There are a few over-riding (political) principles I try to live my life by; they inform my opinions on a wide range of issues. First and foremost The Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution under-gird my views on most if not all topics/issues--cultural and political--facing our nation. Our nation was founded on a foundation of Liberty, Equality, and Justice for All, and call me an idealist, but I fervently believe in those doctrines.And thus, I believe there should be a separation between Church and State; I believe in freedom of Religion, but I also believe in Freedom from Religion; I believe that our federal and state governments are becoming increasingly and dangerously intertwined with religion, most notably Christianity, with odious results; I believe that a citizen should be free to pursue happiness as long as that pursuit does not infringe on another citizens right to the same. And thusly I believe in the right of Gay's and lesbians to marry and start families; I am pro-choice and pro-life. And I believe homosexuals should be allowed to server openly in our nation's Armed Services; to continually support the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is nothing more than government sponsored discrimination.I believe that if we as a nation claim the moral high ground by the virtue of being a "Christian Nation," then we as a people, as a society should act like one. Our continued worship of material goods and money is obscene, and our treatment of other nation's is disgraceful. As is our treatment of the environment; our stewardship of the earth and our nation leaves a lot to be desired.After reading former President' Jimmy Carter's new book "Our Endangered Values; America's Moral Crisis," I am reassured that he shares most of my beliefs, as well as my fears for the future of our Republic. Most of us know Jimmy Carter as the 39th President of the United States and of course for his (alleged) failure to end the Iran Hostage Crisis. But Carter is much deeper then the sum of his (alleged) failures, the man is Nobel Peace Prize winner, leader of the non-profit Carter Center, and a prolific author. In addition Carter is devote Southern Baptist, and takes his faith very, very seriously.Book Excerpt; (Introduction, Page I):American cherish the greatness of our homeland, but many do not realize how extensive and profound are the transformations that are now taking place in our nation's basic moral values, public discourse, and political philosophy.Our people have been justifiably proud to see America's power and influence used to preserve peace for ourselves and others, to promote economic and social justice, to raise the banner of freedom and human rights, to protect the quality of our environment, to alleviate human suffering, to enhance the rule of law, and to cooperate with other peoples to reach these common goals.With the most diverse and innovative population on earth, we have learned the value of providing our citizens with accurate information, treating dissenting voices and beliefs with respect, and accommodating free and open debate on controversial issues. Most of our political leaders have extolled state and local autonomy, attempted to control deficit spending, avoided foreign adventurism, minimized long-term peacekeeping commitments, preserved separation of church and state, and protected civil liberties and personal privacy.All of these historic commitments are now being challenged...In what amounts to a 212-page narrative Jimmy Carter lays out forceful arguments that our government, indeed our society is increasing engaging in a campaign to fuse religion with politics with foreseeable and regrettable results. Carter uses his personal experiences to illustrate his points on a number of issues. These personal antidotes lend considerable weight to the narrative, bolstering arguments that our federal government is failing us and the world, by it actions on a number of critical fronts.Carter doesn't waste a lot of verbiage on verbose finger-pointing, but instead zero's in on what he sees as the problem(s). And he backs his argument with facts gleamed from a number of authoritative governmental and non-governmental sources. Unlike most conservative pundits, Carter deals in facts, not supposition informed by ignorance and Party-line platform politics."Our Endangered Values; America's Moral Crisis" is a wakeup call, a tolling, ringing bell in the light of day, written to inform and alarm. And who better to ring the bell than Jimmy Carter, a man steeped in faith, but who also recognizes, appreciates, and respect the need to keep Church and State separate. He recognizes that keeping the two separate is no easy undertaking only that it must be done in order to preserve the freedom and equality of all Americans.But at the same time Carter trumpets the need for politicians who claim to be Christian to put a little faith in their policies. And the same goes for the government as a whole; bottom-line: the U.S. government led by Bush has an increasing moral deficit that threatens our leadership around the world, political, and ethical. As Carter sees it--and I have to agree--the chasm between the United States and the rest of the world has grown and continues to grow after 9/11 because of our lack of moral leadership."Our Endangered Values; America's Moral Crisis" is a well written, thoughtful, carefully researched book about the continued erosion of American society and governance. And it only confirmed what I had already suspected, that the Bush Administration is doing America and the world a grievous disservice with its current course of recklessness and lack of moral rectitude. Carter spells it out in "Our Endangered Values" in eloquent terms, and all Americans would do well to read and heed.