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Sunday, August 29, 2010

Did Glen Beck's Black Robed Regiment say 'all men are created equal?'

This Black Robed Regiment looks like early Klan

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: John F. Kennedy in his book A Nation of Immigrants, in which he states

The great doctrine 'All men are created equal' incorporated into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, was paraphrased from the writing of Philip Mazzei, an Italian-born patriot and pamphleteer, who was a close friend of Jefferson). 

A few alleged scholars try to discredit Mazzei as the creator of this statement and idea, saying that "there is no mention of it anywhere until after the Declaration was published". This phrase appears in Italian in Mazzei's own hand, written in Italian, several years prior to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. 
Mazzei and Jefferson often exchanged ideas about true liberty and freedom. No one man can take complete credit for the ideals of American democracy.

Rightardia cannot find a reliable source about the Black (Robed) Regiment that Glen Beck talked about yesterday. According to wingnut Chuck Baldwin:

The "Black (Robed) Regiment" was a group of patriot-preachers from virtually every protestant denomination located throughout Colonial America at the time of America's fight for independence who courageously preached the Biblical principles of liberty and independence. The moniker stems from the tendency of these patriot-preachers to wear long, black robes in their pulpits.

Rightardia can confirm that Jefferson borrowed the phrase 'all men are created equal from his friend, Philip Mazzei.  Jefferson was a deist not a theist. Thomas Jefferson, in Notes on Virginia, said this:

Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity.

Rightardia thinks Beck's comments on the "Black (Robed) Regiment" is another example of Republican historical revisionism.

Update: This article went viral. We have been getting hits on it all night.  Rightardia checked Conservapedia and could not find any references to the Black Robed regiment in it either.

It appears the Black Robed Regiment is a fabrication of evangelical blogers. One anonymous commenter suggested we check out Peter Muhlenberg, a revolutionary general and clergyman. The search for references shed no light on the Black Robed regiment.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look up Peter Muhlenberg

Unknown said...

I did: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Muhlenberg
there was no reference to "all men are created equal" or the "Black
Robed Regiment."

If this is a reference to the white, Christan nation myth, try Article
11 of the Treaty of Tripoli.

Anonymous said...

However you "spin" this...Glenn Beck called for a simple truth...that people of faith, people who believed in G-d and trusted that G-d indeed is one....must stand as one.

There is nothing bad that can be said about it...nothing derogatory....we must act with moral dignity and righteousness.

Unknown said...

Sorry, but the conservatives cannot revise US history for their convenience. Notr can progressives. The phrase "all men are created equal" did not originate on the pulpit.

Phillip Mazzei penned the phrase and Jefferson borrowed it.

Rightardia could find no reputable references for the Black Robed Regiment. It is a conservative pipe dream.

Unknown said...

BTW Rightardia checked Conservapedia and we found no references to the Black Robed Regiment.

Brooke said...

well it did originate from GOD. In your opening you said you are skeptical of religion- who do you think created anyone equal if nothing was created- it just happened from some organism. you must think that nothing was created at all if religion teaches us that God created us. What exactly do you believe?

Unknown said...

Brooke , you are babbling.

All men are created equal did not come from the Bible. That is the issue, not my personal beliefs.

However, although I am a member of the non-believer community, it is possible that the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Elohim is the one true god.

You asked the question!