Tom – The preachers have been around pointing out Barton’s problems for much longer than I have.

Thanks.

I admit I have no experience with the type of Protestant fundamentalists you describe.

I have noticed that something happens to folks that go this route. Their perspective distorts everything they see. Respectful dialog becomes elusive to them. Slander and painting people with a broad brush is the norm for them.Everyone who disagrees with them is regarded as an enemy.

Unfortunately, I have—in my own studies of religion and the Founding— stumbled across those who are the fundamentalists’ enemies [usually ex-fundies]. I seldom can tell the difference. The ex-fundies are everything you accuse the fundies of.

I have no dog in the fight. But I’m a strong supporter of religious liberty, even when I find the religion absurd. [Literal creationism being a prime example, which I don’t mind saying I find absurd.]

But there is very very much underlying these debates that the fundies and Barton lose by their inarticulateness. William Jennings Bryan, in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, wasn’t defending creationism and the Bible as much as defending the dignity of man created in God’s image against eugenics and scientism that makes man no more than the sum of his atoms and synapses.

If you follow me here.

Respectfully submitted.

Now the entire quote reads: “All propaganda has to BE POPULAR AND HAS TO accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.” By inclusion of the word “and,” the context of the statement is contingent on both popularity AND simplicity to be true. He just omitted the first contingency entirely, and it wasn’t on accident. He had to edit the quote or else he wouldn’t have been able to make the claim that, “The elitist professors like Kidd, Throckmorton, Coulter, & Jenkinson write boring books that very few people read and they give boring lectures that are only attended by students forced to do so in order to get a grade.” But according to the full quote, propaganda has to be popular AND simplistic. So are these “elitist” professors writing popular stuff, or aren’t they?

“When these guys see Barton telling history in a way that is BOTH accurate and fun and they see millions of people are captivated and want to learn more, (Hm…sounds like Barton’s got the formula down!) then perhaps it could be just a little jealousy could be causing them to lash out at Barton with innuendoes backed by no actual merit. (Kind of like what Rick is doing right in that statement?)”

Another funny observation; he states:

‘These elitist professors and reporters attacking David Barton know that most people will not actually go read the supporting material behind David’s books…certainly not the bloggers and reporters who have so quickly jumped on the attack wagon. They are exactly the “least intelligent” Hitler was able to fool, Alinksy taught radicals to fool, and now even Christian “leaders” are joining.’

Well apparently Rick assumed nobody would actually check his edited quote of Hitler’s to see what Hitler REALLY said, either!