David Barton (author): Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 20:16, 25 July 2023 view sourceDusti (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers24,412 editsm Reverted edits by 69.41.199.203 (talk) (HG) (3.4.12)Tags: Huggle Rollback ← Previous edit		Revision as of 21:39, 25 July 2023 view source 69.41.199.203 (talk) Improved AccuracyTags: Reverted possible BLP issue or vandalism nowiki added Visual edit Next edit →
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Short description\|American political activist and author (born 1954)}}		{{Short description\|American political activist and author (born 1954)}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = David Barton		\| name = David Barton
	\| image = David Barton in 2016 -- photo by Gage Skidmore.jpg		\| image = David Barton in 2016 -- photo by Gage Skidmore.jpg
	\| image_size =		\| image_size =
	\| caption = Barton in 2016		\| caption = Barton in 2016
	\| birth_date = {{birth date and age\|1954\|01\|28}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date and age\|1954\|01\|28}}
	\| birth_place = ], U.S.		\| birth_place = ], U.S.
	\| occupation = Author, political ~~activist~~		\| occupation = Author, political historian
	\| alma_mater = ] (BA)		\| alma_mater = ] (BA)
	\| footnotes =		\| footnotes =
	}}		}}

	'''David Barton''' (born January 28, 1954) is an ] author and ] for ] causes.<ref>{{Cite news\|author = Shimron, Yonat\|title=A campaign to blitz the country with 'In God We Trust' laws takes root\|date=July 3, 2018\|url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/campaign-blitz-country-god-we-trust-laws-takes-root\|access-date=2023-02-16\|periodical=]\|language=en}}</ref><ref>Peterson, Kurt W. (October 31, 2006). "American Idol". ''Christian Century''. '''123''' (22): 20–23</ref> He is the founder of WallBuilders, LLC, a ]-based organization that ~~promotes~~ ] about the ].<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/08/08/157754542/the-most-influential-evangelist-youve-never-heard-of\|title=The Most Influential Evangelist You've Never Heard of\|newspaper=NPR.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.rightwingwatch.org/report/david-barton-propaganda-masquerading-as-history/\|title = David Barton: Propaganda Masquerading as History}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://religiondispatches.org/huckabee-channels-rushdoony/\|title = Huckabee Channels Rushdoony\|date = 8 April 2011}}</ref>		'''David Barton''' (born January 28, 1954) is an ] author and ] for ] causes. He is the founder of WallBuilders, LLC, a ]-based organization that spreads awareness about the ].

			Barton's work is devoted to advancing the correct idea that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation. He also proves that the idea of 'separation of church and state' is found no where in the U.S. Constitution; the solitary reference to this separation is found only in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to a group of pastors, stating that the government should never have any control over the religion of the nation. His work is based entirely on the factual, original documents and he boasts the largest private collection of original American documents.
	Barton's work is devoted to advancing the discredited idea that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation and rejecting the notion that the ] calls for ].<ref name="Blakeslee" /><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kwsqAAAAIBAJ&dq=wallbuilders%20barton&pg=5837%2C1813659 \|title=First Amendment specialist views church/state separation as "myth" \|publisher=Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal \|author=Billy Bruce \|date=1992-02-18 \|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcriptNOW217_full.html \|title=NOW: God's Country \|publisher=PBS \|date=2006-04-28 \|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|date=2006-05-14\|author=Michelle Goldberg\|author-link=Michelle Goldberg\|title=What Is Christian Nationalism?\|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-christian-nationa_b_20989\|access-date=2023-02-16\|website=HuffPost\|language=en}}</ref> Scholars of history and law have described his research as highly flawed, "pseudoscholarship" and spreading "outright falsehoods".<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Specter" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

	Barton is a former vice chair of the ] and served as director of Keep the Promise PAC, a political action committee that supported the unsuccessful ].<ref name="Bloomberg.com/politics">{{cite web\|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-09/pac-built-by-ted-cruz-mega-donors-gets-evangelical-leader\|title=PAC Built by Ted Cruz Mega-Donors Gets Evangelical Leader\|date=9 September 2015\|work=Bloomberg.com/politics\|access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>		Barton is a former vice chair of the ] and served as director of Keep the Promise PAC, a political action committee that supported the unsuccessful ].

