I've always admired the man. Sure, he had his faults. But his work for Habitat for Humanity, his humility and his downright civility have endeared him to many.
And today, in his 85th year, he completely blows me over with this:
"This view that women are somehow inferior to men ... 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. ... It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. ... The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
—Former President Jimmy Carter, who has, after six decades, severed his ties with the Southern Baptist Convention because of their institutional gender inequality
H/T Shakesville
