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In God We Don't Trust  /  Chapter 14: Navigation Restraints and Expensive Molasses  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 1
David Bercot calls the way American (including Christian) history books portray the Navigation Acts “dishonest,” and he quotes *The Light and the Glory* calling them “oppressive, greed-motivated measures”; what specific claims in that quote does Bercot directly dispute from the statutes themselves, and what does this raise about truth-telling as a Christian responsibility when we’re defending “our side”?
Another way to ask: Which exact parts of the quote about the Navigation Acts does Bercot say are false when you read the actual laws? What does that teach Christians about telling the truth even when it helps “our side”?

Direct Answer Bercot directly disputes the claim that the Navigation Acts forced colonies to trade “only with England” and that they were inherently “oppressive” exploitation, arguing the statutes actually treated colonial ships as English and often benefited colonial industries. He uses this to warn that Christians sin against truth when they repeat accusations without reading the actual laws.

Support from Transcript:

  • He quotes *The Light and the Glory* claiming the Acts “required all colonial trade to be carried exclusively in British ships… [so] the colonies could trade only with England… oppressive, greed-motivated measures.”
  • Bercot replies, “The only problem is that it’s not true,” and says writers should “read the laws in question.”
  • From the 1651 statute: colonial-owned ships “were considered English ships,” so “British ships” included colonial ships.
  • The 1651 Act targeted Dutch shipping: it was “aimed at the Dutch, not the American colonies,” undermining the exploitation narrative.
  • He concludes the Acts were “a blessing to the colonies, not oppressive, greed-motivated measures.”
Discussion Follow-ups What does it do to Christian witness when believers defend a cause with sloppy or false claims? How careful should we be to verify sources before repeating them?

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