Hello World,

From Paula Deen to Rachel Jeantel to two landmark decisions in the Supreme Court , last week has been an overwhelming week to say the least…And because those four stories are dominating the news, I decided to focus on something else today…

Former President Jimmy Carter is one of my favorite former presidents as I admire his faith, politics and independent thinking. On June 27-29, Carter in conjunction with the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights hosted religious leaders and human rights activists from all over the world for “Mobilizing Faith for Women: Engaging the Power of Religion and Belief to Advance Human Rights and Dignity” at The Carter Center. During the conference, Carter admonished religious leaders for marginalizing women. Below is an excerpt of an article from The Huffington Post in which Carter describes how his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, came to be a deacon in their Baptist church…

ATLANTA — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says religious leaders, including those in Christianity and Islam, share the blame for mistreatment of women across the world.

The human rights activist said Friday religious authorities perpetuate misguided doctrines of male superiority, from the Catholic Church forbidding women from becoming priests to some African cultures mutilating the genitals of young girls.

Carter said the doctrines, which he described as theologically indefensible, contribute to a political, social and economic structure where political leaders passively accept violence against women, a worldwide sex slave trade and inequality in the workplace and classroom.

“There is a great aversion among men leaders and some women leaders to admit that this is something that exists, that it’s serious and that it’s it troubling and should be addressed courageously,” Carter said at an international conference on women and religion.

The 39th president is hosting representatives from 15 countries at The Carter Center, the human rights organization he launched in 1982 after leaving the White House.

To read the entire article, go to “Jimmy Carter: Women’s Plight Perpetuated by World Religions.”

Any thoughts?

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