	==Early life, education, and family==		== Early life, education, and family ==
	Barton is a lifelong resident of ], a suburb of the ]. He graduated from ] in 1972.<ref name="Blakeslee">{{Cite journal\|issn = 0148-7736\|volume = 34\|issue = 9\|page = 1\|last = Blakeslee\|first = Nate\|title = King Of the Christocrats\|journal = Texas Monthly\|access-date = 2008-11-10\|date = September 2006\|url = http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/king-of-the-christocrats/}}</ref> He received a ] ] in ] from ] in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/september/8.76.html\|title=Healing Oral Roberts University\|first=John W. Kennedy in\|last=Tulsa\|website=ChristianityToday.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JQrHCQAAQBAJ&q=barton+1976+oral+roberts+%22religious+education%22&pg=PT235\|title=Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction\|first=Julie J.\|last=Ingersoll\|date=July 1, 2015\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|isbn=978-0-19-939028-1\|via=Google Books}}</ref>		Barton is a lifelong resident of ], a suburb of the ]. He graduated from ] in 1972. He received a ] ] in ] from ] in 1976.

			David Barton received the best form of historical training: the curriculum of the actual documents. Instead of sitting under the tutelage of professors who can distort the facts for their own personal gain, he went directly to the real sources and so has not been distorted by the prejudices of the modern education system. The older the document the more accurate it will be, since over time, facts will be distorted.

	Barton is married and has three grown children, including a daughter who performs minority outreach for the ].		Barton is married and has three grown children, including a daughter who performs minority outreach for the ].

	== Career ==		== Career ==
	After graduating from college, Barton served as a youth pastor at churches in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was employed as a teacher of math and science and eventually became principal at Aledo Christian School, a ministry of the ] church started by Barton's parents.~~<ref name="Blakeslee" />~~		After graduating from college, Barton served as a youth pastor at churches in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was employed as a teacher of math and science and eventually became principal at Aledo Christian School, a ministry of the ] church started by Barton's parents.

	In 1987, Barton formed Specialty Research Associates, Inc.,<ref>{{cite news \|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/conservative-author-david-barton-says-obama-is-most-biblically-hostile-us-president.html \|title=Conservative Author David Barton Says Obama Is Most Biblically Hostile US President \|date=March 11, 2012 \|website=] \|first=Paul \|last=Stanley \|access-date=June 9, 2020 }}</ref> a company which said it focused on historical research "relating to America's constitutional, moral, and religious heritage".<ref name="splc">{{cite web \|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/david-barton \|title=David Barton \|website=Southern Poverty Law Center \|access-date=June 9, 2020 }}</ref> Specialty Research Associates submitted ] briefs in court cases.<ref>, David Barton, ]</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.nlf.net/Activities/briefs/warren_commissioner.nlf.PDF \|title=Brief Amicus Curiae of Specialty Research Associates, Inc. \|date=2002-05-03 \|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://supreme.justia.com/us/496/226/case.html \|title=Westside Community Bd. of Ed. v. Mergens, 496 U.S. 226 (1990) \|publisher=Justia.com \|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref> In 1988, the company became WallBuilders.<ref name="splc" />

	Barton is the founder and president of WallBuilders.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/marshall-prayer-force-banquet-to-honor-first-responders-prayer-warriors/article_1bed7172-3e3e-11ea-b059-77a309d42e56.html\|title=Marshall Prayer Force banquet to honor first responders, prayer warriors\|first=Bridget\|last=Ortigo\|website=Marshall News Messenger}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://world.wng.org/2012/08/the_david_barton_controversy\|title=The David Barton controversy \|first=Thomas\|last=Kidd\|website=]}}</ref> WallBuilders publishes and sells most of Barton's books and videos, some of which present Barton's position that the modern view of separation of church and state is not consistent with the views of the ].<ref>{{cite web\|last=Barton\|first=David\|title=The Separation of Church and State\|url=http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=123\|publisher=Wall Builders\|access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref> Barton has argued that the religion clauses of the First Amendment were intended only for ], and perhaps solely Christianity.<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2010/02/religious_rights_for_christian.html \| newspaper=] \| title=The Faith Divide: Christian Right's attack on rights \| first=Barbara \| last= McGraw \| url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524074025/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2010/02/religious_rights_for_christian.html\|archive-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> A 2005 ] article entitled "The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals" called Barton "a major voice in the debate over church–state separation" who, despite the fact that "many historians dismiss his thinking ... a hero to millions—including some powerful politicians."<ref name="time">{{cite magazine\|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1993235_1993243_1993261,00.html\|title=David Barton - The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America \|date=7 February 2005\|magazine=]\|access-date=12 September 2015\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822130328/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1993235_1993243_1993261,00.html\|archive-date=22 August 2013}}</ref> Barton has appeared on television and radio programs, including those of Republican presidential candidate ] and ]. Beck has praised Barton as "the Library of Congress in shoes".<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/07/glenn-beck-university/\|title=Perusing the Glenn Beck University Curriculum Guide\|date=2010-07-07\|magazine=Time \|author=Kayla Webley\|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref> In September 2013, he returned to the political arena and advised state legislators on how to fight the ] academic standards promoted by the ].<ref name="Sept 8, 2013" />

