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WallBuilders is an organization dedicated to presenting America's forgotten
history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and
constitutional foundation on which America was built a foundation which, in
recent years, has been seriously attacked and undermined. In accord with what
was so accurately stated by George Washington, we believe that "the propitious
[favorable] smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation which disregards
the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained."
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| Why the name "WallBuilders"? |
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In the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, the nation of Israel rallied together in
a grassroots movement to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and thus restore
stability, safety, and a promising future to that great city. We have chosen
this historical concept of "rebuilding the walls" to represent allegorically
the call for citizen involvement in rebuilding our nation's foundations. As
Psalm 11:3 reminds us, "If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the
righteous do?"
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| Our Goal |
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WallBuilders' goal is to exert a direct and positive influence in government,
education, and the family by (1) educating the nation concerning the Godly
foundation of our country; (2) providing information to federal, state, and
local officials as they develop public policies which reflect Biblical values;
and (3) encouraging Christians to be involved in the civic arena.
Educating the Nation
In the first part of this goal, we develop materials to educate the public
concerning the periods in our country's history when its laws and policies were
firmly rooted in Biblical principles. As George Washington indicated in his
famous "Farewell Address," previous generations believed such elements were
inseparable from America:
Of all the habits and dispositions which lead to political prosperity, religion
and morality are indispensable supports.
For over three centuries, historians
presented American history from a broad perspective, but in the 1960s
historical writers widely embraced what today is called the "economic view of
American history" whereby economic causes are the primary and almost singular
emphasis of study. Consequently, students study only "taxation without
representation" when they examine the Declaration of Independence rather than
important civil, governmental, and moral principles addressed in that document.
WallBuilders returns to the historical approach long utilized by the nation's
pre-eminent historians. As Charles Coffin (a best-selling author of school
history texts in the nineteenth century) reminded teachers in his text, The
Story of Liberty:
You will notice that while the oppressors have carried out
their plans and had things their own way, there were other forces silently at
work which in time undermined their plans as if a Divine hand were directing
the counter-plan. Whoever peruses the story of liberty without recognizing this
feature will fail of fully comprehending the meaning of history. There must be
a meaning to history or else existence is an incomprehensible enigma.
This broad and thus much more inclusive approach to American history characterized
the work of influential historians and educators from George Bancroft ("The
Father of American History") to Noah Webster ("The Schoolmaster to America") to
Emma Willard ("The Pioneer of Women's Education in America"), John Fiske, and
countless others. In fact, to exclude non-economic events and motivations is to
present a biased view of history. As explained by U. S. Department of Education
history researcher Dr. Paul Vitz:
Bias is primarily accomplished by exclusion.
. . . Such a bias is much harder to observe than a positive vilification or
direct criticism, but it is the essence of censorship.
WallBuilders presents an
uncensored view of American history, thus not only giving meaning to history
but also keeping it from becoming what Charles Coffin termed "an
incomprehensible enigma."
Providing Information
In the second part of our goal,
we believe that as citizens learn the truth about our nation's past, they will
be better equipped to help frame its future and to help shape the policies
under which they will live. Toward this end, WallBuilders is an educational
resource to those working toward improving federal, state and local policies.
This is accomplished in part by providing direct assistance to our elected and
appointed officials. This assistance takes several forms, including consulting
with both legislators and judges, at their request, on legal and historical
issues, testifying in state and federal hearings, providing research services,
identifying and supporting sound legislation, and providing historical
perspectives to current problems.
Encouraging Christians
Thirdly, we encourage
people of faith to become involved in the civic arena, whether through prayer
or direct involvement. As President and gospel minister James A. Garfield
stated, "Now, more than ever, the people are responsible for the character of
their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because
the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be
intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high
qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next
centennial does not find us a great nation. . . . it will be because those who
represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not
aid in controlling the political forces."
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| Our Founder |
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WallBuilders' founder and president,
David Barton, resides in Aledo, Texas (just west of Fort Worth), with his wife,
Cheryl, and their three children. David spent eight years as an educator and
school administrator before founding WallBuilders. He has received numerous
awards including several Who's Who honors, two Angel Awards for excellence in
media, and the George Washington Honor Medal. He has spoken to numerous state
legislatures, consulted with both state and federal legislators on various
bills, and has written amicus briefs in cases at the U. S. Supreme Court.
»» Click here for more information about David Barton.
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| Our Activities |
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WallBuilders is involved in
a diverse array of activities which support our goals of educating Americans
concerning our heritage and of influencing public policy.
The heart of our
educational work, and that which makes WallBuilders so unique, is our library
of rare books. We have collected thousands of first-edition works of our
Founding Fathers including their own handwritten documents and it is primarily
in these original sources that we conduct our research. From these priceless
resources, we are able to document the rich religious and moral history of
America as well as to establish the original intent undergirding the various
clauses of our Constitution.
