In an era where politicians like to scream out that they best exemplify Christian values to the voters, we are stuck with a never-ending cynicism that many of these politicians aren’t very “Christian,” From our president-elect hawking Chinese made Bibles with his name printed on them down to people like, well, Matt Gaetz, Americans have looked to someone to be our moral compass in addition to the leader of the free world.
But maybe we failed to recognize that man existed all along. Now, I am not going to pretend that Jimmy Carter was a great president. But I am going to question why Christians in this country continue to ignore the example, lessons, and leadership of arguably the most Christian man to ever serve as president.
Did Jimmy Carter’s faith make him popular in Washington? Not even close. Carter was known to have bad relations with both Republicans and his fellow Democrats, both during his presidency and afterward. As a Southern Democrat, he walked a fine line on civil rights, but time and time again came through to stand on the right side of desegregation and racial equality.
He blasted Bill Clinton and his administration for a lack of morals both on a personal and presidential level. He spoke out against Barack Obama for his use of drone strikes and for keeping the detention center at Guantanamo Bay open.
Carter also would take positions that put him at odds with the Democratic establishment. From voting for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, to criticizing NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem, to complaining that Donald Trump was being treated unfairly by the media, Carter would never mend his beliefs (both religious and civic) to mesh with a political party’s platform.
Carter also made a point to not enrich himself before, during and after the presidency and instead devoted his life to building a better world. Six-figure speeches, consulting gigs, lobbyist work and playing kingmaker was of no interest to him. Instead, he built homes for Americans, worked for peace in the Middle East, contributed toward relief efforts during natural disasters, and worked to decrease humans suffering from disease, poverty, climate change and social inequality.
Carter alienated evangelicals with his support of civil rights, the Equal Rights Amendment and openness to other faiths in America. One could make the argument that the Christian right grew as a reaction to Carter’s liberal interpretation of Christianity. However, the driving force for everything Jimmy Carter did politically was based on a sermon he heard which asked, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
The cornerstone of his life. Carter made the term “born again” a national phrase when he ran for the presidency in 1976. He prayed several times a day in the Oval Office and continued to teach the Bible and be involved with the Baptist Church until the very end of his life.
All of this made Carter a remarkably unpopular president, politician and statesman to the Washington elites. And that is where he stands above his peers. MAGA Republicans and evangelicals often talk of America losing its way or moving away from Christian ideas. They talk about how broken, corrupt and cynical Washington is and refer to it as a swamp. And time and time again, they vote for politicians who love to proudly brag about their Christendom while engaging in remarkably un-Christian behavior.
Maybe we can all take a minute and look at what Jimmy Carter stood for. A man so evenly critiqued by the right, left and center of the political establishment really should have been more of a hero to the American people. Maybe Carter was born too soon and served at the wrong moment in our history. Maybe he would have been more successful as a Christian president today.
But I do know that maybe our current representatives in D.C. should look at the remarkable life of the 39th president and look to follow the example on how his faith taught him how to treat his fellow Americans.
Jos Joseph is a master’s candidate at the Harvard Extension School at Harvard University. He is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and lives in Anaheim, Calif.
