# History buffs - David Barton?



## nwink (Jan 14, 2012)

For those American history buffs out there, how reliable and accurate is David Barton's stuff on American history? (His organization is Wallbuilders, and he's put out dvds and books on American history)


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## rbcbob (Jan 14, 2012)

What I have seen in video strikes me as slanted in a view of America's founders as nearly all Christians.


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## puritanpilgrim (Jan 14, 2012)

In my reading of him, it seems they he attributes some of the founding fathers to be more Christian they really were. Jefferson is the biggest example. I have seen him use Jeffersonian quotes to support Christian beliefs, but have not seen him mention they gross anti-Christian behavior by Jefferson. (i.e. reprinting the new testament with any miracles. Washington is another. He uses him many times, but I never see one quote that he uses from Washington that attributes deity to Jesus. They are always very vague quotes. Some of the founding fathers need to be discussed as what they were: deists. If they were Christian, fine, if they were deist, then that is what they were. We should still, make our decisions based upon what scripture says, regardless of what any of the founding fathers believed.


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## Zach (Jan 14, 2012)

He's not a professionally trained historian and approaches history with a political agenda. Not everyone needs to have a Ph.D to present accurate history, but his political bias is pretty bad.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Jan 14, 2012)

I deal with "historians" as "state-of-the-art" and "state-of-industry-knowledge" experts all the time. Some (but not all) of the PhD's are VERY agenda driven as well.


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## Pilgrim Standard (Jan 14, 2012)

puritanpilgrim said:


> In my reading of him, it seems they he attributes some of the founding fathers to be more Christian they really were. Jefferson is the biggest example. I have seen him use Jeffersonian quotes to support Christian beliefs, but have not seen him mention they gross anti-Christian behavior by Jefferson. (i.e. reprinting the new testament with any miracles. Washington is another. He uses him many times, but I never see one quote that he uses from Washington that attributes deity to Jesus. They are always very vague quotes. Some of the founding fathers need to be discussed as what they were: deists. If they were Christian, fine, if they were deist, then that is what they were. We should still, make our decisions based upon what scripture says, regardless of what any of the founding fathers believed.


I second this assessment. I could not have said it better myself. I try to stay far away from wallbuilders paraphernalia.


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## Zach (Jan 14, 2012)

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> I deal with "historians" as "state-of-the-art" and "state-of-industry-knowledge" experts all the time. Some (but not all) of the PhD's are VERY agenda driven as well.



Forgive me for making it seem as though a Ph.D guarantees that the information is factually accurate and not agenda driven, Mark. As you said, it's often not the case. Oftentimes it's worse.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Jan 14, 2012)

Zach said:


> GulfCoast Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > I deal with "historians" as "state-of-the-art" and "state-of-industry-knowledge" experts all the time. Some (but not all) of the PhD's are VERY agenda driven as well.
> ...



Zach: I did not think you were implying that at all! My point was simply I am often amazed at the bias of the so called "professional, trained historians" who hold themselves out as neutral. Especially when there is money (consulting fees/testifying fees) involved.


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## puritanpilgrim (Jan 15, 2012)

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> I deal with "historians" as "state-of-the-art" and "state-of-industry-knowledge" experts all the time. Some (but not all) of the PhD's are VERY agenda driven as well.


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## ChariotsofFire (Jan 15, 2012)

David Barton's video series, The American Heritage Series, is a top selling video series. He gets a lot of support from Christian Evangelicals.

I think he does have a definite bias when approaching American history, and I don't think everything he says is accurate (because of his bias). What I like about him is that he defends the Christian past of America. He just goes to far at times.


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