All You Need to Know about Jimmy Carter
In yesterday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution (motto: A Voice of Insanity in a State of Decency), the question was put to a number of people, “what is your favorite Beatles song?” First up on the list was former President Jimmy Carter. Now, Jimmy has said some…uh, interesting…things through the years, and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but these are his words, verbatim:
“My favorite is ‘Imagine’. When I go to a strange country, Cuba and other places, in some of those nations, ‘Imagine’ has become a national anthem. If you go to Havana, for instance, you’ll see a statue of John Lennon…When we go to a folk performance or a symphony concert or to modern American music (sic), they always play ‘Imagine’, and it’s one of my favorites just personally. If you listen to the lyrics closely, you’ll see that it’s against religion, it’s against national boundaries, it’s against nationalism, it’s against jingoism, but the impact it has on people is profound.”
Yes, he actually said that.
“Imagine” is a song that, “if you listen to the lyrics closely”, is a song about the utopian, “We are the World”, dream…but that dream is a nightmare. John Lennon, in “Imagine”, gives the best description of hell on earth that I can “imagine”. No Heaven? Nothing to live or die for? That’s what Jimmy Carter thinks is a great world? This is Mr. Carter’s favorite Beatles song?
I think that this answer pretty much sums up all you need to know about Jimmy Carter.
Just FYI, below are the lyrics:
Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try!
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
This phrase comes from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which most members of the Peoples Temple cult, blindly following their leader Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Osborne: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God
Schlossberg: Idols For Destruction
6 Responses to “All You Need to Know about Jimmy Carter”
Carter has really gone off the reservation.
Here’s how he answered the question, “Do you believe that grace ultimately applies to people who don’t presently believe in Jesus?” on http://www.beliefnet.com
Carter’s response: “Yes, I do. I remember two things. One is that in John 3:16, which is probably the best known verse in the Bible – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” And Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, for instance, said we should love our neighbors, but also love those who despise us and hate us and our enemies. So, the opportunity for everyone to be saved through the grace of God with faith in Christ applies to everyone.
And I have been asked often, you know, in my Sunday School classes, which are kind of a give and take debate with people from many nations and many faiths – what about those that don’t publicly accept Christ, are they condemned? And I remember that Christ said, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” And so, my own personal belief is one of God’s forgiveness and God’s grace. That’s the best answer I can give.”
All I can say to that is…uh boy.
Deering ~ Oct 8, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Amen to the uh-boy.
Byron ~ Oct 8, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Byron,
Our mutual friend, Trenton, turned me on to your blog. I love it. Keep up the great work!
Peace,
Deering
Deering ~ Oct 8, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Lennon or Lenin? They both sound the same…
Mark Merritt ~ Oct 9, 2007 at 2:35 pm
What do you expect from a guy who said his favorite theologian was Reinhold Neibuhr?
Jack Brooks ~ Oct 11, 2007 at 6:54 am
And Brunner, Barth, and Kierkegaard, don’t forget.
Byron ~ Oct 11, 2007 at 10:48 am