"A Christian Looks
At the Religious Right"
The Reagan - Carter Irony
One of the baffling things to me and several Religious Right observers is the seemingly contradictory way in which Ronald Reagan is held in such high esteem and men like Jimmy Carter are scorned. The obvious Republican bias is one answer but still does not fulfill the explanation. Arguably, Dukakis and Clinton have received more than their fair share of assaults by the group. This still leaves the Carter issue unsettled.
At the three national Coalition rallies I attended, the anti-Clinton rhetoric was extreme. Clinton bashing or promises to unseat the administration drew jubilant exclamations of religious fervor from the crowd. Some of the booths sold demeaning buttons and posters of the President. One booth peddled a book by Jennifer Flowers which was supposed to contain, "Bill's candid comments about Hillary's sexual preferences;".
In contrast, Reagan posters offered a saintly aura of a genuine American hero in terms of family values. Oliver North stated from the platform that Reagan was the greatest president of our lifetime. It puzzles me how Reagan inherited such a legacy with the group. More than a patron saint, he is almost a national icon to the faithful following. I assume mountable statues sold for automobile dashes would be a hit.
In 1996, I visited a booth manned by a couple from Austin, Texas. The man was an active layman who had produced a video on dynamic Christian living. It was a spiritual growth instruction tape. His video was featured with another special item that dealt with the "Truth about Ronald Reagan". Both videos were promoted beside one another. It is a peculiar blend. Much akin to the way in which Billy Hargis adores the vice-laden Joe McCarthy.
The fact is Reagan never attended church nor gave much money to Christian causes. Nancy was pregnant when they married. For both, it was not the first marriage. Nancy was notorious for her occult visits and mediums who came to the White House. The Reagan children do not regard Ronald as "Father of the Century". He failed to recognize one of them at the son's own graduation, introducing himself to his own son. Reagan's ties with Hollywood witch hunts during McCarthism do not defer the followers who uphold his ethical values.
In contrast to Reagan's appeal, Jimmy Carter is the Religious Right's scapegoat for many social evils. Carter, who has taken his years since the White House to work for Habitat for Humanity and settle international disputes peacefully, did not sit back in his rocking chair and make a fabulous income on memoirs. Jimmy, who brought the concept of "born again" into the vocabulary of the national media, still teaches a Sunday School class and is active in church. Reagan claimed he did not attend church for fear of someone being hurt from him being in the congregation. Jerry Falwell must know that if he had a church full of members like Reagan he wouldn't be much of a national figure.
If Carter's name were ever brought up in these circles, it was only to ridicule. Reagan's following is almost like a cult following. His followers excuse his imperfections refusing to accept any discounting of his accomplishments. If Rev.Moon, Rush Limbaugh, and G. Gordan Liddy can have a welcomed reception at the Christian Coalition, why not Jimmy Carter?
Perhaps the Religious Right approach towards the two can best be explained by Old South Dixiecrat attitudes. It certainly portrays a puzzling liason between Christians and politics.
My Religious Right friends claim the issue is the abortion debate. This argument is not a consistent one. Carter's alleged pro-choice stances are not much different than favored Bob Dole's positions historically. Carter's position in the 70's on abortion was set in a different setting. Even Fundamentalist pastor, W.A. Criswell of Dallas, was documented as having a pro-choice position while he was president of the SBC. By the way, Criswell did have statues of himself sold from the church. Don't expect to see any of Jimmy Carter at a Religious Right rally.