Published September 30, 2021
An ever-shifting morality is no way to build a humane civilization. Inherent to the idea of “progress” is the constant revising of its principles to better fit the needs of an ever-evolving society. The problem, however, is that this constant revision results in progressivism never offering its adherents a fixed place to stand.
This principle was put on display recently by the American Civil Liberties Union, who put out a graphic on Twitter with a quote from one of its most famous former employees, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The quote dealt with the centrality of abortion as being essential to freedom and autonomy. The original quote reads: “The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. It is a decision she must make for herself. When the government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a full adult human responsible for her own choices.”
The shortened and edited quote put out on the ACLU’s Twitter read, “The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a [person’s] life, to [their] well-being and dignity. … When the government controls that decision for [people], [they are] being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for [their] own choices.”
Astonishingly, the text had edited Justice Ginsburg’s language to make it transgender compliant, that is, severing biological or even gendered language to the notion of pregnancy. Thus, not only is this episode a tremendous revelation of the ACLU’s participation in verbal deception and ideological conformity, but the episode is also a conspicuous demonstration of the absurdity of our times. One must wonder what Justice Ginsburg, credited as one of the most important voices in modern feminism, would say as she looked on as America’s most historic civil liberties outfits engages in female erasure—against her, no less.
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Andrew T. Walker is the managing editor of WORLD Opinions and serves as associate professor of Christian ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also a fellow with The Ethics and Public Policy Center. He resides with his family in Louisville, Ky.
EPPC Fellow Andrew T. Walker, Ph.D., researches and writes about the intersection of Christian ethics, public theology, and the moral principles that support civil society and sound government. A sought-after speaker and cultural commentator, Dr. Walker’s academic research interests and areas of expertise include natural law, human dignity, family stability, social conservatism, and church-state studies. The author or editor of more than ten books, he is passionate about helping Christians understand the moral demands of the gospel and their contributions to human flourishing and the common good. His most recent book, out in May 2021 from Brazos Press, is titled Liberty for All: Defending Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a Secular Age.
