April 8, 2005

Friday advice: Stop listening to David Barton

Thanks to Bruce and Carlos for this
link
. I have written about Mr. Barton in the past and I wince everytime I see him on TV or hear about him spreading his "history." As this points out, those who decry "revisionist" history (though revisionist is also good history) should be mad at Barton too. He is the one who is simply picking and choosing what he wants to emphasize. He is the one who lacks any historical professionalism or scholarly integrity. Be mad at him.

"I first became acquainted with Mr. Barton in the early 1970's when I was a staff member of the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.  For the past 30 years, Barton has been evangelizing his extremist beliefs that the separation of church and state is a myth and that the United States was founded as and should be governed as a Christian nation; this is bad history and dangerous theology.  By having Mr. Barton as a host of a religious heritage tour, you send a volatile message to all Americans that Washington has once again overstepped its bounds and is endorsing revisionist history along with advancing a right-wing agenda. Given the present mood of the country and the questionable role that religion has played in Washington recently, these are treacherous waters to be treading."

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