Religion
Related: About this forumWho Was the Most Religious President of All Time?
They called him The Deacon.
Jimmy Carter waving at the 1976 Democratic National Convention in New York City.
Photo by Warren K. Leffler/Library of Congress.
By Forrest Wickman
Posted Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at 7:03 PM ET
If elected, Mitt Romney would arguably be the most actively religious President in American history, according to a profile in the latest New Yorker. Whos been our most religious president?
Jimmy Carter, probably. Its impossible to know the contents of a mans heart, but historians who study the religious lives of the presidents point again and again to the words and deeds of James Earl Carter Jr. The Georgia Baptist set a new standard during his 1976 presidential campaign when he described himself as born again, and he was frank about his religious beliefs throughout his presidency. While in office, Carter attended church wherever he went, even while on the road, and continued to teach Sunday school when at home. He prayed daily and read the Bible, and when he wasnt reading the Bible he read theologians like Reinhold Niebuhr. Like Romney, he also knocked on doors as a missionary, addressing potential converts by saying, Im Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer. Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior? Since his presidency he has continued his Christian mission on annual trips for Habitat for Humanity, and when he accepted the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, he spoke of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace. His Secret Service codename was The Deacon.
Prior to Jimmy Carter, the most God-fearing U.S. president may have been James Garfield. Garfield is the only president who was actually a clergyman. At a young age Garfield became a minister for the Disciples of Christ, where he was lauded for his skill as a preacher, and he learned Greekthe original language of the New Testament. Though it was not his full-time job, he continued to preach and minister for years until his presidency. When he left his position to become president, he said, I resign the highest office in the land to become President of the United States. However, as Garfield only got to be president for six months before his death (he was assassinated by a religious zealot), there wasnt much time for him to demonstrate divine pursuits while in office.
Other presidents who number among the most devout are the Methodist William McKinley, the Presbyterian Woodrow Wilson, and Unitarian John Quincy Adams. All of these men were fervent believers who attended church, prayed, and read the Bible regularly. Adams worshiped at three different churches (Unitarian, Presbyterian, and Episcopal) and would attend service even in heavy snow. He was also vice president of the American Bible Society and wrote religious poetry. During an 1846 debate over the Oregon territory (when he returned to Congress after his presidency), he cited the Book of Genesis. Abraham Lincoln is sometimes named among our most religious presidents, and indeed he had deep struggles with questions of religion. However, he did not widely profess his private believes and is known to have doubted the divinity of Jesus. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have been among the presidents to use the most religious rhetoric in their speeches, though this is partly due to the precedent set by Carter.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/09/most_religious_president_jimmy_carter_james_garfield_or_john_quincy_adams_.html
*SPOILER*
His nomination for least religious is not Jefferson.
charlyvi
(6,537 posts)I'm chagrined that McGill doesn't link to primary sources.
jeepnstein
(2,631 posts)Jimmy Carter was many things, but most of all he was and still is a man with the courage of his convictions. One of the kindest and gentlest souls I've ever met. He stands apart from all the other politicians I've ever known as a man who was genuinely concerned for each and every one of us. President Carter was way ahead of his time. He was also harder to follow than a movie actor who made things up as he went along, and that's what cost him a second term. Lots of people who really want things to be simple had a hard time understanding what Carter was all about. They still do.
gopiscrap
(23,765 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)I never doubted for a moment that he is a true believer, but have never been convinced that some others (like W) are really believers at all.
rexcat
(3,622 posts)good grief!