Joshua Whitney retweetledi
I’d like to correct the record regarding comments recently made by James and @ProfJoannaHowe on their podcast about a quote attributed to Jeff Durbin @PastorNinja in my book, "Post-Roe Reformation."
The quote in question concerns a 2021 Arizona law widely celebrated within the Pro-Life Movement that prohibited abortions sought because a child had Down syndrome, while still permitting prenatal murder for virtually any other reason.
In the passage, Durbin employs reductio ad absurdum — a basic and longstanding form of argumentation used in debate and apologetics — to expose what he sees as the inconsistency of that approach. His point was that if society treated another grave evil, such as sex trafficking, the same way many pro-life leaders handle abortion legislation, we would end up with laws that prohibit trafficking only in narrow circumstances while continuing to permit the broader evil itself.
The meaning is obvious when the quote is read in context. Unfortunately, the Howes did not provide that context. Instead, they isolated the quote from the page and then interpreted it as though Durbin were advocating something entirely different.
They concluded that Durbin has a “twisted psychopathic worldview” and suggested he was arguing that the Pro-Life Movement is attempting to legalize abortion where it was once illegal. That is not what the passage in my book says, nor what the argument means.
James incorrectly identifies the form of logic as a "false hypothetical" and says abolitionists are using it "to brainwash their followers."
If James and Joanna Howe disagree with conclusions made in my book, I’m happy to discuss those disagreements openly. But I cannot remain silent while someone’s reputation is damaged through the misrepresentation of material taken from my work.
To that end, I am giving the Howes permission to post screenshots of the relevant section of the book so readers can evaluate the context for themselves. I could certainly do so myself, and will if it comes to that, but I hope they will take the opportunity to correct the record voluntarily.
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