Barton's Lies Still Circulating
"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones." — William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3 Scene 2
The evil done by David Barton, founder of WallBuilders Christian Ministry, author of Original Intent and America's Godly Heritage, and proponent of (and apologist for) the idea that America is a Christian nation, certainly continues to live on long after him — and he's not even dead yet.
Barton fabricated a bunch of quotations purporting to be from America's founders and disseminated them widely among those receptive to his viewpoint. Eventually, however, they came to the attention of true historical scholars, who started off puzzled ("Boy, that sure doesn't SOUND like anything Jefferson would have said."), moved on to being skeptical, finally demanded to see the original documents, and finally ended up denouncing Barton as a fraud and a liar when he couldn't produce anything remotely like a primary source.
But all of those phony quotations continue to circulate out there, and I've seen a couple of them resurface in the last week alone, as dominionists and Christian apologists use this golden opportunity to try to make hay (and possibly converts bearing gifts) out of all the overtly Protestant religiosity which drenched the Obama inauguration ceremonies.
Just so everyone knows, I've written the following to both snopes.com and The Straight Dope in hopes that these widely respected sources of, um, straight dope will help quash these lies for at least the short run. (I have no hope that they'll ever be permanently exterminated — since the internet is forever — at least not until that hallowed day when, as Denis Diderot hoped, "the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest".)
= = = = = =
You may have heard about David Barton, president of WallBuilders Christian Ministry, and his penchant for quoting the founders of America to the effect that the United States was supposed to be a Christian nation, founded by Christians on Christian principles. It appears that all of his quotations were fabricated. (I've appended below the ones that I'm aware of.) I had heard that Barton had subsequently made public acknowledgment of their spurious nature, but I can't find a good reference to a reliable news report of that confession, only obviously biased sources which claim it happened. What's the direct poop?
= = = = = =
It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.
-- George Washington
= = = = = =
The only assurance of our nation's safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.
-- Abraham Lincoln
= = = = = =
The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.
-- Abraham Lincoln
= = = = = =
America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
-- Alexis de Tocqueville
= = = = = =
I have always said and always will say that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make us better citizens.
-- Thomas Jefferson
= = = = = =
Whosoever shall introduce into the public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world.
-- Benjamin Franklin
= = = = = =
It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!
-- Patrick Henry
= = = = = =
There are two powers only which are sufficient to control men, and secure the rights of individuals and a peaceable administration; these are the combined force of religion and law, and the force or fear of the bayonet.
-- Noah Webster
= = = = = =
Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. In this sense and to this extent, our civilizations and our institutions are emphatically Christian.
-- US Supreme Court, Holy Trinity v. US
= = = = = =
We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves ... according to the Ten Commandments of God.
-- James Madison
= = = = = =
The principles of all genuine liberty, and of wise laws and administrations are to be drown from the Bible and sustained by its authority. The man therefore who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that book may be assessory [sic] to all the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer.
-- Noah Webster
= = = = = =
A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or eternal invader.
-- Samuel Adams
= = = = = =
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
-- Stephen Hawking (This one is real.)
The evil done by David Barton, founder of WallBuilders Christian Ministry, author of Original Intent and America's Godly Heritage, and proponent of (and apologist for) the idea that America is a Christian nation, certainly continues to live on long after him — and he's not even dead yet.
Barton fabricated a bunch of quotations purporting to be from America's founders and disseminated them widely among those receptive to his viewpoint. Eventually, however, they came to the attention of true historical scholars, who started off puzzled ("Boy, that sure doesn't SOUND like anything Jefferson would have said."), moved on to being skeptical, finally demanded to see the original documents, and finally ended up denouncing Barton as a fraud and a liar when he couldn't produce anything remotely like a primary source.
But all of those phony quotations continue to circulate out there, and I've seen a couple of them resurface in the last week alone, as dominionists and Christian apologists use this golden opportunity to try to make hay (and possibly converts bearing gifts) out of all the overtly Protestant religiosity which drenched the Obama inauguration ceremonies.
Just so everyone knows, I've written the following to both snopes.com and The Straight Dope in hopes that these widely respected sources of, um, straight dope will help quash these lies for at least the short run. (I have no hope that they'll ever be permanently exterminated — since the internet is forever — at least not until that hallowed day when, as Denis Diderot hoped, "the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest".)
= = = = = =
You may have heard about David Barton, president of WallBuilders Christian Ministry, and his penchant for quoting the founders of America to the effect that the United States was supposed to be a Christian nation, founded by Christians on Christian principles. It appears that all of his quotations were fabricated. (I've appended below the ones that I'm aware of.) I had heard that Barton had subsequently made public acknowledgment of their spurious nature, but I can't find a good reference to a reliable news report of that confession, only obviously biased sources which claim it happened. What's the direct poop?
= = = = = =
It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.
-- George Washington
= = = = = =
The only assurance of our nation's safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.
-- Abraham Lincoln
= = = = = =
The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.
-- Abraham Lincoln
= = = = = =
America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
-- Alexis de Tocqueville
= = = = = =
I have always said and always will say that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make us better citizens.
-- Thomas Jefferson
= = = = = =
Whosoever shall introduce into the public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world.
-- Benjamin Franklin
= = = = = =
It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!
-- Patrick Henry
= = = = = =
There are two powers only which are sufficient to control men, and secure the rights of individuals and a peaceable administration; these are the combined force of religion and law, and the force or fear of the bayonet.
-- Noah Webster
= = = = = =
Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. In this sense and to this extent, our civilizations and our institutions are emphatically Christian.
-- US Supreme Court, Holy Trinity v. US
= = = = = =
We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves ... according to the Ten Commandments of God.
-- James Madison
= = = = = =
The principles of all genuine liberty, and of wise laws and administrations are to be drown from the Bible and sustained by its authority. The man therefore who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that book may be assessory [sic] to all the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer.
-- Noah Webster
= = = = = =
A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or eternal invader.
-- Samuel Adams
= = = = = =
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
-- Stephen Hawking (This one is real.)
posted by Richard S. Russell | 12:37 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home