I remember a small thing about Carter - he disagreed and left the Southern Baptists - he's seen as the last progressive Evangelical.

SNIP His sermon was usually a melange of common decency, Jesus and the Gospel -- and international human rights or current events.

"The main thing I get out of it personally, and I think what the audience gets out of it, is the relationship of biblical lessons or verses with current events or challenges or opportunities or fears or dreams in their own lives," Carter explained in a video by publisher Simon & Schuster. SNIP

He got a huge amount of respect from me when he walked away. That was a huge step - it took courage. I salute you and your faith Jimmy Carter. You are one of a kind.

SNIP Oct. 20 -- Former President Carter, a longtime Sunday school teacher, is walking away from the Southern Baptists because of the church’s stance on equality for women.

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published today, Carter says Southern Baptist leaders reading the Bible out of context led to the adoption of increasingly “rigid” views.

“I’m familiar with the verses they have quoted about wives being subjugated to their husbands,” he told the paper. “In my opinion, this is a distortion of the meaning of Scripture. … I personally feel the Bible says all people are equal in the eyes of God. I personally feel that women should play an absolutely equal role in service of Christ in the church.” SNIP