The arrival of postmodernism has opened a Pandora’s Box of confusion. It is responsible for the tearing down of absolutes—including truth and has ushered in relativism;that knowledge is relative to the limited nature of the mind. Also,that what one perceives in his or hers own mind is true. This has ledto massive divisions on levels that span from individual citizens to the
US government. Caught up in this quagmire is gender identity which has
spawned the transgender and transgenderism movement. But Christians
may ask, or should ask: what does the Bible say about transgender and
transgenderism? This article will take a look at transgenderism and the
Bible.
What is Transgenderism
The term transgenderism describes a movement that supports
transgenders. Transgenders are individuals who do not identify with
their physical identify as male or female at birth. They usually
identify with the opposite of their physiological gender.
What is the Bible’s take on transgender
The Scripture does not make use of the word transgender. As with so
many other terms and topics, while the exact word (s) may not be used
(e.g. Trinity, abortion, etc.), Scripture clearly expresses God’s
position on the topic.
So let’s look at Scripture: Gen 1:26-28
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. KJV
This passage takes us back to the very beginning; the creation of man
and displays God’s divine order. He specifically created and blessed
them as “male and female” and He wanted them to be fruitful and
multiply. There doesn’t appear to be any room for transgenderism here.
If the man identified as a woman (Adam wanting to be Eve) and the
woman identified as a man (Eve wanting to be Adam), how could they have
multiplied?
Next, the New Testament: Matt 19:4-6
4 …Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. KJV
A man shall leave his family and join his wife and they are to be one
and start their own family. The man is to be a man and the woman is to
be a woman – again, no room for transgenderism.
God’s expressed order is clear. Man is man, woman is woman—there is
no in-between and no changing of the genders, or the roles for that
matter.
Also, it is clear here that a man is to marry a woman and a woman is to marry a man—to be covered in another article.
Transgenderism simply crosses the line over into homosexuality.
Let’s look at what the Scriptures read about that, Lev 18:22 which
contain clear instruction for men:
22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable [cf. 20:15]. NIV
Next, the New Testament: 1 Cor 6:9-10
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. NIV
This Scripture is clear of the unacceptable behaviors for God’s kingdom.
The boundaries are clear: men have their place, women have theirs and
are to conduct themselves accordingly—this even applies to the way they
dress. Let’s look at Deut 22:5
5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this. NIV
This is a black and white issue—there’s no gray area here. We’re either male or female.
So we see clearly in the Bible that men should not perform sexually
as women, that men should not adorn themselves like women and that when
men and women engage in obviously other-gendered expressions of identity
it is simply a disgrace. We do not have an unchallengeable right to do
whatever we want with our physical selves. We belong to God our creator
and should glorify him with our bodies. [1 Cor. 6:19-20] To do
otherwise is simply sinful behavior.
I will have to admit that there is some confusion on this topic on my
part: I do not understand how professing Christians can be divided on
this topic. Either one follows God and Christ and accepts the
Scriptures as God’s Word or they do not. Being true to one self is one
thing, but going against God’s Word is another. Christians are to be
the light on the hill that shines into the darkness—not get lost in it.
[Matt. 5:14-16]
But unfortunately, the church is being infiltrated with modernistic
views that compromises the Scriptures and has created untold divisions.
Things will go much smoother when we get back to the Word of God. More
in the article: https://TheChristianAdvocate.org/postmodernism-and-the-church
Furthermore, these divisions have occurred in society overall;
governments are involved in arguments over what bathrooms (men or women)
transgenders should use! Equating civil rights with transgender is a
stretch. The purpose of civil rights is for everyone to be treated
equal, not the right to engage in sinful and immoral behaviors. This is
progression? We are embracing behaviors that God has previously
destroyed nations for—will ours be any different?
Closing thoughts
This is not to say that we are to condemn transgenders. We all have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God. [Rom 3:23] But we are to help one
another. Scripture instructs in Gal 6:1-2:
6 1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are
spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may
be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will
fulfill the law of Christ. NIV
We must restore gently, with love; not ignore the situation.
Transgenders are in a state of confusion and need to be embraced and
healed as do all sinners—that is equal rights!
Please share your thoughts, opinions and questions below.
Blessings!
hey there =)
I am not familiar with transgenderism that is why I looked at your website. You did a wonderful job explaining what does it mean and what does the bible says about it. A great point you made about man identifying as a woman (Adam wanting to be Eve) and the woman identifying as a man (Eve wanting to be Adam) would result in no creation at all. But today s society raised us in a different way and this is why we encounter this movement. It is not wrong, we just need help. My questions is, how would you help them?
H Jan – Thanks so much for taking the time to read the article and commenting. However, I don’t quite understand your statement: “it is not wrong, we just need help.” If you feel that it isn’t wrong, why is help needed? As far as how I would help them? Help is definitely needed. There isn’t much I can do other than share the truth and pray that it is received. But if the consensus is that it isn’t wrong, that makes it a very difficult task. It’s hard to help anybody that doesn’t feel that it is needed.
Have to say, there’s no ‘fence sitting’ from you, on this subject. I have not the intimate knowledge of the bible to question your views and interpretation. That said, one thing that does come up when these type of discussions fall into the mainstream, is the way the Bible is interpreted. I use that word lightly as I have found over the years, that two things happen.
The first is ‘cherry picking’ verse and scripture. There’s a good chance that if you ever managed to be able to recite the Bible, word for word, then there would be a paragraph to back up every contentious statement made, this is in relation to the ‘word of the Lord’.
