Comments that President Jimmy Carter made about Jesus and same-sex marriage are making headlines, but it’s his comments about abortion that may surprise people more. “I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else and I don’t see that gay marriage damages anyone else,” Carter, a born-again Christian, said in an interview with HuffPost Live. “I never have run across any really serious conflicts between my political obligations and my religious faith,” he said.
While this HuffPost interview is getting attention now, it’s actually from 2015, when the now 93-year-old was on to promote his then-new book, “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety.” The newfound attention it’s getting could be because Carter’s comments are relevant to multiple issues going on with the Supreme Court today.
In a comment applicable to their recent ruling that a baker could refuse to serve a gay wedding, Carter did clarify in that interview that he doesn’t believe churches that disagree with same-sex marriage should be forced to officiate such weddings.
And after that, he turned to the issue of abortion, stating that he believes Jesus would have disapproved of most abortions. “I have a hard time believing that Jesus would approve abortions unless it was because of rape or incest or if the mother’s life was in danger. So I’ve had that struggle,” Carter said. “I’ve had that struggle, but my oath of office was to obey the Constitution and the laws of this country as interpreted as the Supreme Court, so I went along with that.” The Roe V. Wade case was ruled on during Carter’s presidency, and many liberals fear that Trump’s forthcoming SCOTUS nominee would lean towards overturning Roe if the opportunity ever presented itself. (RELATED: Here Are President Trump’s Top Two SCOTUS Picks).
Watch Carter’s comments below:
While Carter is remembered as undoubtedly one of the weakest Presidents in recent American history, conservatives have found an ally in him on the pro-life issue. While the Left today has adopted abortion to a disturbing degree as part of their Party platform, Carter urged them to take the opposite approach. In 2012, he said that he “signed a public letter calling for the Democratic Party at the next convention to espouse my position on abortion which is to minimize the need, requirement for abortion and limit it only to women whose life are in danger or who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest,” and noted that many people were estranged from the Democratic Party because of the abortion issue.
He’s certainly right about that. While the Left today loves to portray the abortion issue as a “war on women,” when you look at the polls, particularly when it comes to increasing restrictions on abortions but not banning them outright, the issue is really a “war between women.” Overall, there are about as many pro-life people as pro-choice people today. Just two decades ago, there was nearly a 20-percentage point gap in favor of the pro-choice position.
Also notable is that the same poll found that 28 percent of Democrats are pro-life, and Independents are about split on the issue, with 46% identifying as pro-choice, and 45% as pro-life. Not like I want to help Democrats get elected, but they really ought to tone down the abortion rhetoric if they know what’s good for them.
If there’s one thing that’s becoming increasingly clear, it’s that not only does Jesus not approve of abortion, most Americans are increasingly leaning in the same direction. While liberals like to pretend that there are generational shifts on issues like gun control or illegal immigration, there is one with abortion, and they’re ignoring it completely.
You are incorrect when you say “The Roe V. Wade case was ruled on during Carter’s presidency… .” Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973; Carter was President from 1977-1981.
The PILL and CONDOMs are birth control…..Abortion is just plain murder of a totally defenseless fetus. Planned Parenthood — planned UN-parenthood? Anyone who is a DEVOUT BELIEVER IN ABORTION should have NO PROBLEM funding PP personally AND PRIVATELY!! I OBJECT to having my taxes spent on someone who can’t remember to take a pill or keep their legs crossed, totally ignoring the MURDER issue!
While my comment is awaiting moderation on this web site, I posted it on The Western Journal and it is not awaiting moderation. So much for The First Amendment on this web site. SO ADIOS MUCHACHOS.
God did not create Adam and Steve, He created Adam and EVE, according to the word of God, THE BIBLE.
Poor Jimmie was and alway will be BRAIN Dead ! This Phony Born again Christian needs to read the Bible ONE more time before he CROAKS ! They didn’t have Abortions back then Jimmie , They Stone the Woman to Death for having Sex Out of Wed Lock ! That is why Mary was sent to Bethlehem by her parents! She was Pregnant without being Married ! Probably by some Roman Soldier who knocked her Up !
If he ran for President today, I would vote for him. Jimmy Carter is a good man, always was, but today, he is a wiser man, a man who is willing to admit he was mistaken about things that had happened while he was President. Despite his admitted mistakes, I believed, but only after he left office, that he was a good President. No wars when Jimmy Carter was President.
Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most conflicted stories we can imagine. Lot offered his own daughters to be gang raped rather than allow the protection of his hospitality to be violated. Later he had intercourse with 2 of them partially excused by his being drunk but totally justified in that their sons became the ancestors of David and through him the messiah. On the other side of David’s lineage is Tamar who seduces her father-in-law to produce a son who becomes the ancestor of David. We’d need to resurrect Solomon to draw a correct conclusion from this story
I must agree w/Mr. Carter (on this!) and will speak up on this issue from a conservative perspective. Yes, we are against abortion in most every case, as we should be. But while we are opposing abortion, we must also show our Christian love by being willing to come along the woman who is desperate enough to seek an abortion and offer the support she needs to raise that child or offer it for adoption.
Believe me, very, very few women seeking abortion are doing it as “birth control”. They get caught up in circumstances, poor choices. IF our goal is to have them continue the pregnancy, then WE must be willing to offer support and help, BC the only alternative is for them to carry the baby to term, and they need support.
THAT’s, I think, what Jesus would do.
If God would approve of same sex relationships then why did He destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? His word says that He destroyed it because of the sin and vile acts going on. He specifically mentions men laying with men and women with women. None of us can speak for God but we can be led by interpreting His Word as much as we are able. His word also says, Do Not Kill and it doesn’t say particularly babies but he warns us about hurting children. We would be better to tie a millstone around our neck and jump in the water. Why would He agree for us to kill his creation? I also believe that war does not fall into the do not kill issue.
Jimmy is no more a born-again Christian than Satan is.
Ben Davis, what are you basing your comment on?
SO Jesus would not approve of abortion yet still approve of taking it up the keester. Being homosexual is against God’s law. Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy not change his “Father’s” laws.
YOU ARE RIGHT