November 13, 2000
Carter's comments draw reactions
___ATLANTA (ABP)--Former President Jimmy Carter's recent announcement that he no longer considers himself a Southern Baptist drew varied responses from prominent Baptist leaders in separate articles in two Sunday editions of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
___In an Oct. 29 opinion piece, Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., dismissed Carter's announcement as a "post-presidential publicity stunt" seeking to influence state convention voting. Mohler said Carter's announcement came late--in that Carter began distancing himself from the Southern Baptist Convention years ago.
___Mohler is a primary drafter of the SBC's revised Baptist Faith & Message. He claimed that "on issues ranging from homosexuality and abortion to the nature of the gospel and authority of Scripture, Carter is out of step with the majority of Southern Baptists."
___The following Sunday, Nov. 5, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinator Daniel Vestal came to Carter's defense in the Atlanta newspaper. He called Mohler's article "a misguided attack" on Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. Vestal added that Mohler's article reflects "the kind of negative spirit that has led the Carters and thousands of others to distance themselves from the convention they have loved and supported."
___The CBF leader wrote that Mohler "falsely claims that Carter 'made abortion rights a priority' during his presidency." Vestal pointed to a recent interview with Baptist Press in which Carter said he never believed Jesus would approve of abortions.
___Vestal also claimed that Mohler's "characterization of Carter's view on homosexuality" was off target. He noted that Carter acknowledged that homosexual practice is sinful, as is "adultery, fornication and lust."
___"Perhaps most troubling," Vestal wrote, "is Mohler's suggestion that Carter questions the veracity of Scripture," noting that the former president is a longtime student and teacher of the Bible.
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