'Christian nation' video removed from Calif. city channel.

A city government in California has dropped television broadcasts of videos produced by a Religious Right outfit that claims the First Amendment does not call for a separation of church and state.

In October, El Cajon City Manager Kathi Henry ordered the removal of WallBuilders" videos from the city-supported station, Channel 24, after receiving a complaint from a resident.

WallBuilders was founded by David Barton, a longtime Religious Right pundit who peddles wildly distorted accounts of how the Founding Fathers constructed the Constitution. Barton's group argues that the separation of church and state is a myth and that the United States is a Christian nation.

The Barton videos have aired on the government channel for several years now and were provided to the station by El Cajon Councilman Bob McClellan in 2002, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune.

McClellan, who has worked at WallBuilders and Christian Coalition events, defended the videos and believes they should be back on the channel.

"I think it's important for people to understand the history of our nation," McClellan told the newspaper. "There is no separation. If you read the First Amendment, you'd understand that. It doesn't say anything about separation of church and state."

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has spent years refuting Barton's efforts to misinform the public on the First Amendment, and has repeatedly debunked the activist's assertions.

Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn told the Union-Tribune that Barton's propaganda is ill-suited for public television.

"It's bad government to adopt this very controversial view of Barton's," said Lynn, "and then put it on a channel that seems to be dedicated to official government programs."