As much as I like Jimmy Carter, HE was the first mainstream politician

[merbex]

to introduce personal faith into the political discourse.

Just my preference, but I prefered it when politicians simply put their religious affliation on their campaign literature or even left it out altogether and didn't talk about it

It always strikes me as a bid for God's endorsement when pols start touting their faith

[Skink]

1. He's actually a religious man.

[merbex]

2. You can tell that by his actions

But my theory was that Repugs took the "let's talk about faith " thing and put it on steroids and now to me it means nothing

[TomClash]

9. Unlike W who wears religion on his sleve

while violating the 6th Commandment with impunity.

[HereSince1628]

3. I am not in a position to refute your assertion, but I am skeptical

that it took 180 years for a president's personal faith to be incorporated into public policy.

I know that I have read somewhere that Truman's support of Israel was based on his religious beliefs. However I am foggy enough about that memory not to be sure of the source.

[merbex]

4. I don't think Truman ever gave an interview running for office, or

while he was President that dealt with his faith almost as a selling
point for "Vote for me" moment

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Politicians of all stripes have referenced their faith during their

terms, but Carter was the first I know of to use it as a selling point while campaigning. The opposite had been done, of course, with people campaigning against their opponants' Catholicism, for instance, (JFK comes to mind), but I'm not aware of any previous politician saying "Vote for me because...".

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. My memories of Carter's

statements about his faith, is that when he was pressed, he admitted he was, yes, a "born again" Christian. And in his case, this is not a neo-born again thing. He's from Plains, GA, and that is just the way it is up there. But I don't remember his ever pushing it as part of his agenda.

I think the press asked a lot of questions because it was new to them to have a southern Baptist as a candidate.

He still teaches Sunday School there. I've visited his class. Very interesting.

[merbex]

8. I just think Carter opened the door to permitting the selling of faith

as a campaign devise. Not that he used it as a campaign devise but that others did

So now we find ourselves at a point where it is pretty much impossible for a politician to say "my faith is private"

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. Perhaps he did inadvertantly

but then, you have to consider the times. After the summers of love of the late 60's and early 70's, the pendulum started to swing in the other direction. Free love and unlimited weed was wearing thin and a lot of "freaks" (what we called ourselves back then!) became "Jesus Freaks." It was truly a unique situation. Same VW vans, same clothes, but no more sex and drugs! I think that this movement later morphed into the fundamentalism of today, altho not necessarilty the same folks. Most of the Jesus Freaks went back to college and got real jobs on Wall Street and such.

Right around this time you also had mainline churches of all denominations suddenly speaking in tongues and having healing serves. It tore up a lot of churches. The first time somebody started shouting in tongues in my staid Episcopal church I went home and didn't come back for five years!

Intersting times... complex history. I see it kind of like the mullet. The mullet was once the hairstyle of hip dudes, you know? Now, like much of the fundie movement, it has trickled down to the mobile home crowd.

But then you have your old time religion snake handlers down here in the south, so like I said..complex history.

Personallly I think the country would be relieved to have a candidate who didn't mention his/her religion at all. Even Hilary Clinton calls herself an Evangelical Methodist.

[bitchkitty]

14. I wish that for once,

when a candidate is asked about his or her religion, they say something like "it's private" or "what does my religion have to do with my ability to govern?"

If there's a god, he or she is going to deal harshly with the people who wear their religion like some kind of badge, a "let me in, I'm with Jeezus" pass.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

15. I really think Kerry

tried to keep it more private.

[Burning Water]

17. I remember all

the articles about Jimmy's strange, unfamiliar faith , Southern Baptist, in articles in Time and/or other magazines and newspapers.

Strange, isn't it? The only decent Presidents in the last 30 or so years have been Southern Baptists? A group that takes a lot of flak here on DU.

[Rich Hunt]

6. at the same time

...there's your proof that evangelical Christianity doesn't have to be reactionary.

Things just weren't like that in the seventies.

[Skink]

10. I thought it was Pat Robertson who get's the credit.

He established the fundraising potential of the fundies.

[merbex]

13. "Which came first, the chicken or the egg" - Carter was politician

before Pat R. (he ran later)

Pat R is one who put his faith on steriods into the political arena

[Perky]

11. I think God knows the real deal,

SO I do not think it to gets God's endorsements as much as it was spefically to introduce faith and morality in a post-watergate, post Vietnam world.

[NewJeffCT]

16. Actually

I think Woodrow Wilson did it as well. However, Wilson & Carter were both sincere in their beliefs, while Reagan & Bush Jr shamelessly exploit the religious.

[omega minimo]

18. Jimmy Carter was the last real human being as president

Since Reagan they are media creatures

[mitchum]

19. That is also what tempers my "admiration" of Carter

It was a terrible terrible tactical error

[Bluerthanblue]

20. Please- go back and read JFK's speeches- you be astounded by

the continual references to God- and even though i don't remember his speeches as they were spoken, in the years i grew up they were often, VERY often broadcast, and held up as the wise, and eloquent presentations of a man who didn't USE his 'faith' to intimidate the listeners- nor did he abandon a large part of who he was to placate the people-(which given that he was the first Catholic president is quite bold, and courageous imo).

Jimmy Carter was not proselytizing- and he actually is not often looked with much ...positive regard...in many of the radical right wing 'christian' churches- he's too.... authentic (in my opinion).
His work with Habitat for Humanity, his honest self examination, and ability to admit fallibility are seen as ...'weakness'??

I read several years ago, that * urged his father to ..'play' the fundamentalist christian card to win votes- something he learned in his first failed attempt at public office- i've watched him use this 'trick' to help himself become what he is now... much to my disgust.