It is too likely that others will not fully accept that he is a she entitled to share dorm rooms, bathrooms, dates and marriage to a man--since "her" genes are male. And function will probably be less than normal --and procreation the normal way will be out of the question. YEars of surgery, hormone treatments, and thousands of dollars asked for from employers and insurance companies to help this once normal body, approximate the body of the opposite sex --through surgical mutilation and risky hormone treatments.
If I were the parent of a confused child, I certainly would say, "No thanks!" to that kind of life for him.
I see kids today who are very stubborn about getting their way --and I wonder if for some this gender switch isn't an example of that. And if they had any idea of the pain they were signing up for --would it not be better to reorient one's thinking!?
Why don't we tell kids that God made them male or female for His purposes and that following His way is always the most fulfilling choice to make? I believe we are making a huge mistake to give kids the idea that they have a choice to be male or female and to marry a male or female. It's not their right to choose. And yet it is a choice when they decide to TRY (futilely) to be something they really are not --and to be with people in abnormal ways.
Genesis 1:27 ~
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
5 comments:
This and the post above seem to me to hit the nail on the head. Your point about reasoning with somebody who thought he was Jesus is especially germane - may I add that as a psychiatric nurse in the UK, I haven't heard of anybody who thought they were Jesus for a long time. Another symptom of the pervasion of secular society?
You mean fewer have even heard of JEsus, much less identified as Him?
Your blog looks interesting.
Thanks for stopping by from the UK.
Are you acquainted with the NARTH website? It has some excellent articles on this topic --gender identity, at least.
Barb,
This is an interesting post for me as I once knew a man who became a woman.
I befriended this person because so many ridiculed him. He had to go through psychological tests to determine if this was what he really wanted and of course the hormone therapy and surgery.
He had been married and had a daughter but told me he always felt like a woman trapped in a man's body.
His daughter thought he was just a good friend of her mother's at the time.
Interestingly enough "Rhonda" called me maybe a year ago to talk after many years of no contact.
"Rhonda" had reverted to wearing jeans when before "she" wore only dresses and skirts, "her" family had finally accepted "her" again and "her" daughter knew she was her Dad.
She told me she had stopped wearing her wig (and as Robbie she was going quite bald) and was no longer affecting a feminine voice.
Robbie/Rhonda thought life would be happier once the sex change was done and found out it was just as depressing as before.
It's really a sad story I have seen up close and personal.
Yes, Jeanette, it seems that a person would be gender-focused and sad about it all his life, always seeking acceptance and never feeling it fully --when others take their gender for granted and live accordingly. His identity would be all about his gender duality.
We knew of a transgendering male becoming female (not undergoing the treatments yet) attending an evangelical church with his female wife for a while. He had not had any of the surgeries yet as I understood it. One day HE would come and more and more "She" attended. So the church in reaching out to them found that his kids and her kids all hated him --but wifey was indulging the problem taking and hanging pictures of hubby in cheerleading costume in their home --mind you, too old to be a cheerleader. (Was she a lesbian, willing to have her man become a woman and indulging him in this desire, not planning to separate? )
This church as part of their get acquainted, "what can we do for you?" counseling directed the man to the unisex bathroom, (not thinking the congregational reaction would be too good with a mannish person dressed like a female in the men's room--or a mannish woman who is really a male in the ladies' room.) Not that the use of either room had knowingly occured at that point.
The church's position was like mine--that God wanted him to eventually find happiness and wholeness in his assigned biology and be a husband and father in his family. So they left. This church did tactfully ascertain first from him that there was not a known genetic or physical defect or hormonal reason for his confusion. That would be a different issue.
I understand that they were not disrespectful or anything but kind to him, but they wanted him to know that our view of God's will for him would be to accept his male body and be the best father and dad he could be. He was not told to dress male or leave, as I understand it. But the church made their position on gender clear.
But what if, as in your friend's case, the person had finished the transgendering process? Would he be allowed to attend your church? I'm sure he/she would.
In all situations, most evangelical and other churches would NOT prohibit anyone from attending worship services because all are welcome to hear God's Word and come to him "Just as I am" --and we all are sinners. Church is the conversion and discipling PLACE. We want sinners to come as we have done.
And transgendering may be like divorce --you can't go backwards --at least not readily or cost-effectively. What's done is done. What does redemption involve and result in for the transgendered person? In this church case, the man had not begun his process beyond the counseling stage with medical personnel. I believe you have to live as the other sex for a year before they'll start the hormones.
For sure, no one is beyond redemption --however, the church, as God's representative, would expect that, as with divorce, transgendering and homosexual behaviors are sin for which we repent--but I believe such abnormal appetites concerning gender and sex activity are typically exacerbated by the sin of others toward children and youth --not always, but sometimes, including parents.
Today, however, cultural influences and lack of religious upbringing are inclining too many people to think gender is a choice--inclining the ignorant to raise kids accordingly, instead of guiding them into a healthy and normal self-image.
As for orientation, whether it's a choice or a result of conditioning, too many are experiencing that confusion also, with culture's encouragement.
I have no idea how my church would react as we haven't had that type of situation to my knowledge. I would imagine love and counseling would be available if the person wanted the counseling.
This person lived in another city in another state and wouldn't have attended my church even if he/she went to church and my understanding was he/she didn't attend church anywhere.
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