	Barton was the vice chairman of the ] from 1997 to 2006<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine \|last1=Jedeed \|first1=Laura \|last2=Bittle \|first2=Jake \|last3=Bittle \|first3=Jake \|last4=Ford \|first4=Matt \|last5=Ford \|first5=Matt \|last6=Covert \|first6=Bryce \|last7=Covert \|first7=Bryce \|last8=Duss \|first8=Matthew \|last9=Wertheim \|first9=Stephen \|date=2023-01-03 \|title=My Week Inside a Right-Wing "Constitutional Defense" Training Camp \|magazine=The New Republic \|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/169563/patriot-academy-right-wing-constitutional-defense-training-camp?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email \|access-date=2023-01-05 \|issn=0028-6583}}</ref> under state chairman Susan Weddington. He has also acted as a ] to the ] on outreach to ].<ref name="time" /><ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://www.texasgop.org/site/PageServer?pagename=library_history \|title=History of the Republican Party of Texas \|access-date=March 30, 2007 \|archive-date=April 24, 2009 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424053454/http://www.texasgop.org/site/PageServer?pagename=library_history \|url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>{{better source needed\|date=March 2020}}<ref> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009091628/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050117/17evangelicals.htm \|date=2012-10-09 }}, Dan Gilgoff, ], 1/9/05</ref> There was a ] to get him to run against Senator ] in the ] from ].<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/texas-tea-party-david-barton-ted-cruz-99278.html\|title=Texas tea party seeks Cruz 2.0\|work=]\|access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref> However, Barton announced on November 6, 2013, that he would not run for the seat.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/david-barton-john-cornyn-99459.html?hp=r1\|title=David Barton won't run against John Cornyn\|last=Kopan\|first=Tal\|work=Politico\|access-date=6 November 2013}}</ref> Barton headed the Keep the Promise PAC, a political action committee supporting ] during his ].<ref name="Bloomberg.com/politics" /> Cruz failed to receive the Republican nomination.<ref name="tribune">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2016/05/17/cruz-super-pac-story/\|title=The Super PAC Experiment That Bankrolled Ted Cruz\|first=Patrick\|last=Svitek\|date=May 17, 2016\|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref> Barton has also advised ].<ref name=":0" />

⚫	Barton's first non-self-published work was a 2003 article in the '']'', (Volume XVII Issue No. 2, 2003, p.~~ ~~399), a survey of Jefferson's writings about the First Amendment.~~<ref name="Blakeslee" />~~

⚫	Barton is the initial funder of Patriot Academy, a right-wing organization that says it gives participants “the physical training you need to be able to defend your family” and “intellectual ammunition to defend the Constitution."~~<ref name=":0" />~~

⚫	==Affiliations==
	Barton has served on the board of advisors of the Providence Foundation.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.beliefnet.com/news/politics/2004/10/david-barton-the-myth-of-church-state-separation.aspx \|title=David Barton & the 'Myth' of Church-State Separation \|website=Beliefnet \|date=October 2004 \|access-date=June 8, 2020 }}</ref> In an article discussing Barton, '']'' described the Providence Foundation as "a Christian Reconstructionist group that promotes the idea that biblical law should be instituted in America."<ref>{{cite magazine \|url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050425/blumenthal/2 \|title=In Contempt of Courts \|first=Max \|last=Blumenthal \|author-link=Max Blumenthal \|magazine=] \|date=April 11, 2005 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520184036/http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050425/blumenthal/2 \|archive-date=May 20, 2006 }}</ref>

