Krista – Yes, I have similar experience. Actually, if anyone’s name is being dragged through the mud it is mine by Barton. Calling me nuts and saying I am lying about my personal and political views are acts of a defensive man. I am disagreeing with his history facts, he is assaulting me, as is his co-worker at Wallbuilders (associating Barton’s critics with Nazis).

Anyway, I also contacted Wallbuilders on three occasions. One the office by phone, once the organization by email and then once directly to Rick Green. There was no response. He has made no effort to reach out to me. I do know also that other Christian scholars leaders have reached out to him to no avail.

Lively makes many assumptions that aren’t true in his writing.

It might interest you to know that I seem to have been completely blocked from commenting on Lively’s blog. My comments were not aggressive, merely (intellectually) ‘challenging’, but it appears that he (Lively) either cannot cope with them or (and I suspect this is more likely) is simply not interested in any discussion that might lead to a questioning of his pronouncements. Contrast that attitude with Throckmorton’s: Warren allows on his blog all kinds of comments criticising his views. The contrast is most instructive.

Don’t ever try going into politics Warren, you would never make it 🙂

And Barton does have to first paint his critics as boogeymen, that way his followers are just thinking about how evil they are and not paying too much attention to his “refutations” of the actual criticisms.

I find it incredible that there is such division in the body and all because of politics. The ruination of the faith will come because some have chosen to inject themselves into the political arena. We know that these developments have come about because history has shown wherever the church has injected itself onto the political stage that absolutely power corrupts absolutely. The blending of temporal with eternal has always caused the ruination of both and neither ever recover their former glory.

There is such animosity between the factions that it is causing strain on the whole, both political and spiritual are suffering and nothing good will ever come because of the “Southern Strategy.” What we need now is repentance and a new sense of solidarity, but that will be impossible unless there is an awakening of who and why the body of Christ is here on earth.

And by “homosexual activists,” I was referring to the implication given in Mr. Lively’s article. He seems to suggest that anyone who disagrees with Barton is on par with this mysterious “gay agenda” that is trying to destroy the very foundation of America and turn it into a demonic, hedonistic society. Which is absurd, of course, but so is the entire conspiracy theory itself!

Who knows how far this goes? We are through the looking glass, people!

” Was Wyneken really upset about Throckmorton’s request to collaborate with him (Throckmorton)? Or have you perhaps ‘misunderstood’ the reality here? ”

It’ll be interesting to see if he responds this time.

I admit that you can be right – perhaps you are just following your personal wimseys like an Oxford don in 1950.

On the other hand, it’s quite normal for people to interprete the post hoc (first Lively, then Barton) as propter hoc. One mustn’t be a nutcrack conspirationist to think so (and I suppose that more than half of your fans think the same way, only to your favour).