The Most Influential Evangelist You've Never Heard Of

[Adsos Letter]

NPR
All Things Considered
by BARBARA BRADLEY HAGERTY
August 8, 2012

David Barton says Americans have been misled about their history. And he aims to change that.

"It's what I would call historical reclamation," Barton explains, in his soft but rapid-fire voice. "We're just trying to get history back to where it's accurate. If you're going to use history, get it right."

Barton has collected 100,000 documents from before 1812 — original or certified copies of letters, sermons, newspaper articles and official documents of the Founding Fathers. He says they prove that the Founding Fathers were deeply religious men who built America on Christian ideas — something you never learn in school.

For example, you've been taught the Constitution is a secular document. Not so, says Barton: The Constitution is laced with biblical quotations.
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/08/157754542/the-most-influential-evangelist-youve-never-heard-of

Listen to the Story:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=157754542&m=158448820

As mentioned in a previous article by Rob Boston, Hagerty allows Barton the rope to hang himself.

"Cue The Tape: How David Barton Sees The World"
Watch examples of the evangelical's worldview, and how he applies selective history to the present: http://www.npr.org/2012/08/08/157777697/cue-the-tape-how-david-barton-sees-the-world

[cbayer]

1. Very glad to see he is being challenged by leaders from the religious right.

[Adsos Letter]

3. Me too. I see he misrepresentation of this element of our founding principles as not only unhelpful

but dangerous. Dangerous, in that it can be used to undergird any number of repressive behaviors; unhelpful, in that it has a limiting effect on our attempts to solve national problems.

[russspeakeasy]

2. Here is something I DID learn in school.

A lot of people are full of shit.

[Adsos Letter]

6. "A lot of people are full of shit." True statement there.

The fact that his version of history is used in some private Christian schools is cause for concern. The nation has too much at stake to base its problem-solving on a misrepresentation of what we're about.

[benld74]

4. Isn't this the guy Beck had on his show before? SURE it is!!!!!

http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/04/20/watch-david-barton-the-jefferson-lies/

[Adsos Letter]

5. That's the one.

Reputable historians have thoroughly debunked his method and conclusions, but he continues to find an audience in the Evangelical community. Using his work as history texts in private schools should certainly be a cause for concern.

The Jefferson Lies has been thoroughly debunked by Rodda, and others.

EDIT: typo...

[Jim__]

7. It's surprising that he makes claims that are so easy to check and falsify.

You look at Article 2, the quote on the president has to be a native born? That is Deuteronomy 17:15, verbatim.

From Article 2:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Deuteronomy 17:14-17

14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

Well, not exactly verbatim.

[freshwest]

8. David Barton's book now being pulled from shelves:

David Barton subject of scathing NPR piece--and has his latest book taken off shelves

by Christian Dem in NC Aug 09, 2012

It's been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 48 hours for David Barton. Yesterday, NPR's All Things Considered did a story that took a hard look at the fundie pseudo-historian's half-baked approach to scholarship. Then today--in what can hardly be a coincidence-- his publisher yanked his latest book from the shelves due to concerns about its accuracy.

First, yesterday's All Things Considered did what is arguably the most devastating mainstream media piece yet on Barton. NPR checked out many of his longstanding claims and found them to be complete bollocks. For instance, Barton claims that several passages in the Constitution come straight from the Bible. But NPR couldn't find a single one. It also included Mike Huckabee's infamous quote that "all Americans should be forced--at gunpoint, no less" to listen to Barton's hot air. As a Web extra, NPR culled videos of Barton's claims to show how they don't jibe with the facts.

Then, earlier today, Thomas Nelson Publishers announced it will no longer publish or distribute Barton's latest book, The Jefferson Lies. Thomas Nelson conducted a review of some of the claims made after several people expressed concerns about them, and found that in many cases, there was no evidence to support them. While the NPR piece was no doubt a factor, World's Thomas Kidd reports that a large number of Christian conservatives have expressed concerns about Barton's work. For instance, Jay Richards of the Discovery Institute, previously a close ally of Barton's, has broken with him due to concerns his work contains "embarrassing factual errors, suspiciously selective quotes, and highly misleading claims." A group of 10 Christian professors he consulted about Barton's work largely agree.

Amazing what happens with a little bit of sunshine...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/09/1118397/-David-Barton-subject-of-scathing-NPR-piece-and-has-his-latest-book-taken-off-shelves?detail=hide