http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/10/historian-david-bartons-book-on-thomas-jefferson-pulled-from-stores/
David Barton, an evangelical activist and writer often cited as a
"historian" by conservative political figures like former House
Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee,
stirred up such a firestorm of controversy with his latest book "The
Jefferson Lies" that his publisher now claims to have "lost
confidence" in the text, opting Thursday evening to pull it from
stores.
The announcement by Christian mega-publisher Thomas Nelson comes after
readers of The History News Network at George Mason University elected
Barton's latest work as "the least credible history book in print." It
was also challenged by an assemblage of "10 conservative Christian
professors" in the recently released book, "Getting Jefferson Right,"
which accuses Barton of grossly misrepresenting the nation's third
president.
The author of "Getting Jefferson Right," Warren Throckmorton, fact-
checked Barton's book and found a number of basic historical facts
that Barton got wrong, like Barton's claim that Jefferson invested in
an American printing of the Bible, when in fact he only bought one
copy. Barton also claimed that Jefferson was barred by law from
freeing his slaves, but that too is objectively false. Professors
sought out by Throckmorton — all of whom believe that America was
founded as a Christian nation — said that Barton's writing seems too
eager to depict Jefferson as an adamant Christian, glossing over his
less than conventional views of religion and the Christian deity
figure.
The especially egregious claims about slavery struck a chord with a
group of African American pastors and Jewish leaders in Cincinatti,
who called for a boycott of Barton's publisher for allowing Barton to
offer a justification for Jefferson owning slaves.
"David Barton falsely claims that Thomas Jefferson was unable to free
his slaves," one of the pastors said in a media advisory issued
Tuesday. "In fact, Jefferson was allowed to free his slaves under
Virginia law, but failed to do it. The Jefferson Lies glosses over
Jefferson's real record on slaveholding, and minimizes Jefferson's
racist views."
That apparently wasn't lost on Nelson. Just one day after National
Public Radio featured a scathing profile of Barton that ran some fact
checking on some of his more dubious claims, Nelson's top brass
decided that was quite enough. A corporate spokesperson told Christian
news publication World on Thursday that all copies of "The Jefferson
Lies" would be pulled off the Internet and removed from bookstores.
"[In] the course of our review learned that there were some historical
details included in the book that were not adequately supported," a
spokesperson repeatedly said. "Because of these deficiencies we
decided that it was in the best interest of our readers to stop the
publication and distribution."
By Friday morning, Barton's the book had vanished from Nelson's
website. Their online store, however, still features titles like:
"Showdown with Nuclear Iran" by conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi;
"Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives have Penetrated
Washington" by Paul Sperry; "Illegals," an anti-immigrant screed by
Thomas Nelson; "Heaven Is For Real," by the parents of a little boy
who claims he experienced the Christian vision of an afterlife
paradise; and "The Quotable Rogue," a collection of Sarah Palin
quotes.
For Barton, having his book pulled by a seemingly friendly Christian
publishing house is an enormous defeat. This type of humiliation is
incredibly rare for professional writers, and just two in recent years
spring to mind: James Frey, who fabricated his story of overcoming
drug addiction in "A Million Little Pieces," and Jonah Lehrer, who
made up fake Bob Dylan quotes in his book "Imagine: How Creativity
Works."
Despite the book's factual ineptitude, Barton's publishing company
WallBuilders is already offering copies of "The Jefferson Lies" at a
discount.
On Aug 13, 1:26 pm, plainolamerican <plainolameri...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Are you this so totally backward, or are you just so pissed off
> ---
> neither ... just intolerant of those who would try to make the USA a
> religious state.
>
> Christians and Christianity was the founding precepts of the U.S.,
> ----
> why not mention the jewish founding precepts also?
> our secular government doesn't recognize christianity as anything
> other than a protected religion.
>
> LOL! Pitiful PlainOl. Goofy too.
> ---
> armed with a secular Constitution that keeps kooky religious myth
> believers in the cross hairs and out of influence.
> LOL!
>
> On Aug 11, 8:17 am, Keith In Tampa <keithinta...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Geesh.....Are you this so totally backward, or are you just so pissed off
> > that Christians and Christianity was the founding precepts of the U.S.,
> > and you want to re-write history so bad you can taste it?
>
> > LOL! Pitiful PlainOl. Goofy too.
>
> > On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 10:56 PM, plainolamerican <plainolameri...@gmail.com
>
> > > wrote:
> > > I remain curious in SEEING what these 'Christian principles and
> > > tenets' might be.
> > > ----
> > > let me go first ... !!!
> > > first ... they think that the principles that were adopted were
> > > christian principles, which in many cases is a faulty presumption.
>
> > > Examples:
>
> > > Religious freedom - Nothing unique to christians. Didn't the Romans
> > > allow the jews to practice their religion?
