Quotes President Jimmy Carter as saying "If you don’t want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don’t."
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Quote about tax dollars, the poor and Christianity was not said by Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter is well known for his devotion to Christianity and issues of human rights.
So, when a quote about both subjects is attributed to him on the internet, it isn’t that hard to believe he could or would have said it.
The quote, posted on Facebook along with a photograph of Carter, says: "If you don’t want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don’t."
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Whether Carter would support the message or not, he didn’t say it.
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The misattributed quote to the 39th president has been circulating the internet in various memes since it was actually uttered by comedian John Fugelsang in May 2013.
The remark originated as part of a longer address by Fugelsang when his segment "Revoltingly Fake Christian of the Week" aired as part of Current TV’s Viewpoint program. The segment aired on May 29, 2013, (it is no longer available online) and targeted Tennessee congressman Stephen Fincher.
Fugelsang took to Twitter shortly after the misattributed version of the quote began to spread to set the record straight.
On Sept. 13, 2013, he tweeted: "This quote was widely attributed to Jimmy Carter. I apologize to him for it." Fugelsang again tweeted the quote and added an important parenthetical: "(not Jimmy Carter)."
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Our Sources
Facebook post, May 1, 2019
Buzzfeed, John Fugelsang: Viewpoint Presents: 'The Revoltingly Fake Christian Of The Week,' May 30, 2013
Snopes, Jimmy Carter on Helping the Poor, Feb. 27, 2014
John Fugelsang Facebook post, May 29, 2013
John Fugelsang Twitter post, Sept. 12, 2013
John Fugelsang Twitter post, Feb. 6, 2014
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Quote about tax dollars, the poor and Christianity was not said by Jimmy Carter
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