PDF A Call to Action: Women; Religion; Violence; and Power by Jimmy Carter in History

Review

172 of 179 people found the following review helpful. Carter's Most Important BookBy ernest schuskyCarter will probably antagonize more people with this book than any of his others. He has documented his position with facts and statistics that can't be disputed. Such as; in India female genocide has become so common that women are only about two thirds as numerous as men. Similar findings are documented for China; and the inferiority of women is glaringly obvious in the Middle East.What will raise so much objection to his work is that he points out how all the major religions can be used to justify female inferiority and thus the ill treatment of women. The Bible; the Koran; and Hindu texts all have passages explicitly claiming male superiority. Of course; the statements are contradicted elsewhere in the sacred writings; but male leaders have no trouble selecting the passages that enforce their superiority.Carter doesn't hesitate to shine light on the United States and its rampant sex trade. One can't help but admire his courage when he picks out Atlanta as the busiest place in the business of sex; but what must be most admired is how he tells of leaving the religion in which he was raised-and served as a Sunday School teacher-when he realized how much sex discrimination existed in the Southern Baptist denomination. He also takes on the Catholic Church for its sex discrimination.Its a book that's sure to be discussed and cursed for a long time. A tremendous eye opener.eschusky.com7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Polemic for action to support womenBy William WeitzelJimmy Carter has used his enormous influence to address one of the world's major problems -- the denigration of and failure to protect our greatest source of moral and physical strength -- women and girls right to be accorded equality. This book is a polemic and in the style that makes Carter so appealing to me; he addresses the problems around the world that afflict half of human population. He marshals statics and anecdotes about the use of abuse (rape; torture; genital mutilation; etc.) as a tactic of war; to the failure to recognize the loss of the enormous potential that women bring to virtually any activity through society's demeaning attitudes toward women and girls. With sensitivity; with the use of evidence-based information (statistics that reflect what are the actual results of this negative orientation) and with his own willingness to show his own myopic (my interpretation of his views) orientation toward some women's rights issues like abortion that are simply based upon his religious ideas as a Baptist; he shows his willingness to think again about the full range of the implications of the plight of women around the world. From child brides; to indentured domestic servitude; sexual slavery; to prostitution; Even if one is supportive of women's rights; it helps to have one's conscious awareness refreshed again.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. "There is no religion that despises women. Hatred cannot come from the heart of God." Responded to My Need!By GlendaI bought this book for one primary reason... To verify that the United States had at least one president who tried to serve our country to the best of his ability...and to continue a life of service for people around the World that he had grown to care about... We do not now have such a president as a majority of our country has noted again and again... The danger of this dramatic increase to incite violence; hatred; bigotry and prejudice; again; drew me to this book as Carter in his book shares not only his concern but actual statistics and factual information about how Women are now being seen/treated across the world.Of particular interest was his personal story about religion and his ultimate decision; along with his wife; to leave the church he had been attending for years.Interestingly; one woman; Angelina Jolie; took the route of creating a movie showing the sexual abuse of women during wars. I wanted to at least share the trailer for the movie; but found that most information has been taken off due to content... Isn't that the reality of it all...a movie that shows the reality of war is not allowed to be showed because of how horrendous the activities "in the movie" was...but we've done nothing much to speak out to stop these atrocities actually happening within any war zone...Carter shares his personal experiences as he became aware of what was happening in the world. For instance; during the 1963 speech of Martin Luther King; he was struck by his son being in Vietnam; as King condemned the government for being the biggest purveyor of violence; noting that he had to condemn that before he could condemn the spreading violence in the ghetto... King went on to say that we could not look at freedom without the concurrent commitment to peace and non-violence.Carter went on to tell of his realization that women; who were disproportionately affected; could not have equal rights without the recognition of how violence has placed women in that unequal position. Quoting Pope Francis in 2013: "Faith and violence are incompatible;" Carter points out that violence may not be more than there was in the past; but the key thing is that we know better and globally; we have sought to improve human rights in every possible way.Moving forward into the book; Carter covers Spousal Abuse; for instance; by noting that many men use Matthew 5:39 about turning the other cheek; by stating that Christian women are required to just take it... That is quickly turned into the third choice (taking it or returning the violence) by going to a women's shelter...Why are we still failing? That's what I wanted to know...This is not an easy book to read; especially for women. Men? Some will agree but will they have the strength of characters to speak out when misinformation about some religious practice is used to commit violence? There are many people and groups speaking out more and more; with specifics; such as those by Ritu Sharma; Cofounder and President; Women Thrive Worldwide; who openly states "There is no religion that despises women. Hatred cannot come from the Heart of God..."There is much to learn in this book. The primary confirmation for me was that God; in no way; wants women or men to be objects of violence... and that anybody who uses religion to justify violence is doing it based upon his own will not God's! Frankly that was worth reading the book for me; however; there is much more powerful material that needs to be read; some of it perhaps new to those men who are willing to listen and; then; be strong enough to speak out.Note that the United States is only 23rd in the world as a country who absolutely treats women and men with equal status... and that; further; they had improved and then dropped again. Violence has indeed increased and it's coming from all sectors of the United States as well as across the world... It is especially reprehensible to know that many use the Bible and other religious texts to justify the treatment of women; rather than to strive to understand what is actually being said...In one way or another I have fought for betterment of the way women have been treated for all of my adult life...Admittedly it was my own personal battle in the professional arena mostly. Now; I can see what is happening across the nation and the world on a much broader scale. Reading this book has expanded greatly my base of knowledge and awareness...An important contribution of the book. This is highly recommended to women and men...Stop what has and is happening to women; children; and men around the world!GABixlerReviews.