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2016-03-03-1457020984-8141351-SoulofAmericaMy newest article for Religion News Service:

In an essay railing against liberals who offer accommodations to those who dissent from the new moral orthodoxy, Mark Tushnet, a professor of law at Harvard Law School, declares: “The culture wars are over,” and “we won.”

But declaring an end to the culture wars seems premature. Time magazine’s cover story last week described transgender rights and bathroom access as the latest flare-up of the culture wars. Different states are debating the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. And churches are mired in debate as well. The United Methodist Church just postponed its never-ending debate over homosexuality, and also took a pro-life turn by withdrawing from a religious coalition of abortion-rights advocates.

Why do the culture wars rage on?

Perhaps it would be helpful to take a step back and look at some of the underlying foundational worldview issues that lead people to the positions they hold. Today’s battlegrounds are only part of the story. The real differences lurk below the surface, and they concern issues related to human autonomy and the definition of freedom.

In 1992, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the Planned Parenthood vs. Casey decision: “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.”

Kennedy’s definition of liberty captures the perspective of many Americans today, one that narrows freedom to the individual’s decision to define oneself and create meaning in the world. The culture wars are, in large part, a continual battle over the truth or falsehood of Kennedy’s statement when applied to moral issues.

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