> > > Is that what the christians are offering muslims today in America?
>
> > > Sovereign authority of God, not sovereignty of the state - Thousands
> > > of government have given authority to a god.
> > > They are demanding that non-believers submit to a mythical authority.
>
> > > Sanctity of life - They are still trying to outlaw abortion, stem cell
> > > research, suicide, etc.
>
> > > All men are sinners - Pushing their mythical religious guilt onto
> > > others. Very protestant.
>
> > > All men created equal - christians, like jews and muzzies, don't
> > > consider non-believers equal.
>
> > > Judicial, legislative, and executive branches - Not unique to
> > > christianity. Can still produce terrible decisions.
>
> > > Church protected from state control (& taxation), but church to
> > > influence the state. - Oh, like the religious state of israel? No
> > > thanks.
>
> > > Republican form of government and warnings against kings but in favor
> > > of Godly rulers. - It's not the government job to promote those they
> > > see as godly. Finding honest men is better than finding religious myth
> > > believers.
>
> > > Importance of governing self and family as first level of governance.
> > > - Yet they endorse intervention in the middle east.
>
> > > Fair trial with witnesses. - not unique to christianity nor cited in
> > > decision.
>
> > > Private property rights. - not uniquely christian
>
> > > --------------------------------------
>
> > > Justice Brewer was the author of the unanimous opinion of the Court in
> > > Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States (143 U.S. 457, 36 L.Ed.
> > > 226, 12 S. Ct. 511 February 29, 1892), which addressed a dispute over
> > > an employment contract between an Anglican priest and the titular
> > > church. Justice Brewer's statement in that opinion, "These, and many
> > > other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial
> > > declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a
> > > Christian nation" is often incorrectly cited as part of the
> > > controlling ruling in the matter, which is not the case. Indeed,
> > > Justice Brewer's book, The United States: A Christian Nation,
> > > published in 1905,contained the following passage:
>
> > > But in what sense can [the United States] be called a Christian
> > > nation? Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion
> > > or the people are compelled in any manner to support it. On the
> > > contrary, the Constitution specifically provides that 'congress shall
> > > make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the
> > > free exercise thereof.' Neither is it Christian in the sense that all
> > > its citizens are either in fact or in name Christians. On the
> > > contrary, all religions have free scope within its borders. Numbers of
> > > our people profess other religions, and many reject all. [...] Nor is
> > > it Christian in the sense that a profession of Christianity is a
> > > condition of holding office or otherwise engaging in public service,
> > > or essential to recognition either politically or socially. In fact,
> > > the government as a legal organization is independent of all
> > > religions.
>
> > > On Aug 10, 1:20 pm, MJ <micha...@america.net> wrote:
> > > > I remain curious in SEEING what these 'Christian principles and tenets'
> > > might be.
> > > > I am especially interested in primary source materials where <insert
> > > Founder> claims <book/chapter/verse> applies to <article/section/clause>
> > > and similar.
> > > > The DoI, for instance, impugns the Divine Rights of Kings -- which is
> > > the biblically based Government.
> > > > Regard$,
> > > > --MJ
> > > > The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example
> > > of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are
> > > now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture,
> > > hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in
> > > their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American
> > > governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in
> > > America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be
> > > pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the
> > > gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those
> > > at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it
> > > will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely
> > > by the use of reason and the senses....
> > > > -- John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the
> > > United States of America" [1787-1788];At 01:58 PM 8/10/2012, you wrote:As
> > > much as you and your secularist friends hate to hear, it must really suck,
> > > to see the truth Plain Ol.....That this Nation was, and still is founded
> > > upon Christian principles and tenets. No matter whether you like it, or
> > > don't like it, this, is your heritage.
>
> > > > On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 7:03 PM, plainolamerican <
> > > plainolameri...@gmail.com> wrote:the German government of the 1920s
> > > enthusiastically supported andpromoted Barnes's views as exonerating their
> > > country, while thepostwar West German government accepted national
> > > responsibility forthe Holocaust, solicited forgiveness and paid reparations
> > > to Jewishsurvivors.On Aug 10, 10:03 am, Travis <baconl...@gmail.com>
> > > wrote:> Ever read Harry Elmer Barnes?>> On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 9:51 AM,
> > > Keith In Tampa <keithinta...@gmail.com>wrote:>>>>>>>> > Here's a short
> > > video of one of the "Churches" in the heart of D.C.;> > worth a
> > > watch.....This should fit the bill of MJ's definition of> > "revisionist
> > > history":>> >http://stg.do/Iwpc>> > --> > Thanks for being part of
> > > "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.> > For options & help seehttp://
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> > > > --
> > > > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
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>
> > > > * Visit our other community athttp://www.PoliticalForum.com/
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>
> > > --
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>
> > > * Visit our other community athttp://www.PoliticalForum.com/
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> > > * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
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