David Barton & The First Amendment

by Ted Weiland
(Scottsbluff, Nebraska)

Dear Brethren,

As a Christian I am outraged by what is planned for tomorrow on Capital Hill. Tomorrow (September 25), a 'Jumah Prayer on Capital Hill: A Day of Islamic Unity,' by President Obama's invitation, is scheduled for 1 PM EST. As alarming as this should be to every Christian American, it is even more so considering that in 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a Day of Prayer (which has principally always been a Christian event) and that in 1988 President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer. This year, however, with the excuse that he didn't want to offend non-Christians, President Obama canceled the ceremony. In a recent email, David Barton expressed his concern over this same event. I quote:

This call for Christians to pray this Friday is not a prayer ?competition? between Christianity and Islam, nor is it a spiritual Christian "jihad" or "holy war" (what an oxymoronic term: a holy war!). After all, in I Kings 18, Elijah encouraged the prophets of the god Baal to take more time in their praying; he didn't object to their prayers, he just wanted to make sure that he was able to make his own prayers to the True God. This Friday offers a similar opportunity for those who fear God and believe His Scriptures to offer up their own prayers to Him.

As nations such as Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands (and many others in Europe) have become more secular, they have demonstrated a willingness to embrace virtually anything -- anything except their traditional Christian foundations. In fact, they now regularly repudiate those foundations, promoting abortion, legalizing homosexual marriage, and changing their traditional legal codes.

And accepting the falsehood that all beliefs are equal and that truth is relative, they have even been willing to incorporate Islamic Sharia law into their legal codes in order to protect the special practices of some Muslims living among them. This has energized many Muslims in those countries and they are displaying a new boldness that is vocal, visible, and demonstrably assertive.

Each year, nearly 5,000 Muslim "honor killings" occur across the world (a practice whereby parents kill children who allegedly bring "dishonor" on Islam by dating non-Muslims, wearing western garb, converting to another religion, etc.). Dozens of those murders are committed in Europe, but in many of these formerly Christian nations, those who commit the ?honor killings? (i.e., the murder of their own children) often go unpunished since the death of their child was "required" by Islamic law (now included in the legal law of the land).

Additionally, many public personalities across Europe who criticized Islam have been murdered, causing Parliaments in the Netherlands and other European countries to forbid criticism of Islam in an effort to prevent further murders. These nations, having given up precious ground, are now having difficulty retaking it.

Historically, on this continent Christian America adopted an open free-market approach to all religions from the beginning. American Christians then (and now) were not fearful of other religions. They were confident that Christianity would prevail on its own merits and they therefore followed the Biblical precedent set forth in both the Old and New Testaments of simply presenting God?s word in a straightforward manner, expecting that the Holy Spirit will confirm His word in the hearts of hearers. Christians believe that on a level playing field, Christianity will always prevail through the voluntary choice of the people.

As a result, Christian America welcomed all religions, with Muslims arriving here by 1619, Jews establishing their first synagogue in 1654, and Buddhists, Hindus, and others also being present from the early days. Significantly, only America extended (and continues to extend) a free-market religious tolerance to others while still preserving the core societal values of our Christian heritage. But the culture has begun to shift. The level playing field is being eroded. As in Europe, Christianity is being knocked down and Islam elevated.

For example, a federal court of appeals ruled that public schools in nine western states can require a three week indoctrination to the Islamic faith in which all junior high students must pretend they are Muslims and offer prayers to Allah (students are further encouraged to take Islamic names, call each other by those names, wear Islamic garb, participate in Jihad games, and read the Koran during those three weeks).

Yet that very court also ruled that it was unconstitutional for those same students to voluntarily mention "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Likewise, a federal court on the east coast ruled that public schools may display Islamic holiday symbols but not Christian ones. And the University of Michigan recently spent $25,000 of taxpayer money to install foot-washing facilities to accommodate the religious practices of Muslim students but made no similar expenditure on behalf of students from any other religion.

As a result of such actions, many Muslims are exercising a new boldness in America. In fact, Muslim "honor killing" have now arrived in the United States (most recently in Texas); and just a few weeks ago, direct action was taken to prevent the honor-killing of a 17-year old Muslim girl in Ohio who converted to Christianity and, in fear of her life, fled from her parents to Florida.

American Muslims have also enjoyed the direct support of President Obama. In April, he traveled to Egypt where he told the Muslim world that America no longer considers itself a Christian nation. He later traveled to Turkey and announced that America was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world (despite the fact that 78% of Americans claim to be Christians but only 1% claim to be Muslims). Then in May, President Obama refused to invite Christian and Jewish leaders to the White House to participate in the National Day of Prayer (as former presidents have done), but in September, he did invite Muslim leaders to the White House for a special Muslim Ramadan celebration to commemorate Allah delivering the Koran to his prophet Mohammed.

Heartened by this new encouragement, Muslim leaders have called 50,000 observant Muslims to come to the Capitol this Friday, September 25, for a day of Jummah (Friday congregational prayer). The sponsors promise that from 4AM to 7PM, "the Athan the call given five times each day for Muslims to participate in mandatory prayer will be chanted on Capitol Hill, echoing off of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and other great edifices that surround Capitol Hill." The goal of this event is that "the peace, beauty and solidarity of Islam will shine through America's capitol." In fact, their website for this unprecedented event proudly and unabashedly declares, "Our Time Has Come!"

Are you outraged by this event? I hope so! But, personally, I am more outraged by Barton's response. I hope you were able to see through the Christian façade of his email. As I wrote in "Amendment 1: Government-Sanctioned Polytheism," Chapter 11 of Bible Law vs. The United States Constitution: The Christian Perspective (in which I scrutinize and expose much of Barton's work from his book Original Intent), "thanks to the Constitutional framers and other founders like Thomas Jefferson, America has become one of the most pluralistic, polytheistic, multicultural nations on the entire globe. And with the help of men like Barton and other Constitutionalists, it will continue as such." Barton's email further proves my point.

I also wrote the following: "Barton argues from a flawed paradigm. His desire to return to the original intent of Amendment 1 is an argument against Yahweh and His Word, not for it. If he is truly interested in restoring the Bible and its morality to our courts, schools, and society, he will demand Yahweh's perfect laws replace the Constitution. Otherwise, he must resign himself to more of the same immorality we have experienced since the ratification of the Constitution."

After quoting Barton in which he presented the sophistic and heretical idea that America's pluralism and thus polytheism is actually a blessing derived from Christianity, I wrote, "I think the Apostle Paul would take exception to Barton, who appears to believe the First and Second Commandments are no longer valid under the New Covenant. Amendment 1 is a return to the Tower of Babel and Mars Hill, where Paul found the polytheistic "city of Athens wholly given to idolatry." For this sin, Paul required the idolaters to repent or face Yahweh's judgment (Acts 17:16-31). Paul certainly did not condone their prayers!

If nothing else reveals how critical an issue the Constitution is for us today, tomorrow's event, enabled by Constitutionalists like Barton, should. This may very well be (I certainly believe it is) the most crucial issue facing American Christians today. Please read Chapter 11 of Bible Law vs. The United States Constitution. And if you're truly concerned for our nation, forward this email to your family and friends. The Moslems are declaring that "Our Time Has Come!" Indeed it has -- unless, Christians wake up and figure out what it is that got us in this mess!

Serving the KING of kings,
Ted R. Weiland