Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter: on Civil Rights

Jimmy Carter: Jesus helped sinful lepers; so let's help those with HIV

A disquieting claim is that HIV/AIDS is God's punishment on those who have sinned and should be treated accordingly. Jesus had encounters with lepers, who were also looked upon as sinful, condemned by God, and capable of contaminating their neighbors. He set an example for us by reaching out to them, loving, healing, and forgiving them. The public condemnation and ridicule of gays has been increasingly promoted by a few demagogic religious leaders, and the political acceptance of this treatment tends to authenticate and encourage this discrimination.

Jimmy Carter: Jesus treated women as equal to men

There is one incontrovertible fact concerning the relationship between Jesus Christ and women: he treated them as equal to men. This dramatically differed from the prevailing custom of the times. Although the 4 Gospels were written by men, they never report any instance of Jesus condoning sexual discrimination or the implied subservience of women.

It is ironic that women are now welcomed into all major professions and other positions of leadership but are deprived of the right to serve Jesus Christ in positions of leadership as they did during his earthly ministry and in the early Christian churches.

New Testament: Jesus treated women as equals, unlike "chattel" of His time

There is one incontrovertible fact concerning the relationship between Jesus Christ and women: he treated them as equal to men. This dramatically differed from the prevailing custom of the times. Although the 4 Gospels were written by men, they never report any instance of Jesus condoning sexual discrimination or the implied subservience of women.

It is ironic that women are now welcomed into all major professions and other positions of leadership but are deprived of the right to serve Jesus Christ in positions of leadership as they did during his earthly ministry and in the early Christian churches.