Jimmy Carter: "Jesus Never Said a Word About Homosexuality"

Jimmy Carter may not have been the greatest of presidents, but certainly has shown himself to be a true Christian in the positive sense in contrast to Christianists who are better known for the hate and intolerance that are their primary hallmarks. In a new book, NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Carter makes some statements that will cause Christianists to convulse and spray spittle. More specifically, Carter notes that Christ never said a word about homosexuality -something that was well known and prevalent in the Roman dominated world of Christ's time. Huffington Post has a piece in which Carter is interviewed about the new book and topics that include among other things the treatment of women and gays, and Bible literalism. Here are some highlights:

What do you say to those who point to certain scriptures that women should not teach men or speak in church? (1 Corinthians 1:14):

I separated from the Southern Baptists when they adopted the discriminatory attitude towards women, because I believe what Paul taught in Galatians that there is no distinction in God’s eyes between men and women, slaves and masters, Jews and non-Jews -– everybody is created equally in the eyes of God.

There are some things that were said back in those days –- Paul also said that women should not be adorned, fix up their hair, put on cosmetics, and that every woman who goes in a place of worship should have her head covered. Paul also said that men should not cut their beards and advocated against people getting married, except if they couldn’t control their sexual urges. Those kinds of things applied to the customs of those days. Every worshipper has to decide if and when they want those particular passages to apply to them and their lives.

A lot of people point to the Bible for reasons why gay people should not be in the church, or accepted in any way.

Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things -– he never said that gay people should be condemned. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.

I draw the line, maybe arbitrarily, in requiring by law that churches must marry people. I’m a Baptist, and I believe that each congregation is autonomous and can govern its own affairs. So if a local Baptist church wants to accept gay members on an equal basis, which my church does by the way, then that is fine. If a church decides not to, then government laws shouldn’t require them to.

Should we approach the Bible literally, or metaphorically?

When we go to the Bible we should keep in mind that the basic principles of the Bible are taught by God, but written down by human beings deprived of modern day knowledge. So there is some fallibility in the writings of the Bible. . . . The example that I set in my private life is to emulate what Christ did as he faced people who were despised like the lepers or the Samaritans. He reached out to them, he reached out to poor people, he reached out to people that were not Jews and treated them equally. The more despised and the more in need they were, the more he emphasized that we should go to and share with them our talent our ability, our wealth, our influence.

What a difference from the message of condemnation, hate, division and intolerance preached daily by those such as Benedict XVI, Tony Perkins, Albert Mohler, Matt Staver, Pat Robertson, etc. I have no issue with Christians like Carter who don't exalt themselves while seeking to condemn and tear down others.