Right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton has unveiled a new web video encouraging “church leaders” to get “people of faith” to vote in upcoming elections:
God ordained the institutions of civil government and it’s the Bible that provides us with clear guidance about electing God-fearing leaders of moral character and wise judgment. In fact, it’s our duty as Christians to elect such leaders, for Proverbs 29:2 tells us that “When the RIGHTEOUS rule, the people rejoice. But when the WICKED rule, the people groan.” Or, to put it simply, when people of faith elect God-honoring representatives and government, all of America benefits. As Christians, we must take this to heart and vote in the coming elections.
Gratefully, in recent years, we’ve seen slow but steady progress not only in protecting traditional biblical, moral values in public policy but even in advancing them throughout the culture. But as you know, there are still several key issues at stake, and the leaders we select in this election will affect the future of issues such as traditional marriage, protection of unborn human life, and the right of public religious expression, just to name a few.
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Voting is not only your right as an American citizen, but it’s your duty as a citizen in God’s kingdom.
Not surprisingly, Barton suggests that the voter guides put out by his organization, WallBuilders, can help “people of faith” choose the candidate most in-tune with their values.
This video is, in many ways, a condensed version of the message Barton regularly shares with pastors around the country, as he did over the weekend at the Rediscovering God in America Conference in Florida, where he shared the stage with Mike Huckabee, among others, and where he came across less like the academic historian he pretends to be and more like the right-wing political activist he truly is by delivering a Power Point presentation explaining to the right-wing crowd the importance of getting out the Christian vote in order to “control the political forces through elections.”
Barton’s proclaimed goal is to uncover “America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built,” but his real goal is to mobilize religious voters to support Republican candidates – which is, after all, what the RNC regularly pays him to do.
