*******’s mother told the AJC they had attempted suicide two years ago and had battled depression for most of their life.
This line from a story in my local paper about a sad case, and this is the media phrase for it, of “suicide by cop.” An individual was in a confrontation with campus police in which the individual was shot and killed by police. It was national news and you probably read about it.
The quote above may logically lead the reader to think that perhaps the mother and father had jointly attempted suicide, or maybe there was a Romeo and Juliette, forlorn, forbidden love situation in which a young couple had jointly attempted suicide. The reality is that the plural pronoun “they” is used by the reporter to apply to the individual who was killed. One person was killed. That person, “they,” attempted suicide and battled depression.
This useage was deliberate because the individual “identified as nonbinary, neither male nor female, and was born intersex, meaning a person has biological or physiological characteristics that are not necessarily male or female.” The AJC went on to explain that the pronoun “they” was called for by the Associated Press guidelines for media coverage.
Simply put, “they” refers to a single individual. Bizzare.
There is an entire gender vocabulary that wasn’t around forty years ago when I attended seminary and started pastoring. “Non-binary” is called “genderqueer” and I read that it is a “catch all term for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine – identities that are thus outside the gender binary and cisnormativity.” Actually, the vocabulary is evolving with “pangender,” “trigender,” and “bigender” being suggested as alternatives. There are five words in this paragraph that I can admit to not having ever read before recently. They all have to do with gender.
Brave new world.
National Geographic, long removed from stories about Maccu Picchu and pyramids, has a “Gender Revolution” issue, “How Science Is Helping Us Understand Gender.” Explaining why they put a transgender girl on the cover the editors said “beliefs about gender are rapidly shifting.”
Indeed.
I’m sticking with the “He created them male and female” of Genesis but recognize that simplistic sermon fodder on this is probably not the best route for the minister going forward. Al Mohler wrote more than a decade ago,
As a society, we are falling (or diving) deeper and deeper into gender confusion. A considerable percentage of the policy-making elite has bought into the ideology of fluid gender and absolute self-expression. Once that idea takes hold, the reality of cross-dressing kindergartners becomes inevitable.
This is where the Christian worldview runs into direct collision with the new sexual ideologies. Christians see the reality of biological identity as a gift–one important way the Creator has told us who we are and how we are to glorify Him with our lives. No one should suggest that negotiating the gender issues in a fallen world is easy. And I am hard pressed to imagine a more difficult parenting challenge than that faced by the parents interviewed for this article. But surrendering to the confusion cannot be the right answer — leaving young children “to move back and forth until something feels right.”
He has a number of podcasts that address the myriad of issues on gender.
Other denominations are addressing ordination issues, inclusive language, proper terminology related to the various gender issues. Southern Baptists haven’t been presented, so far as I am aware, with any particular cases that have demanded action by entities, institutions, or the various levels of SBC life. I’m sure this will be on our plate in some fashion before too long.
A few years ago I had a conversation with a brother in Christ who disclosed to me, without the conversation being anywhere in the neighborhood of gender, that he was in a very small percentage of people who are born with ambiguous genitalia and had long worked at ministering to this small group. Thus, my first introduction to the fact that there are complications in such things. I confess that I didn’t have ambiguous genatalia in mind for discussion over a turkey sub and chips.
I suspect that an educated pastor will have to have some formal exposure to gender issues. Perhaps our seminaries are already addressing such things in a biblical and pragmatic pastoral manner.
I’m still shaking my head over the reference to an individual as “they” on the basis of a gender self-determination. Apparently, the AJC is as well. In a subsequent story on the matter the reporter or editor made a concerted syntatical effort to avoid using any pronouns, always using the individual’s name instead.
It doesn’t look like these gender issues will become less complicated or contentious in the future. What is the conservative, biblical, local church pastor to do? AP has a stylebook that prescribes the rules for writing articles. I don’t feel in the least bound by the AP stylebook for journalists partly because it makes no sense to mangle pronoun useage by referring to a single person as “they.” But I’m not going to release a culture war fusillade against journalists for such useage.
Wherever and however the matter of gender presents itself to the pastor or believer, the grace of God is still sufficient and the Gospel of Christ is still powerful to save. And, there are a small fraction of problematic cases.
Whatever the strangeness or peculiarities about the individual, parents lost a child in the “suicide by cop” case above and for that I am saddened. The father said what looked to me to be the most apt statement about it: “
________________________
In sensitivity to the individual’s family I didn’t use a name although it is public and easily linked.
Transgenderism poses a significant challenge to the Christian worldview, which challenge must be answered if we are to minister effectively in the current cultural milieu.
I hope this OP garners the substantive discussion its subject matter warrants.
Can anyone fill me in on actual cases of situations where people are born with a mixture of both female and male sex organs? The AJC article seems to imply that there are people who actually are both sexes at once.
The sexual confusion I am more familiar with is that a person is born physically with a given sex but mentally he/she feels like a person of the opposite sex.
Roger, the phrase I see associated with this is “ambiguous genitalia.” You might search that. I don’t know if it is medical terminology.
Roger: Several years ago I worked for our state and had a client who was born with both men’s genitals and women’s.
At first they raised this person as a girl, but that had ill affects so they changed to raising her as a boy which had better results. They being the place I worked for. It does happen.
