Former president Jimmy Carter reflects on his decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention:
"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. This was in conflict with my belief - confirmed in the holy scriptures - that we are all equal in the eyes of God."
Read Carter's entire editorial as published in The Observer on July 12, 2009, and reposted on the Carter Center website.
I am impressed by former President Carter's action for several reasons: 1) When his ethical humanist values came into conflict with the values espoused by the leadership of his church, he showed he had the courage to stand up for his values publicly. 2) He also showed that he has the flexibility of mind and capacity for change - regardless of age.
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