Just a day after NPR reported on the inaccuracies in Christian pseudo-historian David Barton‘s very aptly-named book The Jefferson Lies, publisher Thomas Nelson has ceased publication and distribution of the book:
“When the concerns came in, from multiple people, and that had weight too, we were trying to sort things out,” said Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President and Publisher Brian Hampton. “Were these matters of opinion? Were they differences of interpretation? But as we got into it, our conclusion was that the criticisms were correct. There were historical details — matters of fact, not matters of opinion, that were not supported at all.“
Wow.
That should be a huge blow to Barton, just as it was for Jonah Lehrer, whose book was pulled by his publisher after it was discovered he was fabricating quotations. But you have to wonder whether Christians will accept the publisher’s conclusion and stop listening to Barton, or whether Barton will become even more popular now that even his publishers have said what secular historians have been saying all along: Barton has no idea what he’s talking about.
So… Thomas Nelson removed the book because the supposedly-factual details weren’t supported by the evidence.
I guess that means they’re no longer publishing the Bible, either?
(Thanks to Greg for the link)