I watched President's Carter state funeral, and was struck by a number of things. The song, 'Imagine', was performed. Reading Wikipedia, i was informed that it was also done at Mrs. Carter's funeral. The Carters, in travelling the world, had heard it many times in several countries. The melody is pleasant, it is a wistful song. Now the first line, 'Imagine there's no heaven', is problematic to people who play a rigidly, pious role.
I remember a mass, in which the priest said he did not allow the song 'My way' used at a man's funeral. It was non-Christian. The way of Jesus was not the purview of the song. Imagine is to create a vision that exists only in the mind; it is a conjecture. The song speaks to an ideal state of community of all people having no quarrel or objection with all the people, a sort of utopia. Utopia is no place.
Now, the last episode of the third season of WKRP, a preacher wanted to be the censor for a radio station. This was April 1981. The actor, Richard Paul, was cast because of his resemblance to Jerry Falwell. Falwell, presented himself as jolly and polite while being pompous and deceptive. He created an organization similar to the goals of the teevee episode. Falwell was on teevee himself a lot during the 1980s. Ted Koppel of ABC had him on many nights, and allowed him to hold forth.
What was the problem. The actor said, "…sounds like communism…", and "…typical of the kind of secular liberal humanist point of view that gluts our airwaves". Two knee jerk responses that are catch-alls. Everything that they disapprove of is 'communism', and 'communism' is one hundred percent the enemy. This sort of political, and social view demands to have absolute censorship over all people, and all thought. The dreamers, who imagine in the song, want a better world with better people; they may strive thought, but they know it is not reachable. Those who would prohibit them, work actively to have that power.
Now, while living then, born again evangelicals were new terms to me. They were Baptist Protestants. Both Carter, and Falwell were in these categories, and they were southerners. Jimmy Carter ran for president in 1976, and in 1980. In 1976, those groups voted for Carter. In 1980, those groups voted against him, and he lost. What changed? President Biden gave a short, and pointed eulogy, "A white Southern Baptist who led us on civil rights". Biden praised Carter for his "character and faith". He alluded to the words of the Prophet Micah, which a previous eulogist directly quoted, "what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?".
Biden also said, "...We have an obligation...to stand up to what my dad used to say is the greatest sin of all: The abuse of power...". President Biden, as did others, were allowing the world evidence. Evidence to be heard, and to compare, the good use of power which Jimmy Carter used. That comparison also would be a lesson to the next president; but that portion of the attempt is in vain. Perhaps others would do so. There the message was sent out into the world.
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