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332nd out of 1,901 books
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1,844 voters
Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis
by
Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter offers a passionate defense of separation of church and state. He warns that fundamentalists are deliberately blurring the lines between politics and religion.
As a believing Christian, Carter takes on issues that are under fierce debate -- women's rights, terrorism, homosexuality, civil liberties, abortion, the death penalty, science and religion, en...more
As a believing Christian, Carter takes on issues that are under fierce debate -- women's rights, terrorism, homosexuality, civil liberties, abortion, the death penalty, science and religion, en...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
September 26th 2006
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 2005)
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Former President Jimmy Carter may not have been elected for a second term in 1980--instead, we got eight years of Ronald Reagan (Lucky America)--but he certainly has shown himself as a man of wisdom and integrity in his post-presidential years. I loved every chapter in Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, because they all make a gentle, but impassioned plea, for greater integrity and more profound values in our individual lives, and especially in our government. I was appalled at Cart...more
Jimmy Carter is an amazing humanitarian and I respected him already for his humanitarian efforts. I really liked how he explained why Christian's should value the separation of church and state. It's great to see a Christian politician not be an extremist. Towards the end of the book, it became a bit depressing as it feels like our country and our leaders are moving farther and farther away from what our forefathers intended towards a position that will not be good for our country and our childr...more
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In this book Jimmy Carter covers a wide range of topics, giving his analyses and speaking his concerns from the intersection of his religious faith experience and his experience as U.S. President. Probably the most alarming to me are (1) the rise of religious fundamentalism and the entwining of church and state pushed by some religious fundamentalists, and (2) the tragic redirection of U.S. policy by the George W. Bush administration--economic policies that favor the richest Americans, foot-drag...more
I like Jimmy Carter. Even more now.
I especially was interested in President Carter's discussions about fundamentalism, in religion and in politics. He defines fundamentalism in a way I'd not through of it before, but seemed dead on to me. He says that fundamentalism is the idea that we're right, and chosen and everyone else is wrong and therefor un-chosen and therefore disposable. Also that it gives power to leaders instead of to people, which leads to abuses of power. These are exactly the qual...more
I especially was interested in President Carter's discussions about fundamentalism, in religion and in politics. He defines fundamentalism in a way I'd not through of it before, but seemed dead on to me. He says that fundamentalism is the idea that we're right, and chosen and everyone else is wrong and therefor un-chosen and therefore disposable. Also that it gives power to leaders instead of to people, which leads to abuses of power. These are exactly the qual...more
This is an excellent account on the values America has shared and fought for during most of Her history, but which have heavily degraded during the President "W" Bush years. Living through that period, I was young and didn't understand the repercussions of what we were doing or the horribleness of it. For several years, I've started realizing this degradation in our country's values, and this book helps me realize some of the specific reasons why. Though written in 2005, this book is still very...more
This book just came out in 11/05 and at the time was very up-to-date with current events, like Katrina, the Terri Schaivo case, the war in Iraq, and decisions made by this administration.
The book covers every moral topic from pre-emptive war to abortion and the death penalty, to the environment to our relationship with other countries and how we are eroding away our own respect with our own choices. It spent a lot of time talking about how prisons are just so huge now and that they are used as w...more
The book covers every moral topic from pre-emptive war to abortion and the death penalty, to the environment to our relationship with other countries and how we are eroding away our own respect with our own choices. It spent a lot of time talking about how prisons are just so huge now and that they are used as w...more
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Jimmy Carter is great at clearly and concisely describing the direction the leadership of our country has taken in the past 8 years, and the ramifications of such direction. He sums up his points in a very no-nonsense manner, with an authority that doesn't allow for much argument. And lest one get the initial impression that he spends the entire work slamming the Republican party, forget it. While much of his ire is directed at the extreme right wing, the Democratic party does not entirely escap...more
Goes right to the heart of what is wrong with American and Fundamental politics, their lost vision, their Bible without Jesus outlook. This is a must read book for all Americans written by a man who has followed Jesus even when it leads to splits with his own church. Here is a book that will relight the path we should be on as a great nation that has lost its way.
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Makes me wish Carter had been given a second term. Perhaps the '80s wouldn't have been so disgusting.