Things of this nature certainly happens, and as we go forward in time a lot more information will be reveled. Without opening a super sized can of worms, it doesn’t have to be genitalia that determines ones gender. A closer look at the brain, genes, and etc. will provide us with much more information in the future. This is my only and last comment on this subject.
Obviously – physical, chromosomal, and glandular Deformities and abnormalities do exist and are a result of the fall. They have to be dealt with as best as possible … Dealing with such issues on a case by case and family by family basis is probably the best way for society to deal with this.
However, when it comes to elective transgenderism as pastors and Christians – we must seek to remain true to scriptural precepts and teaching. We must not embrace societal pressures – and we must be willing to endure the accompanying persecution for standing firm.
We also must balance compassion and politeness with faithful conviction. We should not be unnecessarily combative or insulting.
I think one issue that churches across our denomination will be facing soon, in addition homosexual couples,… Perhaps some have already …. is transgender couples… Meaning a person that was born a woman and remained a woman “marrying” a person who was born a woman that is now claiming to be a man…
Our church has already added to our church documents that we will not knowingly allow our facilities to be used, or our pastors will not perform homosexual and or transgender unions nor will we recognize such a union ….. We have to say knowingly because surgeries and such will only get better with time and unless someone tells us or the couple admits to it we may not even know there’s a transgendered person in the “union”…..
but should A transgendered couple desire to attend our church… We might… And I say I say might… conversationally call The person that was born a Stephanie but now wants to be Steve… Steve.
But on with that – is that an acquiescence? Won’t such an effort cause other issues….like….
What William posted….All the rave about pronoun changes… he or she??? Or something else??? it’s going to be very hard to change American English language to accommodate so many preferences I would think….
Turbulent waters ahead for sure…
Well put. The pronoun that I’m flummoxed about is “they” applied to a single individual. The “he/she” stuff is mainstream.
Tarheel,
Please clear this up for me. In your comments in paragraph one and two you said: Obviously Chromosomal, Glandular Deformities, and abnormalities do exist as a result of the fall. Your second paragraph basically says: we have to remain true to biblical teaching.
Are you saying those “people” in your first paragraph cannot be a member of your church although they are a result of the fall and are not normal, and that only normal folks can be a member of your church? Are you saying Transgender people don’t fit the category of your first paragraph?
Are you saying: anyone with a birth defect cannot be a member of your church or just people with a particular birth defect as a result of the fall? Please clear this up for me, because your comment really makes no sense to me.
I think what I said is pretty clear, Jess. The different sections of my post are speaking to different situations…
One thing I will clarify is the paragraph referring to the transgendered couple attending our church…
Sinners are always welcome to attend and hear the gospel.
I would object, however, to any person living in open and unrepentant sin becoming a member of our church or serving in leadership within our church…
Tarheel
I think it’s clear in your mind. I’m just going by what you commented. Are you now saying anyone with a birth defect is an unrepentant sinner or those with particular birth defects?
The reason I’m being so particular here and putting you to the test is that we are opening ourselves up to a world of possible lawsuits. Here is my point: Can the church prove a Transgender person, or someone with a physical defect is just being carnal and following the passions of the world as opposed to a genuine birth defect whether it’s in the brain or genitals. You said society has to deal with this situation on a case by case basis. You also said something different as to how the church deals with the problem.
In our town at least, transgender is the term for someone born physically one gender and yet identifying as the opposite gender. Transsexual is the term for someone born with both male and female identifiers such as dna, body parts, etc. A child may have external male parts and yet have ovaries. Or be testosterone unresponsive. Or a girl outwardly may have internal testicles instead of ovaries. It happens. Rare, but it happens. Some are born asexual.
As dna testing becomes more sophisticated it is possible many transgenders will turn out to be transsexuals. Who knows?
I would say: birth defect is not sin. Leave it to the person and the md’s to handle. Treat them as they present. But defiant choice to live opposite one’s biology is sin.
Sarah,
I think science and the medical profession supports what you are saying. The church hasn’t come that far along yet, and may never.
I’m not saying birth defect is sin. That’s why my statements indicated families should make very personal and difficult decisions…
I’m saying unrepentant homosexuality, transgenderism, adultery, and other forms of sexual immorality is sin and we must call sinners to repentance and never condone or justify or embrace their sin.
The world and the church often respond to issues differently.
Tarheel,
If transgenderism is a birth defect, abnormality of the brain or genitalia issues or even gene issues to the point that a person is sure they are not how people perceive them and in fact they become what feels natural to them, you are saying they have to repent and be saved? Tarheel, as I understand it you are saying they have to change their lifestyle. Does this mean they are forced to become something they are not in order to be a member in your church?
I know your answer is a “yes.” Do you think this could be why there are transgender churches now?
Transgenderism (biological males living as women – or having reassignment surgery and vice versa) is not a birth defect.
The birth defects I was speaking of are related to the (extremely rare) issues of chromosomal abnormalities and such…
For reference: Males without chromosomal abnormality posses XY chromosomes while females posses XX chromosomes.
I can’t “force” anyone to do anything – but yes I believe that those who seek to become church members ought not be living in unrepentant sin.
Tarheel,
I know all the answers of how the church stands on this issue. The reason I kept asking these questions was for the readers who come upon this site.
Although your definition of Transgenderism is not a medical one.
Ok. Thanks.