Keys To Good Government According To the Founding Fathers

According to the video box, David Barton is president of WallBuilders, an organization dedicated to "the restoration of the values upon which America was built and which, in recent years, have been seriously attacked and undermined." As the titles scroll, this video makes it clear that good government really means "God government." Scorning democracy and the separation of church and state, Barton says government should be based on biblical principles, specifically those of the Christian faith, and that "ungodly men" should not be elected to public office. (Judging by their absence here, women have no place in elected office either.) Stating that government's proper role is to "reward the righteous and punish the wicked," Barton shows what can happen when government abandons biblical principles using the examples of Benedict Arnold, Bill Clinton, Nixon, LBJ, child molesters, gays in the military, and rioting African Americans. Citing the support of William Penn and the Founding Fathers, Barton says the problem began when secular humanists misled Christians into confining their activities to the church. This attack, later written into law by the Warren court, has led to a ban on school Bible reading and efforts to limit public distribution of gospel literature. This video is a clarion call for conservative Christians to regain what Barton feels is their rightful dominant place in American government. Lecturing at the camera, Barton is strident, repetitious, and highly selective in his presentation of "facts." Of course, in a free society everyone has a right to an opinion, and I'm sure many sympathize with Barton's viewpoint. I do fault WallBuilders for being less than candid in the video box copy and accompanying promotional material as to the actual content of the video. If you need to provide balance in your religion collection, look for something better than this. Not recommended. (S. Rees)