Our Endangered Values is mostly a rant against fundamentalism. This is interesting considering Carter's well-publicized, strong religious faith. I must admit that was a bit of a problem for me reading-wise. I'm not a believer (unless we're talking about daydream believers!) so I tend to tune out when people start talking about their religious beliefs. However, I slogged through and was rewarded w...more
Our Endangered Values is mostly a rant against fundamentalism. This is interesting considering Carter's well-publicized, strong religious faith. I must admit that was a bit of a problem for me reading-wise. I'm not a believer (unless we're talking about daydream believers!) so I tend to tune out when people start talking about their religious beliefs. However, I slogged through and was rewarded w...more
I admire former President Jimmy Carter very much. I voted for him when he was elected President and when he lost his bid for reelection due to the Iran hostage situation. In Our Endangered Values, he expresses his strong support for the separation of church and state and his concern that fundamentalist religious fanatics have been endangering the moral fiber of American society. He also discusses how such fundamentalist political influence has been embraced by the Bush administration to a point...more
A bit too Jesus-y for me, but that's sort of the point. This is about morals from a religious standpoint since Carter is a "man of faith," but he is not a conservative man & he believes in a true separation of church & state. He believes that fundamentalism in government has been detrimental to the health of our nation. My dad wanted me to read this book, which I admit made me a little panicky (is he finding Jesus all of a sudden?? I was raised with a complete lack of religion or spiritu...more
Former President Jimmy Carter ponders what he contends are key problems facing our country in this century in a string of essay-style arguments. Themes include war, the environment, civil liberties, the growing divide between rich and poor Americans, and the separation of church and state. He discusses each by referencing his experiences and religious convictions but manages to refrain from being seen as preaching his religious beliefs. Even at his most vehement, he manages to communicate effect...more
You can disagree with Jimmy Carter politically, but it's impossible not to respect the man for being so damn forthright. I love that this book doesn't pretend to be anything it's not: It's not an academic text, it doesn't really tell me anything that I didn't already know, but it is the personal and religious take from one of our nation's more productive and level-headed presidents on how the U.S. has defied its moral and constitutional responsibilities to its citizens and to the rest of the wor...more
Carter is quite candid and extremely open in discussing not only his thoughts on the various issues presented (fundamentalism, separation of church and state, GLBT issues, poverty, abortion, death penalty, et.al.) but how he dealt with them as president. He highlights a number of interesting "facts," although, as our book club discussed, he fails to footnote any of these. While he has a high credibility rating for many of us, it is difficult to utilize this information ourselves, just because "J...more
Pg. 28: "I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the enviornment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence, and fame, but adhering to God's standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness and love."
Comparison: Traditional fundamentalism: "Cling to unchanging principles". COntemporary radical fundamentalism: Rigidity, domination and exclusion.
P. 48: "Now...more
Comparison: Traditional fundamentalism: "Cling to unchanging principles". COntemporary radical fundamentalism: Rigidity, domination and exclusion.
P. 48: "Now...more
President Carter and I may have our differences in politics, but this book just gave me more to admire about him personally. He has written and published more books than any other U.S. president, and it shows in his skill. He writes with personality and wit, giving illustrations and anecdotes to support each of his points on issues such as faith, divorce, homosexuality, foreign policy, and the environment. Even when his opinions differ from mine, it is impossible to come away from this book offe...more
I always felt that Jimmy Carter got a raw deal as president. He seems like such a gentle person and politics really just ate him up and spit him out. I find that I like him more now that I've listened to this book. He makes no bones about being an Evangelical Christian and that his job is to bring other people into the fold. However, he has the most enlightened views about personal choice that I've ever heard from a born again. There were parts where the narrative bogged down (Mr. Carter does lo...more
This is the first Jimmy Carter book I have read. To read it while GW Bush was President made it all the more powerful. Carter writes with respect never pointing fingers directly at Bush, but he does an excellent job of explaining just how diplomacy became extinct in the White House. He gives a good history lesson on how the US was working well with other countries and beginning to make some headway in some very tough issues with N. Korea and Iran until 2000.
I will read more books by Jimmy Carter...more
I will read more books by Jimmy Carter...more
Great man! Great insight! Great book!
The theme of this book is that our values are at risk and our morals must be preserved. Carter asserts that the extreme religious right is the primary cause of the black & white, divisive thinking that is causing the breakdown in our society. This, coming from a man who is a Southern Baptist at his core, and has been, all of his life. He argues that the narrowly defined theological beliefs of fundamentalism has influenced politics, creating rigidities and personal derogation of any who disag...more
At highwayscribery we like to say Jimmy Carter is the best mistake America ever made.
His book "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis" is something of a radical tract done in a civil way. The treatise, a searing indictment of the Bush administration, provides left-wing viewpoint with the "cover" of Carter's being a good Christian. He prays, but he still thinks things stink (stunk); much the way the guy with dreadlocks and drum in the street has been saying for, oh, ever now.
Not everybody...more
His book "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis" is something of a radical tract done in a civil way. The treatise, a searing indictment of the Bush administration, provides left-wing viewpoint with the "cover" of Carter's being a good Christian. He prays, but he still thinks things stink (stunk); much the way the guy with dreadlocks and drum in the street has been saying for, oh, ever now.