	According to Skipp Porteous of the Massachusetts-based Institute for First Amendment Studies, Barton was listed in promotional literature as a "new and special speaker" at a 1991 summer retreat in Colorado sponsored by Scriptures for America, a ] ] ministry headed by ], which has been linked to neo-Nazi groups.<ref name=CST>{{cite news\|last=Luckett\|first=Bill\|title=Speaker Accused of Racist Ties: Christian Coalition denies Barton's links to white supremacists\|url=http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Barton_CST_6.20.97.pdf?docID=2864\|access-date=3 May 2012\|newspaper=Casper Star-Tribune\|date=1997-06-20\|archive-date=2013-07-18\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718191520/http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Barton_CST_6.20.97.pdf?docID=2864\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web \|url=http://www.tfn.org/images/content/pagebuilder/Barton_Lawsuit_CST_2.22.97.jpg \|title=Archived copy \|access-date=2012-06-02 \|archive-date=2013-07-18 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718184745/http://www.tfn.org/images/content/pagebuilder/Barton_Lawsuit_CST_2.22.97.jpg \|url-status=dead }}</ref> Barton's assistant Kit Marshall said in 1993 that Barton was previously unaware of the anti-Semitic and racist views of these groups.<ref>{{cite journal \|url=http://www.publiceye.org/ifas/fw/9606/barton.html \|title=David Barton – Master of myth and misinformation \|last=Boston \|first=Rob \|author-link=Rob Boston \|journal=Public Eye \|date=June 1996 \|publisher=Institute for First Amendment Studies \|access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> In September 2011, Barton sued two former Texas State Board of Education candidates for posting a video on ] that stated that he was "known for speaking at white supremacist rallies".<ref>{{cite web\|author=Christin Coyne \|url=http://weatherforddemocrat.com/local/x1078459320/WallBuilders-files-libel-suit-against-three \|title=WallBuilders files libel suit against three \|publisher=Weatherford Democrat \|date=2011-09-14 \|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref>

	Barton has been a guest on the television programs '']''<ref>{{cite web
	\|url=http://www.cbn.com/media/player/search.aspx?search=%22David+Barton%22
	\|title=David Barton on the 700 Club
	\|publisher=Christian Broadcasting Network
	\|access-date=2012-11-23
	}}</ref> and '']''.<ref>{{cite web
	\|url = http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-1-2012/david-barton
	\|title = David Barton
	\|access-date = 2012-09-01
	\|date = 2012-05-01
	\|work = ]
	}}</ref> In 2013, Barton appeared on ] ''Believer's Voice of Victory'' program where he suggested that ] caused ] because God no longer protected the environment as punishment for legalized abortion.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.salon.com/2013/11/04/potential_senate_candidate_david_barton_explains_how_abortion_caused_climate_change/\|title=Potential Senate candidate David Barton explains how abortion caused climate change\|author=Lindsay Abrams\|work=salon.com\|date=4 November 2013\|access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/barton-explains-global-warming\|title=Barton explains global warming\|author=Steve Benen \|author-link=Steve Benen\|work=MSNBC\|access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>

	==Reception==
	Barton has been praised by ], such as ], ], ],<ref name=NYT>{{cite news\|last=Eckholm\|first=Erik\|title=Using History to Mold Ideas on the Right\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05barton.html\|access-date=May 5, 2010\|newspaper=]\|date=May 4, 2011}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.baylor.edu/pr/bitn/news.php?action=story&story=34559 \|title=A man with a message; Self-taught historian's work on church-state issues rouses GOP \|first=Chris \|last=Vaughn \|publisher=Baylor University \|date=May 22, 2005 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920013836/http://www.baylor.edu/pr/bitn/news.php?action=story&story=34559 \|archive-date=September 20, 2006 \|access-date=April 13, 2013}} Originally published in the '']'', .</ref> and ] president ].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://web.tbn.org/blog/faith-freedom-and-our-christian-heritage \|title=Faith, Freedom, and Our Christian Heritage \|date=June 14, 2019 \|first1=Matt \|last1=Crouch \|first2=Laurie \|last2=Crouch \|website=tbn.org \|publisher=Trinity Broadcasting Network\|access-date=June 8, 2020 }}</ref> By contrast, ] wrote, "This guy is David Barton, a Republican Party activist and a fast-talking, self-promoting, self-taught, self-proclaimed historian who is miseducating millions of Americans about U.S. history and the Constitution."<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://files.pfaw.org/pfaw_files/rwwif-david-barton-final-4-18-11.pdf\|title=Hack 'Historian' Hits the Big Time in Tea Party America\|website=files.pfaw.org}}</ref>

