Jimmy Carter Leaves His Church because of Sexism

I thought Jimmy Carter's decision to leave the Southern Baptists because of their sexism is great. Kudos to former President Carter who is often on the "leftside" of things. He was a member of the Southern Baptist Church of his for sixty years. One might say what took him so long? But I would rather applaud him for his whole history of supporting good causes i.e Habitat for Humanity and fighting discrimination wherever Carter found it.

Sharon Raphael

taken from

Feministing.com

Jimmy Carter leaves Southern Baptist Church, cites sexism
Former President Jimmy Carter has announced that he is leaving the Southern Baptist Church after sixty years because of its treatment of girls and women.

[It was 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 view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries.

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

Read Carter's full statement here. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/losing-my-religion-for-equality-20090714-dk0v.html?page=-1 (By the way, I'm just shocked that I haven't seen any media coverage of this.)

Via BlogHer.

UPDATE: Apparently Carter leaving the church is old news, but he issued a position paper this week on the subject, severing all ties. Thanks!