Beebe, AR — Saying he thinks his discovery will settle the Christian nation debate, Rev. Cyrus Jones revealed in a press release that he has found the words of the Bible in the United States Constitution. Pastor of the Patriot Baptist Church, Jones said he was skeptical at first but was encouraged to seek the truth by listening to historical document collector, David Barton.
“Barton has 100,000 pre-1812 documents in his library. Because of that, I figure he knows something about old words,” Jones said. “For sure, the Bible has old words and so does the Constitution. I decided to see if Barton was right when he said the exact words of the Bible are in the Constitution.”
Jones said that he found many exact words. “‘The,’ ‘and,’ and, ‘an’ are especially common in both the Bible and Constitution, but the clincher was words like ‘blessings’ and ‘liberty’ and ‘faith’ and ‘numbers.’ Those exact words are in both the Bible and the Constitution.”
Jones is preparing a multi-part sermon series with a sermon on each exact word in common. “It is going to be anointed,” he said.
For more on the exact words of the Bible in the Constitution, watch the video below:
See also this and this.
(I hope it is obvious that Cyrus Jones is made up and the story is a spoof. Sadly, however, David Barton’s claim is very real (hat tip to RWW).
Category: david barton
Post Ted Cruz, Is It Time for Glenn Beck to Reconsider David Barton?
On his show today, conservative pundit Glenn Beck became irate with Ted Cruz over Cruz’s endorsement of Donald Trump. Right Wing Watch gets the hat tip and has some clips. Watch:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNjgAUzUwCI[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BshqMopwv2E[/youtube]
It is must watch TV. Beck nailed Cruz on his endorsement and demanded to know what new information Cruz had which allowed him to endorse Trump. Cruz had none (in fact, Cruz allowed Trump to use his mailing list before the endorsement) In the second video, Beck rails against Cruz and the two parties.
If Beck is this angry over Cruz’s turn around, what must he think of his old buddy David Barton?
Barton believes Christians must put aside their complaints and vote for Trump (link, link, link). Barton believes Trump is God’s choice and that Christians have a biblical duty to vote for him. Barton has been pushing Trump for weeks.
How is it possible for Glenn Beck to excoriate Ted Cruz without comparable ire being directed toward David Barton?
Perhaps this will motivate Beck to really examine the claims Barton makes about historical matters (and even Barton’s own educational status). Beck has a mutual friend who reached out to him in 2012 about Barton’s history. Perhaps, Mr. Beck, you could reach out to that person and reexamine the evidence.
David Barton Used a Secondary Source for His PhD Video (Video with Pop Ups)
On September 7, religious right history writer and Christian nation advocate David Barton posted a video on his You Tube and Facebook accounts claiming to have an “earned doctorate.” The very next day he removed the video, perhaps in light of the revelation that the degree may have come from unaccredited Life Christian University. LCU is on record as giving what it calls “earned doctorates” to famous people who never attended the school.
Since he removed the video, Barton has not commented or explained why he claimed to have an earned doctorate but failed to say from where he earned it.
In case you missed it, here is Barton’s video with some commentary provided by me in pop ups to keep things light (see the original here).
In an another amusing twist, it turns out that Barton took his information about honorary doctorates from a secondary source. Even though he cited West Virginia University in the video, the phrasing he used to describe why a school might award an honorary doctorate came directly from reference.com and not West Virginia University as Barton claimed. Barton said:
The website Reference.com cites WVU’s honorary degree web page and reads:
Although reference.com cites WVU, a search of West Virginia University’s honorary doctorate page doesn’t turn up that phrase. Apparently, the phrase Barton’s quoted and attributed to WVU was a paraphrase constructed by reference.com. He used that paraphrase and attributed it to WVU.
In any case, neither of Barton’s honorary degrees come from WVU so their procedures don’t apply. Barton’s honorary degrees come from two schools which are not regionally accredited. Barton is on the board of one of those schools (Ecclesia College).
The bottom line is this. Barton’s tenuous credibility is at stake. He directly and forcefully claimed to have an earned doctorate. However, he hid the diploma and then removed the video evidence. He has not explained why he won’t supply verification after saying for years that he did not a PhD. It is simply not credible to claim to have an earned doctorate and then refuse to disclose the details about it. To claim such a degree without having one is academic fraud and in the real world has significant consequences.
The Mistake Made by People Who Thought David Barton Did Not Have a PhD
Apparently, the big mistake was listening to David Barton.
In 2011, 2012 and 2015 (at least), David Barton is recorded saying he had no PhD. Watch:
Then in 2015, he told the same story (start watching at 17:47):
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Qgg-v3AZQ&feature[/youtube]
Call me crazy but I am sure he said he didn’t have a PhD.
It has only been this year that I can find any video references to having a PhD.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpaIQJmJZiM[/youtube]
The above reference is vague but he seems to say in August that he does have a PhD in Education.
Then last week (9/7/16), he chastised “progressives” for saying he didn’t have a PhD but he didn’t say anything about his education. He pointed to diplomas on the stage and said that it was his earned degree.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ivAbp6vX-0[/youtube]
The next day (after the mystery degree was identified as coming from unaccredited Life Christian University), Barton removed the video from You Tube and has not commented publicly on the matter. What is the truth?
So here we are, 10 days later, with no explanation about Barton’s mystery degree.
This is a serious matter. Barton’s bio doesn’t include any PhD and for years, he said he had no PhD. Then he criticized people for believing him and claimed he has an earned PhD. The next day, he removed the claim. However, the claim stands until he explains. By coming out with the bold claim that he has an earned PhD, he now must produce it or explain why he said it and pulled it back.
Sometimes David Barton’s Website is a Good Answer to David Barton
Yesterday, GOP activist David Barton delivered a speech to the Dallas Eagle Forum. In it, he said that Christian have a responsibility to vote for Donald Trump (see the Right Wing Watch segment). Barton is now downplaying Trump’s failings by saying the character of the leaders is not important, the person’s policies are what is important. Watch this video on that point. He says, “Righteousness is the public policies you have” as opposed to the leaders who may or may not be righteous.
This is a switch for Barton who has always advised his audiences to vote for people of good character.
God ordained the institutions of civil government and it’s the Bible that provides us with clear guidance about electing God-fearing leaders of moral character and wise judgment. In fact, it’s our duty as Christians to elect such leaders, for Proverbs 29:2 tells us that “When the RIGHTEOUS rule, the people rejoice. But when the WICKED rule, the people groan.” Or, to put it simply, when people of faith elect God-honoring representatives and government, all of America benefits. As Christians, we must take this to heart and vote in the coming elections.
On his website, Barton provides numerous admonitions from early Americans to vote for people of high moral character. For instance, Barton’s citation of Noah Webster is on point.
Noah Webster
In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character. . . . When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.
[Noah Webster, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education to which is subjoined a Brief History of the United States (New Haven: S. Converse, 1823), pp. 18, 19.]When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, “just men who will rule in the fear of God.” The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be sqandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.
[Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337]
I like the Webster quote where he says, “let principle be your guide.” To paraphrase Webster, I do not support Trump or Clinton because I don’t want to betray the interest of my country. If we neglect principle, corrupt people will be placed in power. Given the available choices, I think we are about to test that theory.
In my opinion, if Barton, Metaxas, Jeremiah, and Graham and their compadres really believed their principles, they would be getting behind a third party candidate with a mighty effort to throw the election into the House of Representatives. If there was ever an election when the Christian right could have delivered a message that the GOP has taken it for granted, this one is it.