Jimmy Carter died

[JohnL]

Died today.

[barnhart]

Ahh... the good old days when the president refused gifts over $50, turned down the White house thermostat and wore sweaters, took woodworking classes, took foreign dignitaries into his east wing residence for tea so he could witness about the power of Jesus without violating his conscience on separating church and state, honored international treaties in an effort to be a good neighbor... But we weren't open to all that.

[Robert]

Ahh... the good old days when the president refused gifts over $50, turned down the White house thermostat and wore sweaters, took woodworking classes, took foreign dignitaries into his east wing residence for tea so he could witness about the power of Jesus without violating his conscience on separating church and state, honored international treaties in an effort to be a good neighbor... But we weren't open to all that.

He was a very kind person. He spoke at one of the MCUSA conferences I attended. He did a good job and he also lived a decent life. I always respected him for that.

[joshuabgood]

And the stagflation he dealt with was almost certainly a product of Vietnam and the Great Society, going off the international gold standard. And OPEC issues...

[Robert]

And the stagflation he dealt with was almost certainly a product of Vietnam and the Great Society, going off the international gold standard. And OPEC issues...

The hostage crisis was what really shifted a lot of support. He let it go on way too long. The Iranians decided he was weak and could be manipulated. It was a sad time and situation. I am not sure what I would have done if I was involved. This is why a Mennonite would not make a good president either.

[JimFoxvog]

Best US President in my lifetime, starting with Truman. I met him a number of times, attending his Sunday School classes and in hosting a Habitat for Humanity board meeting at Jubilee Partners. He washed his own dishes like everyone else did.

[barnhart]

He was a very kind person. He spoke at one of the MCUSA conferences I attended. He did a good job and he also lived a decent life. I always respected him for that.

I heard him say in an interview that he would be a Mennonite except that God made him Baptist.

[ohio jones]

He was a very kind person. He spoke at one of the MCUSA conferences I attended. He did a good job and he also lived a decent life. I always respected him for that.

I heard him say in an interview that he would be a Mennonite except that God made him Baptist.

If only he had been predestined to be a Free Will Baptist ...

[Dan Z]

Of all the US presidents (and even candidates) in my lifetime, beginning with Kennedy, I believe Jimmy Carter came closest to the Anabaptist/Christocentric worldview I espouse. I admire him as a principled brother, and have been enjoying the various written reflections and tributes on his life that have been pouring forth. In terms of faith and integrity, he was unique within US politics, and there probably won't be another president like him. His humble integrity reminds me of many dear Mennonite elders of his generation I have known through the years.

That being said, his presidency offers stark proof of the incompatibility between secular governance and kingdom principles. Many of his "weaknesses" as a president were directly a result of his strengths as a follower of Jesus. Had he been a Mennonite, I think he would have had a better theological framework than the Southern Baptists provided him for understanding how his presidency was destined to be an exercise in dragging pearls through the swine pit.

In the end, I suppose it all worked for good.

As president, while effectiveness was mixed at best, I'm thankful that at least he was an active peacemaker and truth speaker who never dropped a bomb, safely freed the Iran hostages, and brokered a peace between Egypt and Israel that endures to this day. His time as president also positioned him for an influential life as a civilian - and that is where President Carter's legacy will reside mostly - in his humanitarian & peacemaking actions after he left office. His life post-presidency has been a shining witness to the city on a hill.

Rest well Mr. President - I fully expect to meet you on the other side some glorious day, perhaps at that first heavenly fellowship meal...I hear Roselynn's Sweet Tea is excellent.

[Valerie]

Quite impressive man, I was sorry he was perceived as weak as a president.

I thought it was totally unnecessary for the news tonight to mention how he admitted to “lasting after other women” I remember them making a big deal out of that when he was president, but why bring it up now? He at least was honest about it.