The Proofs In The Pudding/Constituted Constitution

I was watching this debate between David Barton, the evangelical minister and US historian vs. Annie Laurie Gaylor from Freedom from Religion, and decided to look up all the references each combatant used. And there were a lot of them.

So you can watch the videos and check out all the references below from the Declaration of Independence, The US Constitution, The Treaty of Tripoli, and the Bible. All the work's been done for you. But just for added measure, I've included some of the links below.



David Barton vs. Annie Laurie Gaylor

David Barton says there are 5 reasons within the Constitution explaining why it is not a Godless document.

First off, Barton establishes a connection between the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution, through article 7 where it states:

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

Esentially making the documents like one. The D of I sets forth the principles and the Constitution the operation of those principles.

David Barton says God is mentioned 4 times in the Declaration of Indepence…

1 When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

2 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights

3 WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATED OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions

4 And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Secondly, Barton says article 1 section 7 states the Sunday Excepted rule shows the recognition by the forefathers of a Sunday Sabbath. Barton states, “There is no religion in the world that has a Sunday Sabbath except for Christianity."

If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him

At this point, Barton, rather than going through his 5 reasons, perhaps realizing that Gaylor probably wouldn’t let him sit there and list all 5 reasons, before the next reason, Barton says, “And finally…” George Washington and Alexander Hamilton derived the idea of separation between church and state from Jeremiah 17:9. If you understand the context of Jeremiah 17, this makes a lot of senes. The king was introducing practices to his people that God did not want them to do, because the they were reckless and harmful.

Then David Barton says the forefathers derived the idea of a three branch government from Isaiah 33:22.

22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.

David Barton also says article 3 section 3 1st paragraph is almost word for word taken from Deuteronomy 17:6

6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

Keep in mind this is for a heinous crime like treason or murder.

Gaylor states what about Treaty of Tripoli?

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

This excerpt from the Treaty in question is merely stating America wasn’t founded solely on Christianity but rather freedom of religion. So religion, from America’s perspective, in that era, is no reason to go to war.

To my surprise, in the second video, David Barton argues this same point, going on to say that if Gaylor would have read the entire treaty she would have found the same thing.

I used 3 different sources for the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.constitution.org/usdeclar.htm
http://www.eadshome.com/Declaration.htm
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lljc&fileName=005/lljc005.db&recNum=94

I used 2 different sources for the Constitution
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Article7
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

I used 2 for the Treaty of Tripoli
http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm
http://rationalrevolution.net/articles/treatytripoli.htm

There are som remarkable findings out there, if people would just take the time to look.