Free Republic

Jimmy Carter is the kind of Democrat most people think no longer exists: an evangelical Christian, a white male from a "red" state (Georgia), and a military man whose Annapolis days are among his proudest. The former president (1977-1981) seems to know that he is now considered an unusual mix. His earnest manner - overly so, his critics would say - make him seem even more out of touch with today's divisive political environment. As "out of it" as Carter seems, his latest book captures the zeitgeist perfectly. In "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis," Carter argues that fundamentalist ideology...

I have been quite disturbed by your recent editorial concerning my book, Our Endangered Values [Dec. 8]. In no way did my text make any personal equation between Dr. Adrian Rogers, a great Christian leader, and the Ayatolla[h] Khomeini. My only inference was regarding my personal experiences with the rise of fundamentalism (carefully defined in the book) at about the same time in my life – approximately a quarter century ago – when our hostages were taken and the Southern Baptist Convention made a dramatic movement toward conservative leadership. Although I did not include any names in the text, I...

OUR ENDANGERED VALUES, by Jimmy Carter

(Blurring the line between church and state threatens civil liberties and privacy, says former President Jimmy Carter. That's the case he makes in his new book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, which draws on Carter's experiences as a president and a Christian.) Read an excerpt from Our Endangered Values: Chapter 1 The most controversial issues being addressed within our nation will be discussed in the following chapters. It will be helpful to understand the prevailing personal opinions of American citizens, their differences and similarities, how they have been modified or remain the same, and whether they are compatible with...