I did not intend to do this sort of article for my blog. I strongly dislike politics, whether it be liberal or conservative. Also, out of a desire for privacy, did not wish to reveal myself as a trans woman, (it is definitely not safe) but hey. Just this morning I made a comment that being led by the Holy Spirit is neither safe nor comfortable. Remind me to keep my mouth shut from now on.
I need to state I am neither a bible expert nor an expert in psychology. I have studied psychology and am familiar with the "brain sex" theory as well as the MRI evidence, and of course being trans myself.
I am also a believer in Christ. I attend a very accepting and tolerant Church Of Christ congregation in Ohio.
For most of my life as it has been I have been content to keep to myself. Yet over the past few years it has been next to impossible to avoid transgender debates. In particular it seemed that every time I would log on to YouTube for some fun, I was deluged by vids such as "Is being Transgender a sin?, or "What does the Bible say about transsexuality?". Of course you can image the maleficent delight of those who post the "God saved me from .." videos.
Ok here are my complaints against so-called "christian" beliefs on transsexuality. Please note I am not speaking against all the believers who are tolerant, and who understand God's grace and have shared it with me.
People who condemn transsexuals aren't knowledgeable about transsexualism
Transsexuality has a psychological basis. There is known case where male baby's penis was accidently destroyed by what should have been a routine circumcism It was decided to raise the boy as a girl. Guess what? It didn't work out. Gender identity is set before birth and cannot be changed. Contrary to what the religious right would have you believe, we are beings who are formed by biological processes that can sometime go wrong. There are no known "gay genes", but genetics in not the only factor in human development.
The Bible says nothing about transsexuality
That's right, nothing, zip, nada. Not one word in the Old and New says anything about being transsexual However, it is so very true that anyone who reads scripture without the intent to learn from God will only find their own prejudices. It is just as bad to read scripture with the intent of condemning others than it is to lawyer the scriptures to justify excusing our own desires.
The Bible says God made us Male and Female but it doesn't explicitly define what it is to be male or female. We have a physical side but there is the life we have in our hearts and souls that can differ from our bodies.You would kind of think that something so important would be explicitly defined. It isn't. What people sometimes believe are usually verses taken completely taken out of any reasonable context to justify a conclusion.
We need to understand one thing. Identity is not physical. We can loose parts of our body through injury of disease and that does not change who we are. If we loose our identity we have lost everything. Yes the critics are right changing the body doesn't change who we are. However that is exactly the point. I can say without a doubt I was born to live as a girl/woman. Not in by body, but in my spirit and soul. Go ahead, try to prove I am wrong.
Why don't you ask me what my life is like?
Here is the part that is inexcusable. There are many people like me who have a story to tell, and who desperately need to tell it. Yet there are very few people who have the opportunity. Even in a church like I attend I often feel invisible. It would really be nice if there were other gay/ trans people there to talk to.
There is something in the Bible we don't often talk about called redemption. It is about the power of the Gospel to take our liabilities and use them to glorify God. You really cannot talk about the grace that God has shown you without getting into details.
The problem there are so many people who deliberately tell lies about us. (I thought there was a commandment against that.) Or at the very least they choose to remain ignorant.(Just so you know, I do have an agenda. Most of it involves things like eating, paying bills, and trying to deal with the occasional depression I feel) I will make you a deal. You keep your mouth shut and I won't challenge your bullshit. How can you be the expert, when I am the one who lives the life?
No Mercy (unless your sins are things people don't care about)
It is interesting that I have never heard a sermon against the pursuit of wealth over Godliness. Its not that Jesus didn't mention it, He did. The the story of the rich man and the beggar didn't turn out very well for the rich man. Somehow so many "believer" praise a man like Donald Trump, even with his uncaring attitude towards the needy. Yet of course if you are gay or trans the "christian" community is all over you.
There is a group of people mentioned in the Bible who got an "A+" in rule keeping, but totally flunked the class. Things changed after the Cross. Jesus became the rulebook. This was bad for the rule keepers because no one could live up to His standards. It is good for us because mercy became the law. "Blessed are the merciful", Jesus said "for they will receive mercy. Oh, this does not come with any "offer void where prohibited" or "exclusions may apply" disclaimers.
Of course it is not about what you or I think. Jesus will be my judge and yours. Given the choice, I would rather be found to err on the side of mercy than I would the side of judgment.
