A CNN news story claiming “it’s not possible” to know a person’s gender or sex at birth was widely panned across social media this week, mainly because it was stated as a non-debatable fact.
The story focused on two executive orders by South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem prohibiting males from competing in female sports. The article was highly critical of her position.
“It's not possible to know a person's gender identity at birth, and there is no consensus criteria for assigning sex at birth,” the CNN story said.
It didn’t take long for Christians and conservatives to notice the sentence.
“If you act like a propaganda outlet, people are going to treat you like a propaganda outlet. This is blatant @CNN,” tweeted Denny Burk, director of the Center for Gospel and Culture at Boyce College in Louisville, Ky.
If you act like a propaganda outlet, people are going to treat you like a propaganda outlet.
— Denny Burk (@DennyBurk) March 31, 2021
This is blatant, @CNN. https://t.co/GBIXXDg9Rx
“This is CNN. Unbelievable,” tweeted conservative radio host Erick Erickson.
This is CNN. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/gTMQOWDXGc
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) March 31, 2021
“We live in a literal clown world where the elites pretend not to know what it means to be a man or a woman. The only way to maintain your sanity is to reject this absolute nonsense everywhere you see it,” tweeted author Allie Beth Stuckey.
We live in a literal clown world where the elites pretend not to know what it means to be a man or a woman. The only way to maintain your sanity is to reject this absolute nonsense everywhere you see it. https://t.co/pCWzVpC3zn
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) March 31, 2021
“Actually, there is a scientific consensus for ‘assigning sex at birth.’ It’s called observation, coupled with a basic understanding of mammalian and human biology,” tweeted Hot Air senior editor Ed Morrissey.
Actually, there is a scientific consensus for “assigning sex at birth.” It’s called observation, coupled with a basic understanding of mammalian and human biology.
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) March 31, 2021
Pro Tip From CNN: “Not Possible” To Know A Baby’s “Gender Identity” At Birthhttps://t.co/J4I8v6zKWd pic.twitter.com/QVqfaczSRX
“Hey @CNN, you wrote, ‘It's not possible to know a person's gender identity at birth, and there is no consensus criteria for assigning sex at birth.’ Call me, and I’ll explain the criteria to you in 15 seconds,” tweeted David Prince, pastor of Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky.
Hey @CNN you wrote, “It's not possible to know a person's gender identity at birth, and there is no consensus criteria for assigning sex at birth.” Call me and I’ll explain the criteria to you in 15 seconds. https://t.co/R4Lq0Esgna
— davideprince (@davideprince) March 31, 2021
One person tweeted, sarcastically, “Wonder if CNN would help me out and announce it's ‘Not Possible To Know A Person's Income On Tax Day.’”
The website eventually tweaked the sentence, although the change did little to appease Christians and other conservatives' concerns. The new sentence read: “It's not possible to know a person's gender identity at birth, and for some people, the sex listed on their original birth certificate is a misleading way of describing the body they have.”
CNN Declares 'Not Possible to Know Person's Gender Identity at Birth'https://t.co/hIs8PEkOyH
— Andy Wendt (@AndyWendt) March 31, 2021
Wonder if CNN would help me out and announce it's "Not Possible To Know A Person's Income On Tax Day"
Related:
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Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kieferpix
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
