David Barton, Minister Who Believes Hurricane Was God’s Punishment For Gays To Guide Revision Of TX Social Studies Curriculum

The Texas State Board of Education is scheduled to formalize the appointment of several right-wing fundamentalists with no social studies or history background and who are generally hostile to public education to a so-called “expert panel” to guide the revision of the state’s social studies curriculum.

The Texas Freedom Network Thursday uncovered and released the names of several of the so-called “experts” appointed to the guidance panel.

The two most controversial appointees are former Republican Party of Texas Vice Chair and founder of the fundamentalist group “WallBuilders,” David Barton and Rev. Peter Marshall of the Massachusetts-based Peter Marshall Ministries. Marshall has previously suggested that the California wildfires and Hurricane Katrina were divine punishments on society for the tolerance of homosexuality.

Far-right SBOE members Ken Mercer (R-San Antonio) and Gail Lowe (R-Lampasas) sponsored Barton’s appointment. SBOE Members Barbara Cargill and Cynthia Dunbar, both far-right extreamists, sponsored Marshall’s appontment.

Both Barton and Marshall are frequent proponents of the myth that the Constitution does not protect the separation of church and state as well.

Clearly, the State Board of Education is gearing up for an assault on how Texas public school students learn about our history. It is anticipated that the right-wing majority on the Board and its appointees to the “experts” panel will guide things to create a curriculum standard promoting ideals such as:

•The Free Enterprise System has no flaws; big business and corporations are great and good corporate citizens.

•Taxes are wrong and against the Bible.

•Distorted ideals about Muslims, Catholics, and traditional Protestant denominations–all of which have played major roles in shaping the history of the world and which have helped shapethe United States.

•Distorted views about 9/11, its aftermath, and Muslim extreamism.

•Distorted views of the history and government of Texas.

Kathy Miller, President of Texas Freedom Network, a group that for more than a decade has fought against the incursion of the Religious Right in government and education expressed outrage at the selections. From a TFN press release:

“It’s absurd to suggest that Texas universities don’t have accomplished scholars in the field who are more qualified than ideologues who share a narrow political agenda,” Miller said. “What’s next? Rush Limbaugh on the ‘expert’ panel? It’s clear now that just appointing a new chairman won’t end this board’s outrageous efforts to politicize the education of our schoolchildren. It’s time for the Legislature to make sweeping changes to the board and its control over what our kids learn in public schools.”

Barton is a self-styled “historian” who has no training in social sciences or history. In his books and teachings, he argues that separation of church and state is a myth and that America’s laws should be based solely on Biblical scriptures. His numerous claims include that the Bible forbids income and capitol gains Taxes. Barton’s views are so far right that even such groups as the Texas Baptists Committeed and the Baptist Joint Committee have been vocal critics of his interpretations history and the U.S. Constitution.

Worse, in Barton’s role as a faux historian, he acknowledges using quotes–nearly a dozen in all–that he has attributed to the nation’s founders although he frely admits he cannot provide any primary source documents proving that the quotes were ever said or could be attributed to those he claims. Clearly, primary sources are a foundation of legitimate historicl pursuits, and Barton clearly isn’t a fan of any primary source aside from the Bible (and, we presume, his own creative imagination).

Barton’s controversial reputation stretches back more than a decade. In 1991, he spoke at an event hosted by groups tied to white supremacists, but later claimed he had not known that the groups were “part of a Nazi movement.” (Casper Star Tribune, 6/20/97, 6/22/97, letter from David Barton, 7/2/93; Boston, Rob. “David Barton: Master of Myth and Misinformation,” Freedom Writer, Institute for First Amendment Studies, June 1996.)

In addition, Barton’s WallBuilders Web site suggests as a “helpful” resource the National Association of Christian Educators/Citizens for Excellence in Education, an organization that calls public schools places of “social depravity” and “spiritual slaughter.”

Barton has written that U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison, who is Muslim, has “flaunted American traditions and cultural values” by openly taking his oath of office on the Koran instead of the Bible, and he has encouraged others to seek Ellison’s conversion to Christianity.

Barton has argued that the Supreme Court’s decision that sodomy laws are unconstitutional will lead to, among other things, the legalization of public sex, prostitution, polygamy, the promotion of homosexuality in public schools and the end of abstinence-only sex education.

