In Church & State, a magazine published by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Rob Boston profiles David Barton, a Texas cowboy intent on rewriting the state’s social studies textbooks to include a “Christian nation” view of American history:
Perhaps somewhat egotistically, Barton apparently likens himself to a biblical prophet who has been ordained by God to rebuild the religious foundations of the nation.
Barton aims to do that by rediscovering an allegedly lost or suppressed Christian history of America. It’s an odd task for him, because although he poses as a historian, Barton isn’t one.
Despite his thin academic credentials, Barton has managed to become a celebrity in the world of the Religious Right based on his research allegedly “proving” America’s Christian character. He has appeared on programs alongside TV preacher Pat Robertson and fundamentalist radio honcho James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family. Barton gives hundreds of lectures every year, rallying fundamentalist shock troops to oppose secular government and church-state separation.
[…]TFN’s [Texas Freedom Network’s president Kathy] Miller said Barton’s rise comes in part because he tells fundamentalists what they want to hear—the nation was founded by them and for them.
Read the full article here.
[via AlterNet]