Bookraft

Jimmy Carter wears his role of ex-President very well. He has enhanced his image through his involvment in Habitat for Humanity home bulding, election monitoring throughout the world, and his quiet charities. As if he is not busy enough, President Carter has also written about a dozen books on a wide range of topics. I have dabbled in a couple of Carter's books - but nothing to rise up for Bookraft.com commentary. Well that has changed.

Our Endangered Values - America's Moral Crisis from Simon and Schuster takes on the strain of Christian "mullahs" that are currently advancing the notion that the US secular state has started to deliberately persecute Christians and Christian faiths. These are the Pat Robertsons who use their organizational pulpits to advance their advocacy in no uncerain terms. The question is - will President Carter's comments be perceived as illuminating or misplaced or just plain old incendiary as this conversation has turned ever so nasty - having been thrust into the political arena by the Great "I-am-a-Uniter-NOT-a-Divider" and his Rovings about ?

The problem is that most religous discussions, especially those couched in a social or political context, tend to have have an "us versus all the rest" context. And all the rest are variously consigned to be "lapsed and indifferent" or perhaps "misguided, perhaps ignorant" or just plain "infidels". So as Mark Twain noted "In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination." Interestingly, in this book President Carter tends to break the mold.

The first thing that strikes this reader is the amount of facts and evidence that is brought to bear on the 16 or so leading topics considered by Carter. For example, in his chapter on abortion President Carter admits at the outset that this is a morally complex issue. But then he puts some evidence on the table:
60% of abortions are done on women who already are mothers;
In the US 40% are white, 32% black and 20% are Hispanic;
Prevailing factor is poverty among those having an abortion;
In the 1990's abortions reached a low and have started to creep up again...
And on and on roll out the facts that helps paint a social picture of the hows and whys of abortion. For this reader who is mightily tired of debates without facts (read in "my opinion" or "these people are lazy, morally loose, and exploiters of ..."), this was a most refreshing approach - the antidote for Mark Twain's complaint about religion and politics. So add a big one to PresidentCarter's credibility.

The second plus in the eyes of Christians should be President Carter's quiet, but consistent practice of his faith. I think he is Baptist but I do not know for sure - and I suspect that is just alright with Jimmy Carter. I do know he is Christian in the best sense of that word - giving of his time and efforts for causes and goals for which he does not get any notable personal gain other than as the World prospers; so does he and his family. But I have also a healthy trepidation for acts of charity without personal gain - so call me 1/4 skeptical as to why. Perhaps vindication for not being re-elected.

The third potential plus in the eyes of Christians is that he puts on the agenda in this book a number of issues that are fundamental on the nature of church and state. Some will say that Carter has taken a stance against Christianity; but in fact by posing the questions and suggesting paths Carter is creating space and attention for these ideas. What will be intersting to see is how much heat and how much cool light of insight will result. Judging by some of the coverage of President Carter, he is not universally admired. What will be interesting to see is how compelling and cogent his arguments in "Our Endangered Values" will treated in general. Here is a big vote for people to READ and then make up their minds (psst .... its already at the libraries here in Canada, so I suspect the same is true in the US).
(c)JBSurveyer 2006