.
“Perhaps what we should learn from Jimmy Carter is that he actually He was a Christian and was excellent in that respect, but the state of affairs is a place where it is difficult for even good Christians to remain true to their faith.” Barber wrote. “His compromise is not Really It's incomprehensible. Politics explains them. This kind of analysis is probably the least likely to take place, Because such questions will not prove any of us innocent. But it is the most needed for the very same reason. ”
Photo credit: ©Facebook/Bert Barber
michael faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His articles have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star, and Knoxville News Sentinel.
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