And Other Neat Facts
Perhaps among all the most ridiculous things I believed in the late 1990s was my solid belief that Jimmy Carter was one of the best presidents in United States history. In context, I lean toward favoring political pariahs, the underdogs of history (and I still do), but what was I thinking then? No idea. You know, the funny thing is that also during that time frame, while I did believe in justice issues, I still had an Other-worldly, heaven as this utopia where we would have no need for human bodies, etc., etc., because that was what I was being taught at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings (no, I did not play sports, but I was an officer for FCA–let’s not go there). My religion was about me me me, and how saved me and my friends were and would heaven have this gold house for me or would it be platinum?
Over time as one overcomes second naivete as I believe I have, I shutter to look back and think about all of the beliefs I once held, or at least the flawed, ego-centric logic and rationale for those positions. Certainly, I can admire Jimmy Carter for his standing on principle, and maybe his defenders in contemporary society can make excuses for his administration. Like Jimmy Carter, as a life long baptist, I affirm the equality of women in every area of life, including being called to pastoral ministry. However, I reject Carter’s woeful anti-catholic comments from earlier this week. In an interview, Carter made the following statement,
“But, as you know, [in] the Catholic Church, they practically worship the Virgin Mary, but won’t let a woman be a priest”
This logic is so flawed and feels like an appeal to emotion and theological ignorance. No where in the Cathecism is Mary “worshipped.” Secondly, if Jimmy Carter has a problem with Mary the Theoktos be the most blessed of all women, of a woman of grace, then he also has a problem with the Gospel of Luke.
Thirdly, the rationale behind men becoming priests has nothing to do with Mariology at all, but how the Catholic Church interprets the 12 nations of Israel as a typology for the 12 disciples: all men. If you want to criticize a religion, do not resort back to Baptist anti-catholicism where there’s a Jesuit hiding behind every bush. Go after the argument, the interpretation.
So when Carter was talking about the “Great American Melting Pot” I guess we can guess what that means now: a codeword for white liberal protestant hegemony.
So when Carter was talking about the “Great American Melting Pot” I guess we can guess what that means now: a codeword for white liberal protestant hegemony.
Wow. Slow down a bit. That’s a long sprint from high school.
http://speakeristic.blogspot.com/2011/04/words-women-and-jimmy-carter.html
It is a long sprint from high school, considering the long baptist history of anti-catholicism.
Even my mentors in grad school, 1 being a former catholic who turned baptist, adopted anti-catholic rhethoric, of which I could not tolerate.
It is a long sprint from high school, considering the long baptist history of anti-catholicism.
Rod, I have only respect for you, my friend! And share with you an unfortunate and literally familiar experience with the anti-catholic rhetoric of baptists. (My father, like Jimmy Carter, is a Southern Baptist minister, and so is my father-in-law. “No Catholic friends for us or for you,” is what my wife’s parents told her when she was a little girl. And my Sunday School teachers — many of them anyway — would teach us little kids that Catholics prayed to Mary and were going to Hell.) Carter, still, even after our younger years, however, is not all bad. As a matter of fact, he gets things about women and God and the Bible that many in his (former) denomination cannot and will not.
Yes, all 3 of us know full well the context of baptist anti-catholicism. It is time to confront protestant privilege for what it is in the U.S.
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