President Jimmy Carter: Jesus Christ Never Discriminated Against Anyone

[kpete]

“I never knew of any word or action of Jesus Christ that discriminated against anyone,” Carter said, according to a video from MLive.

The 89-year-old then likened discrimination based on sexual orientation to prejudice against a person’s skin color, economic class, and “whether they’re living in a foreign country or our country.”

“I think discrimination against anyone and depriving them of actual equal rights in the United States is a violation of the basic principles of the Constitution that all of us revere in this country,” the president said.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/jimmy-carter-gay-rights_n_5878250.html

[phil89]

1. Jesus didn't have much to say about

Discrimination, slavery, etc. not sure why we should be concerned with what a book of mythology says or doesn't say.

[Nye Bevan]

4. "Do unto others as you would have done unto you"

covers a lot of stuff.

[Ilsa]

2. He's awesome. He left the Southern Baptists over

their recent adoption of "women-must-answer-to-men" theology. He couldn't abide with the idea that women shouldn't teach men, be silent in church, etc.

He's done more to improve the human condition, I bet, than any other ex president.

[pennylane100]

3. As much as I love Jimmy Carter,

Has he considered that Jesus may be fictional and his goodness is thanks to the good job done by the PR group that was promoting their book.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Like 83% of Americans, Carter identifies as Christian.

If that 83% take his words on board, that's a good thing.

[pennylane100]

7. I meant that statement as tongue in cheek.

However, if you mean 83% of this board, I am certainly OK with that but it is a little higher than the national average.

[BrotherIvan]

6. All of us have made up realities because we do not understand the nature of reality

Our science is very limited (and expanding/changing/updating every day) but far from being able to describe absolute reality, especially complicated human experience. If more religious people acted like Jimmy Carter, I would not worry about it one bit. He is not pushing his faith; he is simply acting as morally as he can, according to his principles. Good on him.

[pennylane100]

8. I absolutely agree with you.

My darling mother was a good example of that. She was a wonderful person and a devout catholic. As her children grew up and stopped practicing, she accepted it but complained that she now would have to pray more to make sure we all went to heaven. We all loved her dearly and thanked her for it.

[BrotherIvan]

9. She sounds wonderful because of all her loving kindness

That's pretty much all it comes down to. I think that was the message of the New Testament, but somehow it very quickly went terribly wrong.

[pennylane100]

12. Yes, that one of the ironies of christianity.

Of course, I would not mention it to my mother, but they went from being martyrs being fed to the lions for the entertainment of the Romans to the sad spectacle of their conduct during the Spanish Inquisitions. As Monty Python cynically pointed out "nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

[Orsino]

10. Goddamned lovely way to put it.

Highlights the contortions of the haters.

[seveneyes]

11. So the story goes

In the last 2014 years we have burned witches, thrown people into volcanoes and many other tortures based upon unscientific documentation of celestial beings.

Gods may not save your bacon but humanity, reality and compassion will prolong our existence barring any cosmic interruptions to life itself.