	His work has been criticized by J. Brent Walker of the ],<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://bjconline.org/a-critique-of-david-bartons-views-on-church-and-state/\|title=A Critique of David Barton's Views on Church and State\|website=BJC}}</ref> ] of ],<ref name = "TextbookHP">{{Cite web\|author = Ryan Grim\|date=2010-08-26\|title=David Barton, Texas Textbook Massacre Architect, Backs Daniel Webster, Grayson's Opponent\|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texas-textbook-massacre-a_n_695788\|access-date=2023-02-16\|website=HuffPost\|language=en}}</ref> ] history professor Stephen Phillips,<ref name=Pierard> {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317021107/http://www.bostontheological.org/publications/pdf/2004-2005/jan252005.pdf \|date=2009-03-17 }}, January 25, 2005</ref> Senator ],<ref name=Specter/> the ],<ref name=ADL>{{cite book\|last=Cantor\|first=David\|title=Religious Right: The Assault on Tolerance and Pluralism in America\|url=https://archive.org/details/religiousrightas00cantrich\|url-access=registration\|year=1994\|publisher=Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith\|isbn=978-99946-746-9-5}}</ref> Senior Research Director for the ] ],<ref>Warren Throckmorton, an evangelical professor of psychology at Grove City College, a conservative Christian school in Pennsylvania. "If that's what people are passing off as Christian scholarship, there are claims in there that are easily proved false."
	{{cite news\|url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-rodda/do-well-by-doing-good_b_858148.html\|access-date= 2011-05-20\|title= Do Well By Doing Good\|first= Chris\|last= Rodda\|work=Huffington Post\|date=2011-05-05}}</ref> ] history professor John Fea,<ref>{{cite book \| last = Fea \| first = John \| title = Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction \| publisher = Westminster John Knox Press \| location = Louisville \| year = 2011 \| isbn = 978-0-664-23504-8\|page=xxvi }}</ref> ] historian Barry Hankins,<ref>{{cite book \| last = Hankins \| first = Barry \| title = Uneasy in Babylon \| url = https://archive.org/details/uneasybabylonsou00hank \| url-access = limited \| publisher = University of Alabama Press \| location = University \| year = 2002 \| isbn = 978-0-8173-1142-1 \|page=}}</ref> and ] professors ] and Michael Coulter.<ref>{{cite book \| last1=Throckmorton \| first1=Warren \| last2=Coulter \| first2=Michael \| title = Getting Jefferson Right: Fact Checking Claims about Our Third President \| publisher = Amazon Digital Services, 2012}}</ref>

			In 1987, Barton formed Specialty Research Associates, Inc., a company which said it focused on historical research "relating to America's constitutional, moral, and religious heritage". Specialty Research Associates submitted ] briefs in court cases. In 1988, the company became WallBuilders.
	===Accuracy===
	Barton's official biography describes him as "an expert in historical and constitutional issues".<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.wallbuilders.com/ABTbioDB.asp \|title=David Barton Bio \|publisher=Wallbuilders \|date=2001-09-11 \|access-date=2011-09-28}}</ref> Barton holds no formal credentials in history or law, and scholars dispute the accuracy and integrity of his assertions about history, accusing him of practicing misleading ], "pseudoscholarship" and spreading "outright falsehoods".<ref name="Specter">{{Cite journal\|last=Specter\|first=Arlen\|author-link=Arlen Specter\|title=Defending the wall: Maintaining church/state separation in America\|journal=Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy\|volume=18\|issue=2\|pages=575–590\|date=Spring 1995\|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9510305125/defending-wall-maintaining-church-state-separation-america\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234314/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9510305125/defending-wall-maintaining-church-state-separation-america\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=2013-12-30\|access-date=April 9, 2013}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web\|author=]\|year=2007\|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Dissecting+the+religious+right%27s+favorite+Bible+Curriculum.%28Church+&...-a0170729742\|title=Dissecting the religious right's favorite Bible Curriculum\|work=Americans United for Separation of Church and State\|publisher=American Humanist Association\|access-date=April 9, 2013}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web\| last = Harvey\|first = Paul\|title = Selling the Idea of a Christian Nation: David Barton's Alternate Intellectual Universe\|work = ]\|date = 10 May 2011\|url = http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/4589/selling_the_idea_of_a_christian_nation%3A_david_barton%27s_alternate_intellectual_universe\|access-date=April 9, 2013}}</ref> According to the ''New York Times'', "Many professional historians dismiss Mr. Barton, whose academic degree is in Christian Education from Oral Roberts University, as a biased amateur who cherry-picks quotes from history and the Bible."<ref name="NYT" />

