Oct 11 2012

Barton Blames Criticism on Satan

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In some ways, it must be nice to be a fundamentalist. No matter what happens, you have the perfect explanation. When you’re caught lying your ass off, as David Barton is on an almost daily basis, you can just blame it on Satan. How convenient.

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23 comments

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1

Ace of Sevens

October 11, 2012 at 9:16 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

What’s the book they’re talking about? Did he publish a Bible with commentary or something? His Wikipedia page doesn’t mention any book of his that would be called a bible
2

machintelligence

October 11, 2012 at 9:22 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

I think that this is the book that they are talking about:

Publisher Thomas Nelson has withdrawn ‘The Jefferson Lies” after a lengthy review found the author, David Barton, had included “historical details that were not adequately supported,” said Brian Hampton, a senior vice president and publisher for Thomas Nelson.
3

Ace of Sevens

October 11, 2012 at 9:23 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

It would be really odd to call that book a bible
4

wholething

October 11, 2012 at 9:37 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

It would be really odd to call that book a bible

Why? They’re both full of unsupported claims.
5

Ellie

October 11, 2012 at 9:40 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

@1, I think he’s talking about http://thefoundersbible.com/
6

Ace of Sevens

October 11, 2012 at 9:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

@5: That’s an odd cover quote. The idea that honor is sacred is hardly a Christian concept.
7

grumpyoldfart

October 11, 2012 at 9:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

When you’re caught lying your ass off, as David Barton is on an almost daily basis, you can just blame it on Satan. How convenient.

That’s the big attraction of religion. Atheists have to stand by their decisions and accept responsibility when things go wrong, but Christians don’t have to do that. Every time they make a mistake they can blame it on god or satan – and their friends accept it (because they intend to use the same excuse when they do something stupid). It’s the perfect escape route for those with fragile egos.
8

Alverant

October 11, 2012 at 9:49 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

What’s the rest of that youtube title? “Criticism of my work is like when God A”… I don’t want to click the link and give him another view, but I’m curious about how big his ego is.
9

jimmiraybob

October 11, 2012 at 9:49 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

What’s the book they’re talking about?

Barton has published a new book called the Founder’s Bible that, of course, makes the case that we were founded as a Christian and Biblical nation.

A good source for Barton commentary, in addition to here and Chris Rodda, is a blog maintained by Warren Throckmorton – a conservative Christian historian. He’s been relentless in critiquing Barton’s work starting with the Jefferson Lie’s and now with the “Bible.” Here’s a link to some fact checking:

http://wthrockmorton.com/2012/10/07/david-bartons-founders-bible-john-adams-and-the-general-principles-of-christianity/
10

andrewjohnston

October 11, 2012 at 10:12 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

@Alverant: It’s not Barton’s video, it’s Right Wing Watch, same as every wingnut embed. Clicking it doesn’t do him any good.
11

mikecline

October 11, 2012 at 10:18 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

I totally agree with Barton. My history students call me Satan and I am famous for hating the following things and working to destroy people who do them: plagerism, lieing, turning in fantasy fiction but calling it historical non-fiction, making up shit about Thomas and/or George Jefferson, pretending to know shit about shit you don’t know, pulling history out of one’s ass, and citing authors who do any of the above.
12

andrewjohnston

October 11, 2012 at 10:21 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

I also think it might be worth sharing Barton’s author bio for posterity:

DAVID BARTON is the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage. He is the author of numerous best-selling books, based largely upon extensive research from his massive library of over 100,000 original source documents from the Founding Era, one of the largest private collections in the nation. His exhaustive research has rendered him an expert in historical and constitutional issues, and he serves as a consultant to state and federal legislators, has participated in several cases at the Supreme Court, was involved in the development of the History/Social Studies standards for numerous states, and has helped produce history textbooks now used in schools across the nation. A national news organization has described him as “America’s historian,” and Time Magazine called him “a hero to millions.” He also addresses well over 400 groups each year.

Three things spring to mind:

1.) Barton is well on his way to becoming an American folk hero, at least in his own head;

2.) Like most folk heroes, I assume that all of that is exaggerated, if not outright false;

3.) No one at WallBuilders has a problem with run-on sentences.
13

abb3w

October 11, 2012 at 11:07 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

What ever happened to “tell the truth and shame the devil”?
14

hunter

October 11, 2012 at 11:17 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

Alverant — if you do click through, you can also give the video a “dislike.”
15

Modusoperandi

October 11, 2012 at 11:26 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

abb3w “What ever happened to ‘tell the truth and shame the devil’?”
Do you have any idea how much work it takes to be Mark Twain?
16

some bastard on the net

October 11, 2012 at 11:30 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

@hunter #14

Don’t bother, as andrewjohnston said, it’s a Right Wing Watch video, ‘disliking’ it won’t affect Barton.
17

bryanfeir

October 11, 2012 at 12:20 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

David Barton…
…his massive library of over 100,000 original source documents from the Founding Era, one of the largest private collections in the nation.

I’m not even an American, but the idea of someone so interested in twisting history also having a large private (and thus not necessarily available to others) collection of historical documents really bothers me.
18

matty1

October 11, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

DAVID BARTON… has participated in several cases at the Supreme Court

Assuming this actually happened in how many of those cases was he on the loosing side?
19

Quodlibet

October 11, 2012 at 1:16 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

Time Magazine called him “a hero to millions.”

Hmm. I was curious about that, so I looked it up, and here’s the full quote:

Many historians dismiss his thinking, but Barton’s advocacy organization, WallBuilders, and his relentless stream of publications, court amicus briefs and books like The Myth of Separation, have made him a hero to millions — including some powerful politicians.

Time magazine did not say that he is a hero; rather, they said that millions regard him as a hero. There’s a difference. IMO, he quoted that dishonestly.

Source: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1993235_1993243_1993261,00.html
20

jnorris

October 11, 2012 at 1:38 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

I gather from the headline that Satan maked lots and lots of people smarter than either D Barton and G Beck. Thus when these smarter people criticize Barton its the work of Satan.
21

Ed Brayton

October 11, 2012 at 1:42 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

Incidentally, Throckmorton is not a historian, he’s a psychologist. Of course, Barton isn’t a historian either.
22

fastlane

October 11, 2012 at 1:48 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

As one of Satan’s busier minions, I have to say that it’s about time we finally start getting the credit we deserve. I mean, we do it all for the glory of the great one, Satan himself (who throws a mean soiree, ifnyaknowwhatImean), but it took so long for His Greatness to be recognized again.

Many of us thought the enlightenment, what with the science and learning and shit, would spell the end of His Glorious reign, but with the teabaggers, rightwing xian wannabe theocrats taking over, we’re sliding back to the Grand ol’ Days of the Dark Ages. Man, I can’t wait for the next round of the inquisition. We’ve got so many new toys to play with now!!

This sarcasm brought to you by the letters G.O.P.
23

Ichthyic

October 11, 2012 at 4:52 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

Do you have any idea how much work it takes to be Mark Twain?

saved for future reference.