Not everybody...more
Jimmy Carter is a respectable guy, strong in his faith and convictions. You can tell that he really cares for the poor and less fortunate, has a desire for truth, justice, etc.
I found myself agreeing with about 95% of Carter's statements on the problems we face as a country today. I agree with his blame on the neo-conservative Republicans for misleading right-wing Americans. They've worked the masses of the "moral majority" into a fit over things like gay marriage...while nobody in that same gro...more
I found myself agreeing with about 95% of Carter's statements on the problems we face as a country today. I agree with his blame on the neo-conservative Republicans for misleading right-wing Americans. They've worked the masses of the "moral majority" into a fit over things like gay marriage...while nobody in that same gro...more
Next Book Group selection; I'm not finished with it yet. I appreciate this book by Jimmy Carter, particularly how he explains his Christian faith and how it differs from the dangerous trend toward fundamentalism in politics. I'll say that I agree with much of what he says and find a lot of it chilling. My book group talks about politics a lot and I think this book will inspire some great conversation.
I gave it just three stars because this book does not satisfy my hunger for literature. I suspe...more
I gave it just three stars because this book does not satisfy my hunger for literature. I suspe...more
I started reading this book two years ago and only got halfway through before getting annoyed with it. After reading it all the way through I can't say that it still doesn't annoy me, but I did appreciate Carter's points of view a little more this time. Carter raises some very salient issues about the poitical, religious, and social climate in the U.S. If the book had been solely about that I would have loved it, but Carter sometimes comes across as hypocritical and condescending on these issues...more
I learned a lot about Baptists. It is, more or less, a personal assault on Bush's policies and how they damage what Carter sees to be America's traditional values (which are, in my personal opinion, flawed anyway)--so in a few months, the purpose of reading this book will be more or less obsolete. It was interestingly written, and I don't regret reading it at all, esp. because I learned about appropriate foreign policy from a former president, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Also, Carter s...more
Also, Carter s...more
Good old Jimmy Carter. In this book, he discusses how he applies his devout Christianity to his political life, and more importantly, how he knows when to keep it private. The overall theme is how fundamentalists and an overwhelming fundamentalist philosophy have taken over and corrupted not only his religion, but his government. He argues that issues such as the blurring of the line between church and state, Roe v. Wade, civil liberties, gay rights, suspension of habeas corpus, and, of course,...more
Nov 28, 2007
Alex
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Americans, politics, Jimmy Carter fans
Shelves:
non-fiction,
food-for-thought
With a name like 'Our Endangered Values' I was a little put off and expected to read some very conservative 'America's going to hell-in-a-handbasket' Christian rantings. Then again, it's Jimmy Carter, who has long taken a humanist stance in terms of values and politics. As a (progressive) Christian, Carter is pretty much preaching to the choir in this book yet it's refreshing, after seeing Christianity represented in such a conservative light on TV, to read the words of someone so well respected...more
Like many Americans, former president Jimmy Carter is dismayed by the sharp right turn our government has taken in recent years, which has been largely fueled by the influence of the fundamentalist religious right.
Carter critically addresses the blurring of the lines between separation of church and state and covers such issues as preemptive war, women's rights, terrorism, civil liberties, homosexuality, the death penalty, abortion, science and religion, the environment, nuclear weapons, America...more
Carter critically addresses the blurring of the lines between separation of church and state and covers such issues as preemptive war, women's rights, terrorism, civil liberties, homosexuality, the death penalty, abortion, science and religion, the environment, nuclear weapons, America...more
Jul 31, 2008
Marco
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone who needs a little reminder of how great America is and should be
President Carter, one of the many US Presidents who crafted an equal or better reputation after holding elective office than they held during office, continues his long literary career with this book on the intersection of the great political and social questions of our day and his belief in the inherent moral values of the American people. If the idea of interjecting religious beliefs into political discussion is uncomfortable, this book might be hard to finish despite it's short length (200 pa...more
Jun 19, 2008
Jill
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Jill by:
John Stewart - The Daily Show
Shelves:
political-social,
religion
I listened to this book on CD, which may have done the book an injustice. I had a seriously difficult time staying awake. However, after getting through it, Carter really put together a great book. He talks about the values the majority of the US purports to have or support, and how that frequently isn't true. He has a very good grasp on the longitudinal effects of things. He comments on the state of affairs when he was growing up, when he took office as the president, and current events. I like...more
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James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981, and the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. Prior to becoming president, Carter served two terms in the Georgia Senate and as the 76th Governor of Georgia, from 1971 to 1975.
As president, Carter created two new cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of...more
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As president, Carter created two new cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of...more
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“I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence, and fame, but adhering to God's standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness, and love.”
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