Americans United mourns the loss of President Jimmy Carter, a champion of church-state separation

Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser released the following statement today upon the death of former President Jimmy Carter:

“We at Americans United mourn the loss of President Jimmy Carter, a human rights advocate who championed the separation of church and state because of his deep religious faith. We thank President Carter for his service to our country and for including church-state separation and religious freedom among the important issues he championed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.

“A devout Baptist and Sunday school teacher, Carter often referenced Baptists’ traditional esteem for church-state separation as the shield that protects religious freedom for everyone. Carter opposed religious leaders and houses of worship politicking, taxpayer funding of religious organizations (especially those that discriminate), removing evolution from school science classes, and coercing students to pray in public schools. ‘I think the government ought to stay out of the prayer business,’ he said in 1979.

“Carter recognized his responsibility to divorce his personal religious views on abortion from presidential policies and his administration made strides on LGBTQ+ rights. In 2012 Carter was the first of any current or former president to voice support for marriage of same-sex couples.

“Carter publicly split from his lifelong membership in the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 in large part because of the denomination’s union with conservative politics. He explained the dangers of this union in 2003: ‘When a group of Christians tr[ies] to implant through government our beliefs on others as superior, that subverts the basic constitutional prohibition concerning separation of church and state. And when we try to use the federal government to intercede in religious affairs, it inherently weakens the unique character of Christ’s kingdom.’”