Recently The New York Times ran a story titled, “Amy Schneider Becomes First Woman to Surpass $1 Million on Jeopardy.” The headline is absurd because Amy Schneider is not a woman. He is a self-identified transgender woman which means Amy is a man who fantasizes he is a woman. A string of pearls and a dress do not a woman make.
As Andrew T. Walker wrote, “Biological males do not become females by a sheer act of will or verbal declaration. Males can never become females and females cannot become males. Their own thinking about themselves does not reconfigure their genetics.”
Why has The New York Times compromised its journalistic integrity to report the truth? Why did the paper say Amy is a “woman” when Amy is undeniably a biological male? I am sure it is to spare Amy and the transgender community’s feelings. It is a symptom of our culture’s decline; feelings are more important than the truth.
A person seeking to purchase a passenger ticket from Delta airlines took exception to buying the ticket for either a male or female when the ticket was for someone who claims to be “non-binary.” U.S. airlines are required to get the passenger’s name and gender to issue a ticket. Delta did not have a non-binary option and this person took exception to Delta’s refusal to issue a non-binary ticket.
It seems some airlines are beginning to relax this requirement and allowing a non-binary option to purchase tickets. I assume the reason the name and gender has been required in the past is so there will be an accurate passenger consist to help identify human remains in the event of a tragedy such as a crash.
In such instances the only means of identification sometimes are genetic. I feel safe in saying there are no “non-binary” genes. In such very real scenarios truth matters more than feelings.
The Ninth Commandment of the Decalogue reads, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” Exodus 20:16. The Scriptures enjoin us to tell the truth at all times. It is more offensive to me to deny the truth just to spare another’s feelings, and may prove more tragic in the long run for the one lied to.
There are those who would argue little white lies are harmless, but it has been my experience that little white lies often harbor big black consequences. If we as a society continue to blur the line between fantasy and reality, the time will come when we will need to hear the truth but will not recognize it for what it is.
Jesus said, “Nor shall you make an oath … But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil,” Matthew 5:36-37. His point is a Christian should always be honest, we should say what we mean and mean what we say.
There is more at stake than the identity of a TV game show contestant; the truth is in jeopardy.
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