This is a follow-up to my article defending David Barton from a smear campaign that I believe was orchestrated by Dr. Warren Throckmorton of Grove City College to punish Barton for taking a strong biblical stand against the homosexual political agenda. This is my opinion, based on my own experience with Throckmorton and my observations of how he wages his private war against pro-family activists. I personally don’t read his blog, but even a cursory scan of his postings will reveal to anyone who doubts me that this man is obsessed with discrediting Christians who advocate the biblical view that homosexuality is wrong and that homosexuals can change
As the outset, I want to thank Dr. Throckmorton for jogging my memory about something I had forgotten. He sent an email to a group of my friends asking them to forward the following message to me:
“My friend J.D. Wyneken is upset about how Scott Lively has misrepresented him. This has now been picked up by David Barton and tweeted to his followers and to who knows where else. This post written today does not begin to reflect J.D. feelings about how he has been used by Lively and Barton…Yesterday, I talked to J.D. Wyneken who disputed Lively’s account. Lively may have called but according to Wyneken, they never spoke on the phone. Lively emailed and, according to Wyneken, wanted to drive a wedge between us. Wyneken never said he was uncomfortable with my request to look at Lively’s book, but rather was glad to provide a reaction to it. Wyneken planned no additional posts since his interest in the matter was complete, not because he had second thoughts about what he said about The Pink Swastika. There was and is no problem with Wyneken. That was a figment of Lively’s imagination…..I kindly ask you Mr. Lively to retract that section and publicly apologize for your misrepresentation of the situation.”
Frankly, I had completely forgotten that I had exchanged emails with Mr. Wyneken (toward whom I hold no animosity) and recollected our exchange as a telephone conversation. My comment was thus just a rough paraphrase of what I recalled he said. However, once I received the above note I went back into my email archives and sure enough, there was the exact quote, in pertinent part, from the man himself:
“the debates over your book and ideas are ones that are primarily between you and Warren and those who support your various sides. I myself am much more interested in other political and scholarly debates and do not wish to be caught between you and Warren on this or any other related issue. I made this clear to Warren last year when he asked me to comment on whether or not The Pink Swastika reached the standards of professional history. Warren has thus far respected my wishes, and I ask respectfully that you do the same.”
So there it is, a perfectly reasonable position for him to take and at the same time fully consistent with my characterization of it in paraphrase. So I will not retract that section of my prior article nor apologize for writing it. I will however apologize for dragging him into this since we had evidently agreed (at my request) to keep that exchange private, a fact which I honestly had forgotten until I reviewed the email. I do sincerely apologize for that error of memory, Mr. Wyneken, but I can’t un-ring that bell.
Providentially, however (and I use that term in its original meaning), we now have a piece of evidence that supports my theory that Mr. Throckmorton is behind the anti-Barton campaign. The phrase “when he asked me to comment on whether or not The Pink Swastika reached the standards of professional history” precisely frames the tactic that would be necessary for someone to line up a group of Christian academics to review Barton’s Jefferson Lies. He got Mr. Wyneken to attack my book as a means of attempting to discredit me. Wouldn’t he be expected do the same in trying to discredit Barton? And on a larger scale given the greater stature of the target?
In light of that it’s also curious that the World Magazine article which seems to have marked the turning point in Christian media treating Mr. Barton as fair game for criticism was penned by yet another person with “.edu” at the end of his email address — this time a guy from Baylor. Was there complicity? Manipulation? I don’t know. This is just a conspiracy theory.
If it’s true, I’m hoping one of these academics who didn’t realize there was a hidden “gay” agenda behind the request to, perhaps, “comment on whether Jefferson Lies reached the standards of professional history” will confess that they’d been had. It would take some real courage and humility to do that, but it might happen. (The door to my e-mail inbox is always open — sdllaw@gmail.com.)
Until then, we’re stuck with just the facts. So why don’t we just do a quick fact check on Warren Throckmorton to see if he‘s right in using his position at a Christian college to attack people who oppose homosexuality.
Here’s what Warren had to say on the issue to Michael Signorile, one of the all-time most influential “gay” activists, on the latter’s radio show in 2007:
WARREN THROCKMORTON: The aim of Sexual Identity Therapy is a satisfied life – a client who believes that they have come to an integration of their conflicts, and we’re, by the way, only talking about people who are in conflict.
MIKE SIGNORILE: So you think it is normal, natural and healthy for people who come out and accept that being homosexual — accept being gay — and completely have no issues with their religious faith — you believe — would you describe the words as [strong emphasis by Signorile] “normal, natural and healthy” – that that is fine?
THROCKMORTON: Yes. Yes, I have been very clear about that in my public statements, that the efforts to demonize people who accept their homosexuality and come out as gay have been futile. The research–[Signorile cuts him off]
Warren has thus stated as fact that homosexuality is “normal, natural and healthy” and this belief obviously informs all of his anti-Christian political activism.
But the Bible says:
“A man shall not lie with a man, it is an abomination.” Leviticus 18:22, and
“ Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and
“Furthermore, since they [male and female homosexuals] did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32
Let’s also check to see if Warren’s view is considered a fact by his employer, Grove City College. Here’s a statement from their website under the title, “About GCC“:
“Grove City College remains true to the vision of its founders. Rejecting relativism and secularism, it fosters intellectual, moral, spiritual, and social development consistent with a commitment to Christian truth, morals, and freedom. Rather than political, ideological, or philosophical agendas, objective truth continues as the goal of liberal learning.”
Oops, wrong again.
So here’s my challenge to you Warren Throckmorton. Since you work for a Christian college which promises incoming students and their parents they will receive an education grounded in Christian truth,
And since you are in large part the cause of David Barton’s rejection as an author by Thomas Nelson publishers for alleged “factual inaccuracies” of a far less significant type that those relative to the Holy Scriptures.
And mostly because you have so flagrantly and arrogantly contradicted the plain truth of God,
I challenge you to immediately repent of your heresy and apologize to all you have wronged by your treachery against the faith or resign your position.
