The election cycle of 2016 will mark 40 years since Americans, myself included, elected one of the most fatuous, intellectually incoherent and despicable human beings ever to hold the office of the U.S. presidency.
I say "one of" only because of the current occupant of the White House.
And, don't be too hard on me; it was only my second chance voting in a presidential election, having voted for George McGovern in 1972.
The amazing thing about Jimmy Carter is the way he keeps coming back with inanities after all these years.
So I was intrigued by a recent headline over an interview in the New York Times that suggested Carter's "only conflict" between his political duties and his "Christian faith" was with the abortion issue.
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Had Carter seen the light? That would be something.
Sadly, no.
"I have never believed that Jesus would be in favor of abortion, unless it was the result of rape or incest, or the mother's life was in danger," he said. "That's been the only conflict I've had in my career between political duties and Christian faith."
So Jesus, he presumes, would be fine with ripping babies from the womb because they were conceived in rape or through incest? That's what he thinks?
On what possible basis could he arrive at such a conclusion?
Of course, he never provides any insight, perhaps because there is none. Jesus was the author of the Sixth Commandment, which is pretty unequivocal.
But it gets worse.
He also affirmed his belief that Jesus would have no problem with same-sex marriage.
"Christ habitually reached out to the downtrodden and the outcast," he explained. "That was the whole pattern of his ministry. Of course, Jesus never said anything about gay marriage in the Bible, but I believe he would be amenable to the union of two people who loved each other and didn't hurt anyone else."
Actually, Jesus had a lot to say about the nature of marriage in the Bible – and he didn't leave much wiggle room for same-sex couplings, especially when you consider He is part of the Godhead that inspired the whole thing.
Let me give you a sampling:
- Genesis 2:24 – "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
- Leviticus 18: 22-30 – "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God."
- Leviticus 20:13 – "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
- Matthew 19:4-5 – (Jesus speaking) "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"
- Mark 10: 6-9 – (Jesus speaking) "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
- Romans 1:18-27 – "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."
Which part of those verses is missing, I wonder, from Jimmy's Good Book?
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