Jimmy Carter authored an incredible Op Ed last week in the United Kingdom's Guardian titled "Losing My Religion for Equality" about how he has chosen to leave his church, the Southern Baptist Convention due to the discriminatory practices toward women. This is a portion of his profound statement:
So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when th e convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief - confirmed in the holy scriptures - that we are all equal in the eyes of God.
This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. It is widespread. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths.
Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries. The male interpretations of religious texts and the way they interact with, and reinforce, traditional practices justify some of the most pervasive, persistent, flagrant and damaging examples of human rights abuses. eyes of the Church, and the eyes of God:
There are battered women who struggle daily with the conflicts of safety for herself and the doctrine used to subjugate her and the women who follow her particular religious beliefs. Advocates must understand the importance of religion in her life and identity and help find ways for a dv victim to reconcile this .
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