Former President Jimmy Carter has
endorsed gay marriage.
The 87-year-old Carter, who is pitching
his latest book, NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections
with Jimmy Carter, discussed marriage for gay couples in an
interview with The
Huffington Post.
When asked what the Bible says about
homosexuality, Carter answered: “Homosexuality was well known in
the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a
word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple
things – he never said that gay people should be condemned. I
personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in
civil ceremonies.”
“I draw the line, maybe arbitrarily,
in requiring by law that churches must marry people. I'm a Baptist,
and I believe that each congregation is autonomous and can govern its
own affairs. So if a local Baptist church wants to accept gay
members on an equal basis, which my church does by the way, then that
is fine. If a church decides not to, then government laws shouldn't
require them to.”
Evan Wolfson, founder and president of
Freedom to Marry, applauded Carter's comments.
“President Carter's support for the
freedom to marry is a real-life example of practicing what your
preach. He has been married for over 65 years and cherishes marriage
– and the Golden Rule he has taught in Sunday School for decades
says we should treat others as we want to be treated,” Wolfson said
in a statement. “President Carter understands that the love and
commitment of marriage matters to gay and lesbian couples and their
loved ones, just as to non-gay couples like Rosalynn and him, and
that the law should respect us all. Ending marriage discrimination
help families, while hurting no one, and that's why the president,
like so many Americans, has opened his heart and changed his mind to
join the majority for marriage.”
Carter
has previously said America is ready for a president who is openly
gay.