The Constitution Came Right Out Of The Bible?

Last updated on: April 10, 2014 at 11:00 am by Zack Hunt

The Constitution Came Right Out Of The Bible? 2014-04-10T11:00:21-06:00 Zack Hunt

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David Barton is still at it.

If you’re not familiar with him, he’s a well known pseudo-historian who famously had his book The Jefferson Lies pulled off the shelves by his publisher because it was revealed that – like most of everything else claims about the founding fathers – “basic truths just were not there.”

That hasn’t stopped Barton from barnstorming across the country with revisionist history of America. And because he frequently uses the word “Bible” and “Constitution” in the same sentence, patriotic Christians can’t seem to get enough.

In his latest distortion of the truth – I say “latest” because he’s done this act before – Barton claims that the Constitution “came right out of the Bible.”

While the claims he makes are wildly misrepresenting the formation of a document that actual historians agree is a clear product of the Enlightenment, Barton really misses a golden opportunity to support his “right out of the Bible” argument.

Though his claims about separation of powers and circuit court judges coming “right out of the Bible” are absurd, it’s odd to that Barton would leave out a part of the Constitution that does have some pretty solid Biblical backing.

I’m talking about Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3. Otherwise known as the Three-Fifths Compromise.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

The Bible doesn’t talk about separation of government powers or circuit judges, but there are plenty of passages that clearly support people being “bound to service.”

As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly. – Leviticus 25:44-46

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ. – Ephesians 5:6

Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. – Titus 2:9-10

Strange that Barton would leave that bit about slavery out of his case for the Constitution being biblically based.

It’s almost like he just picks and chooses parts of history that he likes, ignores the rest, and slaps it all together to create the narrative he wants to believe.

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