Earlier this year, I wrote a post noting that David Barton and Wallbuilders had released a computerized version of the God-filled dictionary that Noah Webster originally intended, claiming that this original version was necessary because the dictionary had “undergone extensive censorship to remove its Christian emphasis and examples.”
So you just knew that Barton would jump at the chance to highlight the importance of his original dictionary and try and make some sales when it was revealed that Merriam Webster had expanded its definition of the word “marriage” to include “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage.”
Even though the change was made way back in 2003, the Religious Right didn’t freak out about it until recently, and Barton is seizing the opportunity to once again peddle his version:
One of the best ways to combat the new agenda is to renounce the new definition and continue to use the original. Or, as Proverbs 22:28 wisely instructs: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.” One means to help preserve the ancient “boundary stones” of Biblical meanings is to use Noah Webster’s original 1828 dictionary rather than the new on-line dictionaries that are moving further and further away from Biblical meanings. We are offering the original Webster’s Dictionary on CD ROM so that you can install it on your computer and instantly call up a conservative and Biblical meaning for words.
Is this really the best the Right can come up with? Renouncing new versions of the dictionary in favor of a ninety year-old version and it’s biblical definitions?
Just for the record, in 1828, the United State had had a total of 6 Presidents and 24 state – a lot has happened in the world since then and lots of new words have come into use to identify and explain them.
You’d think that a reference book that doesn’t even know of the existence of things like automobiles, telephones, or computers would be worthless … but Barton apparently thinks it is worth $39.95.
