So this happened to David Barton yesterday.
Our friends at Right Wing Watch report that the daily radio show of the religious right’s favorite amateur historian was yanked, mid-show, from a Christian radio station in East Texas. The reason given: Barton’s ongoing defense of new Texas resident and former Fox News commentator Glenn Beck.
Here’s the story, via Warren Throckmorton:
An affiliate radio station of the Moody Network in East Texas, KBJS-FM, canceled David Barton’s Wallbuilders Live radio program during the show yesterday while Barton was discussing Glenn Beck’s religious beliefs. Randy Featherstone, KBJS manager, said the show was dropped due to Barton’s failure to distinguish between Mormon theology and Christianity.
“When David Barton said it doesn’t matter whether you are a Mormon or a Baptist or a Methodist, we felt we had to do something,” Featherstone explained.
On the Tuesday program, Barton played audio of Glenn Beck saying that “the Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Redeemer.” Then Barton said he believed that Beck was a Christian based on his statement of belief and “his fruits,” meaning his good deeds. Based on Beck’s statements, Barton then asked co-host Rick Green, “Glenn says he’s Mormon. OK, that’s fine. Based on what you heard, if you heard a Baptist say that or if you heard a Methodist say that…what would you say?” After Green answered that Beck’s testimony indicated a real conversion, Barton responded, “Why is it not a real conversion because of the label he wears?”
Throughout the program, Barton dismissed Beck’s Mormonism, saying at one point, “I don’t care what label Beck wears. I don’t care what Glenn thinks Mormon means.” Barton also asserted that Beck uses the same Bible, but added, “Now he may use the Book of Mormon, we never talked about the Book of Mormon.”
Barton remains on the air on other radio stations and online, but it still has to hurt your ego that they won’t even let you finish out the day before you’re told to hand in your office key and leave the premises.
Of course, when Barton explains it to friends, he’ll probably say it was the original intent of the Founding Fathers that his show not air on KBJS.
I am not sure whether that is good news or bad as it doesn’t weather very well under the eyes of the First Amendment whether or not says much about whether or not Christians believe the Bill of Rights weathers the glower of the Ten Commandments, as amended.
“Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history,” James Madison, W&MQ 3:555.
David Barton is a joke, but it is unfortunate Randy Featherstone is simply another version of the distortion of history and of the Constitution which continues to prevail throughout the mentality which refuses to accept the constitutional principle of “separation between religion and government”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb7SbUWw9dM .
Of course, the debate will continue until the words “under God” are removed from the national pledge of allegiance. I would really like to see TFN promote repeal of the 1954 public law by which Congress embedded those two words into our national pledge, which no one before 1954 recited in the pledge. Yet, the distortion of constitutional principle continues without open objection from TFN, even though it routinely objects to Barton? Let’s get serious TFN!
First off, this is not a First Amendment issue. No law forbids a radio station from having or not having an idiot on their broadcasts.
Second, the radio station removed someone who has no credentials as a historian for the wrong reason. Barton inadvertently uttered a truth: there is no significant difference among the various mythologies he mentioned; one of them has a better documented made-up origin than the others, but is no more or less absurd.
@Anonymous, this is really not a First Amendment issue. KBJS has the right to broadcast most any show they want. David Barton has the right to create a radio show and try to convince radio stations to carry it. The radio station has the right to broadcast or not broadcast Barton. I’m no fan of religious radio stations like KBJS, but by choosing their programming they are not violating anybody’s First Amendment rights.
Follow the money, they say. Beck is a popular guy, and rich, rich, rich! Beck is building a media empire and making a fortune off of it. I would reckon that Beck’s 30 million a year take is a lot more than Barton’s royalties on his crappy books.
But, who is Beck’s wingman? Why, his old pal Barton. How conveeeeeeeeeeeenient. Do you really think that Barton want’s to upset the cash cow, er, I mean, apple cart? No way. So, Barton is going to give his buddy Beck a pass on being a Mormon because, you know, deep down in his heart of hearts, buddy Beck is One of Us.
Ain’t that right, Vern?
As much as I love to see David Barton taken down a peg, it’s disheartening that citizens in this country seem to think they have justification to silence any opinion they don’t happen to agree with. I don’t like David Barton, or Glenn Beck, but they have a legal right to present their views to anyone who will listen.
Ah, dear Tiffany. It’s not a matter of agreeing with Barton. Barton is not expressing his opinion about the Beatles music, he is espousing lies as fact.
It’s that we don’t agree with Barton, it’s that Barton IS WRONG!
That’s the difference.
Yes, Barton has a legal right to express his “opinion,” wild hallucinations, outright lies, blather, slobber and spit to his heart’s content and the Government may not prevent him from doing so.
The Government, dear Tiffany, not the rest of us.
I, on the other hand, as a private citizen have every right to shout him down, mock him, deride him, laugh at him, chortle, guffaw, point and break wind in his general direction. That’s my right.
Beck and Barton are FACTUALLY WRONG and I find them to be more repellant than a cockroach in my omelette. And I will oppose them, fight them, shout at them, mock them, laugh at them, point out their warts and break wind in their general direction as is my right.
Yes, Tiffany, as a citizen I have a right to oppose the opinions of selfish, greedy, ignorant morons like Beck and Barton.
Doc Bill:
Well said!!!!!!
Tiffany, please, Barton is no scholar. He is factually wrong about the religion commandments in the Constitution.
The Founding Fathers and the First Congress established “separation between religion and government,” James Madison, William and Mary Quarterly, 3:555. For documentation, please, read my book for a starter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb7SbUWw9dM .
It’s interesting that Barton has recently sued people for defamation of character but not Chris Radda who has published the damning “Liars for Jesus” documenting the lies and misrepresentations of Barton including chapter and verse.
Is Barton a slime ball? We present, you decide.