			Barton is the founder and president of WallBuilders. WallBuilders publishes and sells most of Barton's books and videos, some of which present Barton's position that the modern view of separation of church and state is not consistent with the views of the ]. Barton has argued that the religion clauses of the First Amendment were intended only for ], and perhaps solely Christianity. A 2005 ] article entitled "The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals" called Barton "a major voice in the debate over church–state separation". Barton has appeared on television and radio programs, including those of Republican presidential candidate ] and ]. Beck has praised Barton as "the Library of Congress in shoes". In September 2013, he returned to the political arena and advised state legislators on how to fight the ] academic standards promoted by the ].
	Jay W. Richards, senior fellow at the Christian conservative ], said in 2012 that Barton's books and videos are full of "embarrassing factual errors, suspiciously selective quotes, and highly misleading claims."<ref name=Kidd2012>{{cite journal \|url=http://www.worldmag.com/2012/08/the_david_barton_controversy \|title=The David Barton controversy \|last=Kidd \|first=Thomas \|journal=World \|date=August 7, 2012 \|publisher=God's World Publications, World News Group \|access-date=April 9, 2013\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905061332/http://www.worldmag.com/2012/08/the_david_barton_controversy\|archivedate=September 5, 2012}}</ref> The ] describes Barton's work as "anti-gay" "historical revisionism", noting that Barton has no formal training in history.<ref name="splc" /> A number of writers have called Barton's work "]",<ref>{{cite news\|last1=Leopold\|first1=Jason\|title=House Passes, Considers Evangelical Resolutions\|url=http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/2008/011508Leopold.shtml\|access-date=8 October 2016\|work=]\|date=14 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|last1=Bunch\|first1=Will\|title=Glenn Beck rewrites civil rights history\|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/26/bunch.beck.history/index.html\|access-date=8 October 2016\|agency=]\|date=26 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book\|last1=Stephens\|first1=Randall J.\|author-link1=Randall J. Stephens\|last2=Giberson\|first2=Karl\|author-link2=Karl Giberson\|title=The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age\|date=2011\|publisher=]\|page=\|isbn=978-0-674-04818-8\|url=https://archive.org/details/anointedevangeli0000step\|url-access=registration\|access-date=8 October 2016}}</ref> though this designation has been disputed by Robert Knight of the evangelical ].<ref>{{cite news\|last=Knight\|first=Robert\|author-link=Robert H. Knight\|title=U.S. was born a Christian nation\|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/28/knight.beck.bunch/\|access-date=8 October 2016\|agency=]}}</ref>

			Barton was the vice chairman of the ] from 1997 to 2006 under state chairman Susan Weddington. He has also acted as a ] to the ] on outreach to ].]] There was a ] to get him to run against Senator ] in the ] from ]. However, Barton announced on November 6, 2013, that he would not run for the seat. Barton headed the Keep the Promise PAC, a political action committee supporting ] during his ]. Cruz failed to receive the Republican nomination. Barton has also advised ].
	===="Unconfirmed Quotations"====
	In 1995, in response to criticism by historian Robert Alley, Barton conceded, in an online article titled "Unconfirmed Quotations",<ref name="Blakeslee" /> that he had not located ] for 11 alleged quotes from ], ], ], and ] decisions (hence, the title of the article), but maintained that the quotes were "completely consistent" with the views of the Founders. (By 2007, the article listed 14 unconfirmed quotations.)<ref name="uq">{{cite web\| title = Unconfirmed Quotations \| last = Barton \| first = David \|url = http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=126 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060639/http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=126\|archive-date=September 28, 2007\| work = WallBuilders website}}</ref> In 1996, Rob Boston of ] accused Barton of "shoddy workmanship" and said that, despite these and other corrections, Barton's work "remains rife with distortions of history and court rulings".<ref name=shoddy>{{Cite journal\| journal = Church & State \| volume = 49 \| number = 7 \|date=July–August 1996 \| publisher = Americans United for Separation of Church and State \| pages = 11–13 \| title = Consumer Alert: Wallbuilders Shoddy Workmanship \|url=http://candst.tripod.com/boston2.htm \| access-date = April 9, 2013 \|first=Rob\|last=Boston \|author-link=Rob Boston}}</ref> WallBuilders responded to its critics by saying that Barton followed "common practice in the academic community" in citing secondary sources, and that in publishing "Unconfirmed Quotations", Barton's intent was to raise the academic bar in historical debates pertinent to public policy.<ref name="uq" />

		⚫	Barton's first non-self-published work was a 2003 article in the ], (Volume XVII Issue No. 2, 2003, p. 399), a survey of Jefferson's writings about the First Amendment.
	In 2006, Barton told the '']'', with regard to Jefferson's famous ], that he had never misquoted the letter in any of his publications. The magazine noted that this denial was contradicted by a 1990 version of Barton's video ''America's Godly Heritage'', in which Barton said:<ref name=Blakeslee/>
	{{blockquote\|On January 1, 1802, Jefferson wrote to that group of Danbury Baptists, and in this letter, he assured them—he said the First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between church and state, he said, but that wall is a one-directional wall. It keeps the government from running the church, but it makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government.}}

