Jimmy Carter, pioneer of the religious right

Almost every tribute to Jimmy Carter inevitably comes with a caveat about Carter as president. While it is true that the “Reagan Revolution” gave America a much-needed jolt of patriotism and economic strength, Carter, our 39th president, consistently exhibited qualities worthy of emulation by his contemporaries. Ta.

Much about the infamous “Carter era” is remembered with understandable disdain. If you were alive in the late 1970s, you probably remember mortgage rates, the Iran hostage crisis, and long lines at gas stations as a teenager. As has been well documented, President Carter's policies and handling of many problems during his presidency failed to improve the nation's economy or the national zeitgeist. Name the issue (energy, economy, welfare, international relations, terrorism, bipartisanship, etc. Al) and President Carter struggled with it.

But many, including myself, deeply admired him as a human being, respected him as a president, and fondly remembered his earnest smile and friendly wave. I believe that Carter was a genuinely good man, but because of his generally honorable nature, he was a politician who did not enjoy political play. Washington insiders were unwilling to work with him, and international leaders don't seem to respect him either.

Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, dies at age 100

Today, our country suffers under yet another “naive president” (although I believe the 39-year-old president was a much better character than the 46-year-old). A late-night comic is getting some light laughs by riffing on how excited Jimmy Carter must have been about Biden's inauguration as president. But unlike Biden; president carter I think it was benign In front of you.

He could have been the guy next door in just about any neighborhood in America's heartland, the guy who taught the neighborhood kids how to fix their bikes. His personality was much like that of my father's friends at the time, a trustworthy and approachable adult who would help if he could. Like Teddy Roosevelt, who devoted his time to Christian causes after the White House, Mr. Carter went from meeting with world leaders to teaching Sunday school.

When President Carter took office in January 1977, the United States was in the aftermath of Watergate, the Vietnam War had ended, and the sexual and social upheaval of the 1960s had created a “new normal.” . The 1970s were a time in its heyday when guilt over sin was despised (thank you, Norman Lear) and the legal strings that tied America to the moral foundations of Western civilization began to be severed (thank you, ACLU).

about the years of change that shaped the country Carter was to inherit. Article from 1964 made this observation about the new thinking of many Americans:

“Pleasure is considered more of a constitutional right than a privilege, and self-denial has come to be seen as folly rather than a virtue, long feared by advances in science. While fear of earthly danger was reduced, skepticism reduced fear of divine punishment.In short, Puritan ethics, long a dominant moral force in the United States, is far from dead. It is widely believed that he is dying, and few people mourn him.

It was in this environment that candidate Jimmy Carter announced that he was a “born-again Christian” (a concept no doubt new to many modern Americans). Affable and honest, Carter injected something into public debate that would change American politics forever. That is the testimony of evangelical Christians.

Using words from the third chapter of the Gospel of John, Candidate Carter spoke of being “born again,” and suddenly the words became part of the American vernacular. General Motors promoted the “Born Again Oldsmobile.” The latest editions of books and TV shows were marketed as “reborn.” Experts scoffed and commentators opined, but the conversation was now irrevocably underway. Politics and religion intermingled, and Jimmy Carter was the catalyst.

From left to right: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and former President Jimmy Carter. (HUM Images/Universal Images Group, Getty Images)

Many other conservative Christian leaders will also join the fight to preserve America's Judeo-Christian foundations. And Jimmy Carter's party is now everything except Let the record show that with the term “religious right,” Carter affirmed something that no Democrat today would dare say. God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible were the foundation of his life and they shaped his beliefs and actions.

Jimmy Carter exhibited “the fruit of the Spirit” (see Galatians 5:22-23). Carter seemed to be illustrating the words of Christ in Mark 10:44. “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.” Carter acted like a gentleman. During the 1980 campaign, both Carter and Reagan embodied characteristics almost unknown in American politics today. They were respectful and dignified, and even their sparring in debates was informative and notable.

The 1970s was a time when many negative issues were set in motion that would have tragic consequences in the coming decades (the rise of modern Islamic fundamentalism, the resurgence of Marxism in Europe, Postmodernism in the Classroom and the Accelerating Disintegration of Families Across the West).

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But it's undeniable that during that same era, someone emerged who embodied some of the best things about America and American leadership. A peanut grower in Georgia tilled the soil of his family farm and was able to become governor and then national leader. . True to his wife's word, Carter raised four children and later became a roof over the heads of those less fortunate. For many years, Carter's standard attire in public was to wear a carpenter's nail apron when wielding a hammer to help others.

Jimmy Carter quietly set an example as he served his country, his church, and his Savior. Mr. President, even though I was only a child at the time, I watched it and took notes. Great, sir, thank you for your service to our country.

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