Exposing the dangers of David Barton’s teachings

Jerald Finney
© September, 2009
*All articles on this blog may be accessed from the following link: http://churchandstatelaw.com/gpage8.html

God chose his children to be soldiers who are involved in a spiritual warfare. They cannot please God should they entangle themselves with the affairs of this world (2 Ti. 2.4). The weapons of their warfare are not carnal, but spiritual; and they are to cast down “imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Co. 10.3-5; Ep. 6.10-18). The Christian is to put on spiritual armor, which includes girting his loins with truth and taking the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ep. 6.14, 17).

God hates lies and half-truths (see, e.g., Pr. 6.16-19). He will sweep away a refuge of lies (see Is. 28.14-18). Yet this is the tactic of some modern day Christian leaders. David Barton is one of those who is almost deified by many Christians. Millions blindly follow him. Yet some studied Christians and secularists are aware of Barton’s inaccuracies which are apparently intended to promote his false theology of union of church and state. One such Christian is James Beller; one can study his book, The Coming Destruction of the Baptist People, for information on Barton and other of the reformed persuasion.

In this blog, I want to concentrate more on one secular analysis of Barton. In an online article (printed by permission at http://candst.tripod.com/boston1.htm, and originally published in Church and State, Vol. 46, No. 4, April 1993, pp. 8-12)  entitled “Sects, Lies and Videotape/David Barton’s Distorted History,” secularist Rob Boston finds David Barton easy prey.

Of course, a knowledgeable Christian can slice Boston and his secular writings to pieces because he has a closed, non-christian mind which is incapable of gaining understanding and wisdom because he cuts God and His principles out of the equation. As is true of all educated secularists, he is a revisionist. However, as a bright secularist, he is also able to seek out and find facts. He is an able researcher who has torn Barton’s works apart. He correctly states, “Although [Barton's] book and videos are riddled with factual errors, half truths, and distortions, they have become the weapons of  choice for religious right activists in their ongoing war against separation of church and state.”

In the article, Boston then gives many examples of Barton’s bad history. Of course, Boston mixes in some inaccuracies of his own, but the point is, secularists and Christians can check to see if Boston is telling the truth about Barton’s bad history. In the main, Boston is correct. With one fell swoope he completely discredits not only Barton, but also the millions of undereducated Christians who blindly follow him. Are others thereby encouraged to look into the truths of Christianity? After seeing the obvious lies and distortions of a leading Christain, are they more likely to seek the truth of salvation?

Let me briefly say that I was one of those miseducated Christians who blindly followed Barton and others of his ilk for many years. As I worked with millions of other Christians, I simultaneously witnessed the futility of our efforts. America continued and continues to sink deeper and deeper into immorality, humanism, and pluralism before our eyes. American “christianity” continued and continues to increase its heresies and apostasies. More and more American churches were and are obviously seeking the “happiness of man” rather than the “glory of God.” They were and are becoming “social clubs” rather than “houses of God.”

Why would Barton and others use anti-biblical lies and methods to further their agenda of union of church and state? I am not sure about Barton, because I am not sure he has any understanding and wisdom. I must note here that he can memorize selected facts, lies, and half-truths and present them more effectively than anyone I have ever seen. But I do know that many of those he quotes, relies on, and recognizes are covenant theologians who want union of church and state (an established church or churches), and also justify lying to achieve their goals. They actually twist Scripture to advocate that Christians should lie in the spiritual warfare we are engaged in. I cover this in much more detail in God Betrayed/Separation of Church and State: The Biblical Principles and the American Application, which can be ordered by going to the “Books” page of churchandstatelaw.com.

God’s Word teaches that He desires every Gentile nation to choose to proceed under Him and His principles. However, the Bible also teaches that God does not desire any Gentile nation to work hand in hand with, over, or under a church or churches.

It’s very simple. A church is not God. Combining church and state violates several biblical principles including the principle of separation. Church and state are so distinct that they are mutually exclusive. Again, see God Betrayed for a thorough study.

God ordained only one theocracy, the theocracy of Israel. He was, until Israel asked for a king as recorded in 1 Samuel 8, directly over the nation and the Jewish religion and state acted hand in hand. However, Gentile nations were to proceed under the original plan which God ordained at the flood.

It is one thing to be directly under God and His principles, but it is an entirely different thing to be under a church-state combination. Every such union has resulted in the corruption of individuals, families, the established church, and the nation. In addition and contrary to teachings for Christians and churches, the official church began to use the arm of the state to horribly persecute those labeled “heretics” by the official “church.” Millions were beheaded, burned alive, drowned, burned alive, hanged, and put to death in the most unimaginable of ways because they refused to bow down to the false theologies of state churches.

Our Baptist forefathers understood this. Many of our founding fathers understood this. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson clearly understood this as is easily seen by reading their words. See God Betrayed. But reformed leaders like David Barton obviously do not understand this.

Christians have a choice. They can continue to agree with hell and make lies their refuge, or they can choose to walk in the Spirit with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Should they choose the former, God will “lay judgment to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And [their] covenant with death shall be disannulled, and [their] agreement with hell shall not stand; when the over the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then [they] shall be trodden down by it” (see Is. 28.14-18).

For His Glory,
Jerald Finney
churchandstatelaw.com
For a complete outline of all articles on this blog click the following link: http://www.churchandstatelaw.com/gpage8.html. On that page, you will find an audio series that covers all that one needs to understand concerning separation of church and state (the biblical principles and the American application).