		⚫	Barton is the initial funder of Patriot Academy, a right-wing organization that says it gives participants “the physical training you need to be able to defend your family” and “intellectual ammunition to defend the Constitution."
	====''The Jefferson Lies''====
	In 2012, Barton's ]<ref>{{cite web\|author=]\|date=August 10, 2012\|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/08/genuine-christian-scholars-smack-down-an-unruly-colleague/260994/\|title=Genuine Christian Scholars Smack Down an Unruly Colleague: The phony evangelical 'historian' David Barton meets his match at last\|work=]}}</ref> ''The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson'' (published April 10, 2012)<ref>{{cite book\|title=Amazon.com: The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson (9781595554598): David Barton, Glenn Beck: Books\|isbn=978-1-59555-459-8\|last=Barton\|first=David\|year=2012}}</ref> was voted "the least credible history book in print" by the users of the ] website.<ref name="Schuessler">{{cite news\|last=Schuessler\|first=Jennifer\|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/and-the-worst-book-of-history-is/\|title=And the Worst Book of History Is ...\|work=The New York Times\|date=2012-07-16\|access-date=2012-07-19}}</ref> A group of ten conservative Christian professors reviewed the work and reported negatively on its claims, saying that Barton misstated facts about Jefferson.<ref name="Kidd2012" /><ref>{{cite web\|author=Hagerty, Barbara Bradley\|date=August 8, 2012\|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/08/08/157754542/the-most-influential-evangelist-youve-never-heard-of\|title=The Most Influential Evangelist You've Never Heard Of\|work=NPR}}</ref>

		⚫	== Affiliations ==
	In August 2012, Christian publisher ] withdrew the book from publication and stopped production, announcing that they had "lost confidence in the book's details" and "learned that there were some historical details included in the book that were not adequately supported."<ref name="jlies_withdrawn">{{cite web\|author=Kidd, Thomas\|date=August 9, 2012\|url=http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/19840\|title=Lost confidence\|work=]\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811212308/http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/19840\|archive-date=2012-08-11\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|author=Bob Smietana \|newspaper=The Tennessean\|title=Thomas Nelson drops 'Jefferson Lies' book over historical errors\|date=August 10, 2012\|url=http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120810/NEWS06/308100082/Thomas-Nelson-drops-Jefferson-Lies-book-over-historical-errors\|archive-url=https://forums.footballguys.com/topic/649571-publisher-pulls-controversial-thomas-jefferson-book-citing-loss-of-co/?tab=comments#comment-14622616\|archive-date=August 10, 2012\|url-status=dead}}</ref> A senior executive said that Thomas Nelson could not stand by the book because "basic truths just were not there."<ref name="Sept 8, 2013">{{cite web\|author=Stephanie Simon\|title=Evangelical historian remains key ally of right\|work=Politico\|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/david-barton-historian-right-christian-096443\|date=September 8, 2013\|access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref> ], who wrote the foreword, announced that his ] imprint would issue a new edition of the book<ref>{{cite news\|first=Carolyn\|last=Kellogg\|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/21/news/la-jc-glenn-beck-bring-back-recalled-thomas-jefferson-history-20120821\|title=Glenn Beck to bring back recalled Thomas Jefferson history\|work=]\|date=2012-08-21\|access-date=2013-08-04}}</ref> once the 17,000 remaining copies that Barton bought of the Thomas Nelson edition had been sold.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Garrett\|first=Lynn\|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/religion/article/53619-jefferson-lies-author-negotiating-new-edition-for-glenn-beck-s-mercury-ink.html\|title=Jefferson Lies Author Negotiating New Edition with Glenn Beck's Mercury Ink\|publisher=Publishers Weekly\|date=2012-08-17\|access-date=2013-08-04}}</ref>
			Barton has served on the board of advisors of the Providence Foundation. In an article discussing Barton, ] described the Providence Foundation as "a Christian Reconstructionist group that promotes the idea that biblical law should be instituted in America."

			Barton has been a guest on the television programs ] and ]. In 2013, Barton appeared on ] ''Believer's Voice of Victory'' program where he suggested that ] caused ] because God no longer protected the environment as punishment for legalized abortion.
	A revised edition of ''The Jefferson Lies'' was published by ] in January 2016.<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/01/13/ted-cruz-evangelical-darling-or-pagan-brutalist-why-he-exposes-a-christian-divide/\|title=Ted Cruz: Evangelical darling or 'pagan brutalist'? Why he exposes a Christian divide.\|newspaper=The Washington Post \|access-date=17 September 2016}}</ref>

	==References==		== References ==
	{{Reflist\|2}}		{{Reflist\|2}}

Revision as of 21:39, 25 July 2023

American political activist and author (born 1954)

David Barton
Barton in 2016
Born	(1954-01-28) January 28, 1954 (age 70) Aledo, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	Oral Roberts University (BA)
Occupation(s)	Author, political historian

David Barton (born January 28, 1954) is an evangelical author and political activist for Christian nationalist causes. He is the founder of WallBuilders, LLC, a Texas-based organization that spreads awareness about the religious founding and history of the United States.