Based on our extensive research, we have produced
over two dozen books and videos (with new releases every year) applying the
lessons of our history to contemporary issues. These books and videos not only
present our nation's rich heritage but they also introduce the current
generation of Americans to an uncensored view of America's religious and
political history. These materials are used extensively by public officials as
well as by individuals, churches, Christian educators, and various
organizations across the nation. In fact, even public schools and colleges are
using these materials in their classrooms.
WallBuilders outreach to ministers
has paved the way for exclusive Congressional Pastors' Briefings on Capitol
Hill where hundreds of clergy have been impacted by some of the country's top
conservative political leaders in these educational and informative sessions.
Additionally, individuals in communities across the nation use our loaner
videos, designed especially for broadcast use, and have aired them to great
effect (at no charge) on local cable stations. Groups of businessmen or
ministerial alliances have banded together to purchase an hour of air time on
local network affiliates. We have also produced dozens of one-minute radio
spots, titled "Moments From America's History," which many citizens have
successfully encouraged their local radio stations to air. (If you are
interested in helping spread the message of America's strong religious and
moral heritage through these means, please contact us at (817) 441-6044 or
wbcustomerservice@wallbuilders.com.)
To assist in the formation of sound public policy, we have established
the WallBuilders' ProFamily
Legislative Network. This arm of WallBuilders monitors and collects
pro-family legislation from the various states in over a dozen different
areas (e.g., marriage, abortion, education, public morality, gambling,
parental rights) which we then make available to legislators and
activists in other states at their request, thus enabling pro-family
legislation to be introduced in states across America. We also support
efforts by groups such as The National Association of Evangelicals
(NAE) and Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
that seek to provide principled Christian leadership in diverse
policy areas, including a comprehensive call to civic
responsibility and a call
to truth on environmental
stewardship.
WallBuilders is
also a national leader in efforts to return local control to citizens through
restraining renegade federal judges who too often impose their own arbitrary
values on communities. David Barton has not only authored several works on this
issue, he also addresses legal groups and has been sought out by federal and
state legislators in their attempts to curb activist judges.
Combining both the
educational and the public policy information, WallBuilders offers public
presentations on a variety of topics ranging from our Godly heritage to what
can be done to restore Biblical principles in our nation.
Click for information about booking an event.
To help keep citizens
informed, we send emails with timely information that keep you up
to date on legislation that could affect you and your family, highlight
important aspects of our heritage, inform you of new materials that
we have produced, highlight special sales, and much more. »» Subscribe to our email updates.
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| What Others Are Saying |
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WallBuilders seeks to change lives, and thereby to change America. According to
testimonials, this is occurring:
"David Barton is one of the foremost authorities on the moral and religious foundations of our nation's Constitution and history. I have heard David speak many times, have had him on my radio and television programs, have worked hand in hand with him to foster the political responsibility of the People of God, have co-sponsored clergy briefings with him in Washington, and have taken part in several of the spiritual heritage tours he gives of the Capitol. I always come away from his talks not only knowing more, but being more determined to preserve and advance our nation's Christian foundations. Moreover, I have seen firsthand the level of respect David is given by those who serve as our representatives in Congress and strive to live up to the vision our Founding Fathers had for those who occupy such high office.
"It is an honor to collaborate with David Barton and Wallbuilders, and I urge people of all denominations to become familiar with the resources he offers." --Father Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
"The seed you are sowing is bringing a harvest
of righteousness and countering a tide of ungodliness. Praise the Lord." --Pastor
Billy Joe Daugherty (Oklahoma)
"David's commitment to quality research and to
making America a better place for our children shines through in all of his
professional activities." --Former Congressman Bill Dannemeyer (California)
"Your
materials were the turning point for me in becoming a Christian. . . . I feel
like I have been granted a new life. . . . I thank God for you for influencing
the way my life has changed." --Gary Sterling, presentation attendee (Texas)
"While watching [your] tape The Spirit of the American Revolution, I wept
thinking how far our nation has moved away from the concepts of the Founding
Fathers . . . . What can we do to get back to the founding concepts and
blessings that our forefathers received?" --U. S. Senator Sam Brownback (Kansas)
"Seeing how far our country has moved from its beginnings and the original
intent of our Founding Fathers has encouraged me to be very active politically
to try to bring about a move back to our beginnings." --Connie Potter,
presentation attendee (Washington)
"David's materials . . . have given me and
other legislators the courage to defend the moral values that made our country
great." --State Senator Ellen Craswell (Washington)
The above quotes represent
but a few of the lives being changed through the message God has given
WallBuilders. Their testimonials offer positive proof of a renewed vision and
of a rededication to be good stewards of this country that God has so
graciously placed in our hands. This civic stewardship is crucial both for our
generation as well as future ones. WallBuilders embraces completely the
timeless charge delivered in 1803 by the Reverend Matthias Burnet, who warned,
"Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights and
prostrating those institutions which your fathers delivered to you."
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| How to Get Involved |
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Although we have a dedicated staff at WallBuilders, we depend on people like you to help
spread our message. There are at least three important things you can do to
help.
»» Click here to get involved in assisting WallBuilders
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