He characterizes the debate over evolution as a “death struggle between civilizations,” with the courts siding with “non-theistic” evolution and threatening what he sees as the biblical foundations for protecting freedom.

As for Marshall, his Ministries website includes commentary by marshall attacking Muslims, characterizing the Obama administration as “wicked” and calling on Christian parents to reject public education for their children.

He has also attacked Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestent churches. Calling for a spiritual revivial in America last year, he called traditional Protestant denominations an “institutionally fossilized, Bible-rejecting shell of Christianity.”

Here are a few quotes from Marshall:

Quotes from Rev. Marshall:

On why Christian parents should send their children to Christian schools, not public schools:

“Wouldn’t it be far better for them to have a consistent and Biblical worldview that will enable them to grow, not only in knowledge and learning but in moral and spiritual stature, to the point that even before they finish their education they will be committed to being “salt and light” in our society, and helping to bring America back to God?”

On religion, politics and public policy:

“Though some may object to applying the word ‘wicked’ to the Obama Administration, my fear is that as the months ahead unfold we will consider the word increasingly appropriate.

“I find it utterly beyond belief that any person who calls himself or herself a Christian could under any circumstances vote for a candidate (Obama) that supports abortion on demand and special rights for homosexuals (beyond those already in the Constitution)! How, in the name of all that is holy, can a Christian vote for someone that takes a position directly contrary to the explicit Word of God? How can a Christian believer ever cast his or her vote for someone that God Almighty would never vote for? Especially in light of the fact that the nation is already under God’s judgment precisely because of these sins, as well as others. The Biblical equivalent of this would be the people of Israel choosing judges to rule over them who were in favor of Baal-worship.” (SOURCE)

“These people (the Obama administration) want to re-make America in their own image. That will entail throwing out traditional American Bible-based values, of course, in spite of their claim that they are exhibiting a Biblical type of compassion for homosexuals, lesbians, transgendered people, etc.” [Source]

“If, as I suspect, the financial meltdown is part of His judgment on us because of our growing moral and spiritual rejection of His standards, then He may very well let us sink into severe straits in order to bring us back to Himself. Perhaps we will not come to repentance about abortion and homosexuality and pornography and gambling and greed and sexual immorality and all the rest of it until the economy is so bad that we cry out for mercy. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but one way or another, this nation has got to come to repentance about our moral and spiritual condition.” [Source]

On Islam:

“Yes, there are moderate Muslims, but they are still Muslims first, before they are Americans or Canadians or Brits. And Islam itself is not moderate.”

On Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and wildfires in California:

“Was enough finally enough for the Lord.  Did He allow Katrina as a judgment on the wickedness and decadence of New Orleans?  Well, what do you think?  To borrow the saying from Fox News, “we report, you decide.” [Source]

“In allowing all this destruction to come upon us, or perhaps even in sending it, Almighty God is trying to get our attention.  In previous commentaries on this subject I have said that this nation, which He founded to exert moral and spiritual leadership in the world, has turned its back on its Christian roots.  By officially removing the Ten Commandments from our courthouses, by officially stamping with the approval of the judicial system the homosexual behavior that God calls an abomination, and by continuing to officially allow the slaughter of our unborn children, this nation is officially rejecting God.  He does not take any of this lightly.” [SOURCE]

“Is there a connection between these fires and God?  There certainly could be.  Consider the fact that there are numerous passages in the Bible that deal with fire as an instrument of God.

…

America is a nation founded on the Bible by people who had a vision and a calling from God to build a society based on the commandments of God, which exclude the deviant sexual immorality now being officially endorsed by the State of California.  Could it be that God is a bit upset by all that?

I have long predicted that the whole package of deviant sexual behavior, as well as homosexual marriage, will become commonplace in America.  The only thing that can stop this trend is the Third Great Awakening—a major, society-changing spiritual revival of true Christianity.  That has not yet occurred, and unless it does, you may rest assured that there will be further devastations and upheavals in our land.” [Source]

[Some material for this post was taken from information provided by The Texas Freedom Network]

Tweet This Post   Ping This Post

Bookmark It