Barton's work is devoted to advancing the correct idea that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation. He also proves that the idea of 'separation of church and state' is found no where in the U.S. Constitution; the solitary reference to this separation is found only in a letter by Thomas Jefferson to a group of pastors, stating that the government should never have any control over the religion of the nation. His work is based entirely on the factual, original documents and he boasts the largest private collection of original American documents.

Barton is a former vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas and served as director of Keep the Promise PAC, a political action committee that supported the unsuccessful Ted Cruz 2016 presidential campaign.

Early life, education, and family

Barton is a lifelong resident of Aledo, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He graduated from Aledo High School in 1972. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious education from Oral Roberts University in 1976.

David Barton received the best form of historical training: the curriculum of the actual documents. Instead of sitting under the tutelage of professors who can distort the facts for their own personal gain, he went directly to the real sources and so has not been distorted by the prejudices of the modern education system. The older the document the more accurate it will be, since over time, facts will be distorted.

Barton is married and has three grown children, including a daughter who performs minority outreach for the Republican Party of Texas.

Career

After graduating from college, Barton served as a youth pastor at churches in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was employed as a teacher of math and science and eventually became principal at Aledo Christian School, a ministry of the charismatic church started by Barton's parents.

In 1987, Barton formed Specialty Research Associates, Inc., a company which said it focused on historical research "relating to America's constitutional, moral, and religious heritage". Specialty Research Associates submitted amicus curiae briefs in court cases. In 1988, the company became WallBuilders.

Barton is the founder and president of WallBuilders. WallBuilders publishes and sells most of Barton's books and videos, some of which present Barton's position that the modern view of separation of church and state is not consistent with the views of the Founding Fathers. Barton has argued that the religion clauses of the First Amendment were intended only for monotheistic religions, and perhaps solely Christianity. A 2005 Time magazine article entitled "The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals" called Barton "a major voice in the debate over church–state separation". Barton has appeared on television and radio programs, including those of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and Glenn Beck. Beck has praised Barton as "the Library of Congress in shoes". In September 2013, he returned to the political arena and advised state legislators on how to fight the Common Core academic standards promoted by the Obama administration.

Barton was the vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party from 1997 to 2006 under state chairman Susan Weddington. He has also acted as a political consultant to the Republican National Committee on outreach to evangelicals. There was a Tea Party movement to get him to run against Senator John Cornyn in the 2014 Senate election from Texas. However, Barton announced on November 6, 2013, that he would not run for the seat. Barton headed the Keep the Promise PAC, a political action committee supporting Ted Cruz during his campaign for election as U.S. President in 2016. Cruz failed to receive the Republican nomination. Barton has also advised Newt Gingrich.

Barton's first non-self-published work was a 2003 article in the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, (Volume XVII Issue No. 2, 2003, p. 399), a survey of Jefferson's writings about the First Amendment.

Barton is the initial funder of Patriot Academy, a right-wing organization that says it gives participants “the physical training you need to be able to defend your family” and “intellectual ammunition to defend the Constitution."

Affiliations

Barton has served on the board of advisors of the Providence Foundation. In an article discussing Barton, The Nation described the Providence Foundation as "a Christian Reconstructionist group that promotes the idea that biblical law should be instituted in America."

Barton has been a guest on the television programs The 700 Club and The Daily Show. In 2013, Barton appeared on Kenneth Copeland's Believer's Voice of Victory program where he suggested that abortion caused climate change because God no longer protected the environment as punishment for legalized abortion.

References

External links

David Barton autobiography on the WallBuilders site
David Barton's Halt Common Core website
David Barton's National Black Robe Regiment website
Ingersoll, Julie (5 May 2011). "Pseudo-Historian David Barton in the Times and on The Daily Show". Religion Dispatches.
Brooks, Joanna (6 May 2011). "Why Won't David Barton Submit to Peer Review?". Religion Dispatches.
Appearances on C-SPAN

TheBlaze

Programming

Current	The Glenn Beck Program
Former	The B.S. of A. with Brian Sack For the Record Independence USA

Personalities

Mercury Radio Arts
subsidiaries

Projects

Categories: