In his July 15 editorial “Losing My Religion for Equality,” former President Jimmy Carter talks about his separation from the Southern Baptist Church. He cites a statement from a group called “The Elders” who consist of former world leaders working for peace:
The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable.
Carter has been a devout Christian his entire life and a long-term Bible and Sunday school teacher. He gave his reason for leaving the church as not because of a change in his faith but because he could no longer go along with church doctrine that states that women should be “subservient” and that women are not allowed to be ordained as ministers. Carter also points out that the Southern Baptist Church is but one of many religious organizations that use doctrine to subjugate women.
Giving up one’s church — a community that becomes like family for many people — has to be one of the hardest decisions anyone can make. Carter’s feeling of loss is evident in the article title alone, but he gave up this important part of his life because of his commitment to equality for women and girls.
I hope Carter’s decision gives others the courage to leave organizations (religious or otherwise) that justify discrimination against women. But more important, I hope it serves as a warning call for all organizations that institutionalize sexism. I hope they see that they will lose members unless they change.
