Jimmy Carter Has Left The Building

Jimmy Carter is moving on.

After more than 60 years together, Jimmy Carter has announced that he is at odds with the Southern Baptist Church, and he's decided it's time they go their separate ways. He says his decision is "unavoidable" after church leaders prohibited women from being ordained and insisted women be "subservient to their husbands."

Jimmy Carter:

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. The truth is that male religious leaders have had -- and still have -- an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world.

After watching everyone from philandering politicians--Mark Sanford, John Ensign, John Edwards, Chip Pickering....I'd name more but I have other things to do today--suddenly proclaiming their belief in a higher power as their lies rain down on them, it's nice to see Carter calling out the role of religion in the mistreatment of women.

You see, when you are a follower, if you will, of a certain group, be it religious or social or political, and you notice that they are moving away from your core beliefs, or are refusing to change with the times, do you stay and try to change from within or, after a while, do you head for the door?

Carter gave thew Southern Baptists a chance. he's been vocally critical of their anti-feminine stance for years. But he's been inching away from the church leadership and now, well, he's left the building.