Jimmy Carter: “Everybody Should have the right to get married, regardless of their sex”

By Hayli Harding --
13 Jul 2015 --

By U.S. National Archives [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

“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.” –Jimmy Carter

In a 2012 discussion with Christianity Today, Jimmy Carter talked about the way his time in office was impacted by his own personal faiths. He discusses the way it affected his presidency and his recent book, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety, as well as how religion appears to be impacting elections, especially as of late. He teaches lessons in Plains, Georgia at the Marantha Baptist Church. As a former commander-in-chief, and previous president, he has made some waves through his time. For example, during his presidency, he taught Sunday school 14 times without giving notice ahead of time. As a whole, he has made a huge impact on the nation through his time in the spotlight.

Jimmy Carter on Religion

The former president always held a firm belief in the separation of church and state, including disallowing worship services held at the White House. While he took care to not promote Christianity above other religions, he couldn’t ignore the teachings of his beliefs towards preventing violence and overall human rights. He had very few “incompatibilities”, he said, when it came to his presidential duties and his Christian duties. He made efforts towards preventing abortion, through providing programs for pregnant women and their children and loosening the adoption rules. He was regretful, however, that he didn’t have the time in office to fulfill all of his promises.

During the interview, he was questioned about his thoughts on gay marriage. He said that we are all deserving of the right to marry, it’s “no problem with [him].” He said that he believes “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.”

He said that, to him, to provide everyone with equal opportunity and justice meant “we should favor the poor people, those who are deprived, instead of the richest and most powerful.” In his mind, the government was intended to be, and should “be designed as an equalizer.”