Patrick Colbeck is a Michigan State Senator who wants to be governor. He is polling at about 4% compared to the front runner Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s 42%. While it is understandable that Colbeck would be excited about an endorsement, the one he just announced may provide many people a reason not to vote for him. On his Facebook page, Colbeck just announced that he has received the endorsement of David Barton.
To be sure, Barton’s endorsement is sought by many GOP candidates. The value of the endorsement for those who oppose Barton’s Christian nationalism is that it clearly designates the Christian nationalist candidate. In other words, now Michigan Republican voters who are skeptical about Christian nationalism may consider the other candidates. Nationally, the Republican party is in Civil War with nativists and Christian nationalists at war with the party establishment. As I noted earlier today, even the Christian right in Texas has found a way to splinter within the splinter.
I don’t assume that Colbeck knows about Barton’s record or his penchant for embellishing his bio. However, some conservatives are getting the message. I was pleasantly surprised to see an expose‘ on Barton at Pulpit and Pen, a far right theology website. The author Seth Dunn covered the fake PhD and the NCAA Oral Roberts basketball story. From Dunn’s point of view, Barton isn’t good for soul winning.
The intellectual dishonesty of David Barton should not be the image put into the minds of lost people. Christians should be leading the way in the realm of open, honest, forthcoming scholarship. If the souls of the lost are to be won, it is not by the political operations of a faux-historian who seems to have only Americans pastors and TBN-viewers fooled about his complete lack of qualification. The visible church should be policing itself. Rather, it is put to open shame when non-believers and leftists must take the lead in exposing false claims of David Barton and his ilk.
Mr. Dunn, some politicians have been fooled too.
I once lived in the geographic Middle of the Mitten and know that area to be quite conservative. Perhaps, the endorsement will pick up some votes there. However, if Mr. Dunn’s op-ed is any indication, even some on the religious right may start to look elsewhere.