Posted on 03/12/2012 9:46:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
David Barton, an influential conservative activist promoting America's Judeo-Christian heritage, has joined a long list of critics of President Obama's contraceptive mandate and its impact on religious liberties. But Barton has taken his criticism one step further in a recent blog post by claiming that the Obama administration is the most Biblically hostile in U.S. history.
The Texas-based evangelical author and self-taught historian wrote in his latest WallBuilders post:
"So perhaps the most accurate description of his (President Obama) antipathy toward Catholics, Protestants, religious Jews, and the Jewish nation would be to characterize him as anti-Biblical. And then when his hostility toward Biblical people of faith is contrasted with his preferential treatment of Muslims and Muslim nations, it further strengthens the accuracy of the anti-Biblical descriptor."
The Christian Post contacted White House officials on Friday asking for a response to Barton's post but did not receive a statement by press time.
Barton cites numerous examples of the president's comments and actions that he says support his accusation. The list includes the White House's insistence that religious symbols at the site of Obama's speaking engagements be covered up when he speaks, Obama's nomination of three pro-abortion individuals as ambassadors to the Vatican (all of whom were rejected by the Vatican), and his recent contraceptive mandate that would require all insurance companies, including religious organizations that may be self-insured, to provide free birth control to all women.
Barton's latest criticism of the president has raised the ire of some in the Obama administration and leading Christian Democrats.
David Kennedy, a Colorado attorney and author of, You Voted for Who? And You Call Yourself a Christian?, defended President Obama and called into question the motives of some of the nation's leading evangelical leaders.
"Whether it be the likes of Franklin Graham or David Barton, there are many poli-religious leaders in our faith who need to be exposed for their ulterior political motives when they level these types of Pharisaical insults at President Obama or any Christian politician," said Kennedy in an email to The Christian Post.
"Thus far, I have seen President Obama's faith – that of a Christian – to be evident daily in his actions and decisions, and I applaud his ability to show his faith while defending the rights of all faiths and interests."
Barton, 56, began his career by first serving as a young minister and high school teacher before founding Specialty Research Associates in 1987, which later became WallBuilders. In addition, he is the former co-chair of the Republican Party of Texas.
In April of 2009, Barton penned an article titled, Is President Obama Correct: Is America No Longer a Christian Nation? in which he cited remarks President Obama made in Turkey – his first overseas trip that occurred only months after he took office – about America not strictly being a Christian nation.
"As I've said before, one of the great strengths of the United States is … and as I've mentioned … we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values," Obama had said. "I think Turkey – modern Turkey was founded with a similar set of principles."
Barton and others have questioned why Obama's explanation of the nation's Christian heritage differed from those of previous presidents who have publicly declared America is indeed a Christian nation.
Democrat President Harry Truman, for instance, in a letter to Pope Pius XII in August of 1947 wrote, "this is a Christian Nation," and "As a Christian Nation our earnest desire is to work with men of good will everywhere to banish war and the causes of war from the world whose Creator desired that men of every race and in every clime should live together in peace, good will and mutual trust."
Barton concluded his latest post by claiming Obama's "acts of hostility toward people of Biblical faith" are "literally unprecedented."
I am still surprised when people reject critical thinking.
I was last week, but I am feeling better now.
You haven’t given one verifiable fact or point.
I am beginning to think your just delusional and an atheist lemming.
Independent thought is a good thing. Respond back if you actually have some verifiable links to what you consider the truth.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
Of course there is. In fact the very father of American conservatism, Russell Kirk was himself a "conservative historian." Some other good conservative historians are Paul Kengor, Bruce Herschensohn, Niall Ferguson, and Victor Davis Hanson. There are many versions of history. There is conservative history and liberal history. Liberal history teaches things like FDR's New Deal saved us from the Great Depression. Conservatives know that many liberal lies are taught as "history."
“Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.”
This is addressed to me? Could you please give an example of me making something personal in this thread?
Historians either tell the truth or they don’t, there are not “many versions”. As for FDR and the New Deal, that should be taught as “social studies” as we lack the perspective to call it history. Historical research used to be about understanding the past, all the books you see now about “history” that happened 5, 10, 50 years ago is about the almighty dollar and publishing for fame.
“Independent thought is a good thing.”
Yes, it is. And you don’t need me to help you with it. The information is there, what are you going to do about it?
Because I called David Barton a hack and pointed to some quick resources that already had the information spelled out, it has been assumed that I am a liberal, unpatriotic, atheist, troll. The conclusions are illogical and poor discourse.
Who am I? I am a Believer, a military wife with extreme conservative political leanings, a homeschooler to six beautiful children (one soon to be a Marine), and a PhD in Early American history. And, of course, I am Viking!
My bad. I apologize for the personal attack. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
And posts 45, 55, 70, 74, and 79 - those are examples of what?
I already researched and cannot find the proof of what you claim...
I do my homework and the extra credit.
Maybe you need to dig a little bit deeper.
Yes and the guideline on the Religion Forum is that when one poster in a sidebar has been warned, all Freepers on the sidebar should consider themselves warned.
From the American Historical Association Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct:
“All historians believe in honoring the integrity of the historical record. They do not fabricate evidence. Forgery and fraud violate the most basic foundations on which historians construct their interpretations of the past. An undetected counterfeit undermines not just the historical arguments of the forger, but all subsequent scholarship that relies on the forger’s work. Those who invent, alter, remove, or destroy evidence make it difficult for any serious historian ever wholly to trust their work again.”
David Barton violated that trust starting with his book Myth of Separation. It is true that there is no “separation of church and state” in the Constitution, but we didn’t need David Barton to tell us that, we have primary sources at our fingertips: http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/tocs/toc.html . David Barton doesn’t advance America’s Christian heritage, he makes it up, he twists it, he makes the truth harder for the layman to uncover.
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