For Immediate Release
Note: Broadcast quality video available on request
Press Contact:
Caren Browning
The Morris + King Company
212-561-7464
caren.browning@morris-king.com
New York, NY – March 28, 2007 – In an intimate and forthright series of Beliefnet.com video interviews, former president Jimmy Carter discusses how his personal faith guided him as the thirty-ninth president of the United States and how it continues to lead his efforts and actions today. Tackling hot button issues in the current American discourse on Christianity such as salvation for non-believers and homosexuality, Carter, whose adult Sunday school classes at his hometown church in Plains, Georgia attract hundreds of guests weekly, reveals the personal opinions and strongly held beliefs of one of the most respected voices of our time. The exclusive Beliefnet video interview is available in streaming video segments and in text at Beliefnet.com. Highlights include:
Difficult Choices That Put Personal Faith At Odds With Sworn Duty:
“I’m against abortion. To uphold Roe versus Wade, which is my duty to uphold the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court, was something that I had to do as President. That was a problem.”
“When our hostages were held by the Iranians I had an ability to destroy Iran and utilize America’s military power. But, I decided to seek a peaceful resolution and not betray the principles of my country.”
“The Highest call of a Christian is sacrificial love, or love for people who don’t love you back. That’s a very difficult thing for a President to exercise because you have to protect your country.”
· Schisms In The Church And Intolerance:
"Modern day Christians are more divided than early Christians. The Baptists are divided, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Episcopalians, the Catholics are divided, maybe even more deeply than before … it saps away at the vitality in a very serious way."
"There are people who have different opinions about gays and abortions. We don't have to give up our beliefs. But we should have those as a very secondary thing to our common belief that we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ."
· On The Current Administration:
"The current administration has departed from things I was taught as a child; we worship the Prince of Peace, not preemptive war. No other President before has ever espoused publicly a policy of going to war unless our own security was directly threatened."
· Apartheid Controversy In Palestine:
"I don't have any doubt that what is perpetrated against the Palestinians now is apartheid. It's not based on racism. It's just based on a minority of Israelis who want to take and keep and colonize Palestinian land. In the process, they persecute the Palestinians to subdue them."
In addition to this provocative video series featuring Jimmy Carter, Beliefnet has offered each of the 2008 presidential candidates a platform from which to reveal intimate and insightful comments about their personal religious and political beliefs. A recent interview with John Edwards quickly became one of the most popular features in the site’s history. Interviews with other candidates will be announced in the coming weeks. Check Beliefnet.com for details.
In years past, Beliefnet interviews with key figures such as George W. Bush, John McCain and Joseph Lieberman have given insight into personal beliefs about faith and politics. Celebrities like Bono, Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton and Jane Fonda have revealed spiritual paths as well. Check out www.Beliefnet.com for hundreds of interviews including the new Preachers & Teachers series featuring today’s most inspiring and respected spiritual leaders.
In addition to serving as thirty-ninth president of the United States, Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He and his wife, Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter, are also the founders of the Carter Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to resolve conflict and improve health throughout the world. President Carter has authored numerous bestselling books, including the New York Times #1 bestseller, Our Endangered Values (2005), and his most recent title, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid (November 14, 2006).
On March 20th, Simon & Schuster launched a new audio series featuring President Carter’s original Sunday school teachings. The series, SUNDAY MORNINGS IN PLAINS: Bible Study with Jimmy Carter, draws on an extensive archive of live recordings from Carter’s popular adult Sunday school classes at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. For more information, visit SimonSaysBooks.com.
###
About Beliefnet
Beliefnet is the largest spirituality online community, attracting more than 2.8 million unique visitors per month according to Media Metrix. More than 10 million people subscribe to daily email newsletters, accounting for more than 17 million subscriptions. The company is independent and not affiliated with a particular religion or spiritual movement. Beliefnet, Inc. is a privately held company funded by employees, individual investors, Softbank Capital and Blue Chip Venture Company.