Secondly, and this also comes under the ‘cherry picking’ guise, there is a tendency to ‘bend’ the references. In that way, the word ‘interpretation’ comes into play. So you have the best of both worlds. You’re allowed to interpret any passge to suit your argument and then recite verbatim, those lines that fully back up your viewpoint.
Just as a final thought. You have written very eloquently and you are probably a ‘learned man’ yet your whole argument, and credibility, falls apart when you reference Adam and Eve, or are they part of an ‘interpretation’ and not meant to be taken literally ?
Greetings – I referenced Adam and Eve to illustrate the point that God created male and female as He intended for His purpose and we should not tamper with it. If you’re a man, be a man; if you’re a woman, be a woman. This is God’s divine order. The passage makes the point clear that males and females were created in order to multiply. There is no other way. Again—divine order. Therefore, it actually substantiates the argument and credibility.
I understand your reference to interpretation. Individuals do twist Scripture based on their heart’s condition (their feelings and opinions) to substantiate their views. When studying Scripture, one needs to shelve their feelings and opinions. We would all be wise to simply read what it says and act accordingly instead of attempting to have the Scriptures interpret what we are thinking and feeling. Not much happens when we put the wagon before the horse.
As far as cherry picking is concerned, the Scriptures cover many, many topics and certain passages address certain topics. However, I have not found a Scripture that substantiates transgender. If you know of Scripture that refutes what I have written in this response or in the article, I welcome your response.
Actually your response is welcome on any topic at any time.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Have a Blessed Day!
Hi!
Just a few quick questions. If God made us in His image, are our brains/minds/souls not included in that? Are we vain enough to believe that it is purely our physical bodies which are made in His image? When we die, are our physical bodies taken to the afterlife? No, our bodies stay behind to be buried and it is our souls that are taken on, so does it not follow that it is our souls that are the core of our beings? And therefore that our souls are what are created in God’s image. So if our bodies don’t match up with our minds/souls then surely that leaves us with two options, to align our bodies to our minds or to align our minds to our bodies. To align our minds to our bodies is to warp and twist God’s true intention for how we should be, because we would be changing our soul by neglecting truer parts of ourselves. So that just leaves the other option – to change our bodies to match our minds so that everybody can see God’s intention and so that we can live in the way He created us. If God created us in his image, he created all parts of us in his image, the mind and soul included and arguably the most important as they are the part that live on.
As for the part on “be fruitful and multiply”, if you want to take that as literally as you are, does that mean you condemn any and all people who cannot “multiply” or those who choose not to? Biological males or females who are born with mutations or conditions or get into accidents and lose the ability to reproduce? What about biologically intersex people who are born with a mixture or physical and internal sex characteristics which prevents them from being able to reproduce. And on the flip side, what about transgender people who DO reproduce? Transgender men (born female) can freeze their eggs to be used at a later time and then have their own children. Transgender men can also sometimes carry out a pregnancy if they do not remove their internal reproductive organs. Likewise, transgender women (born male) can freeze sperm to be used, or if they don’t pursue medical transition then they can still produce children “naturally”. Some transgender people don’t pursue medical transition at all, or they postpone it, and alot of them have their own “biological children”. Are these cases simply ignored in the pursuit of making an argument against transgender people? Does it add to their value? Do they get a pass on being trans because they make babies? Hopefully this comment doesn’t seem malicious at all, and I hope you did learn from or appreciate some of the points I made. I also hope you’ve never eaten shrimp or other seafood (which is mentioned as a sin in the bible more times than homosexuality) nor been to a priest with a flat nose, and I hope against all hopes that you’ve never worn an outfit that mixes fabrics!! Just a couple of examples of other sins mentioned in the bible which as time has passed, people as a whole have decided to ignore because they no longer fit the thoughts and feelings of our time. The Bible also speaks about adhering to the laws and thoughts of the society you live in, which means we all must learn to adapt and find our core values rather than specific details which can change as time moves. I hope you spread love to everyone you meet regardless of how you view their life. 🙂
Greetings E.C: First, I want to thank you for commenting and asking such insightful questions. I do appreciate it.
According to the creation account, God formed man from the dust of the ground (in His image) before he became a living soul. After He formed man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, then he became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). In my observation, when we die and the soul passes on, at that point it’s neither male nor female. When God created man, there was no question about what He was creating—a man, not a woman. Further, unquestionably, he was a man before he became a living soul. Also note from the account, it is man that was made in the image of God, not the woman. God woman created woman from the man (one of his ribs). When God formed and created the woman, He did so for a specific reason and a specific purpose. There was no doubt as to who was which.
If one’s mind doesn’t match their body as you mentioned, the first question to address is—why? If your body is physically one gender that is obviously what God intended as it was with the creation. Remember in both cases, (Adam and Eve) the body was formed and the gender was determined before it became a living soul. Likewise the gender of a fetus is determined before it is born. That is God’s, as you mentioned “true intention.” So if the mind doesn’t match the physical gender that is definitely an issue to be dealt with. To align our minds with our bodies puts us in alignment with God’s true intentions.
God is not the author of confusion and He doesn’t make mistakes. But because of man’s fall and subsequent sin, we all have to deal with imperfections of one kind or another. All of us are a work in progress. But God in His mercy and grace sent His Son, Jesus, and subsequently the Holy Spirit to deal with our imperfections. He has made a way for us to do this. Therefore we must overcome, and not merely accept them or attempt to change His will and original intentions to what we feel in our “minds” they should be. This is how we can, as you worded, “live in the way He created us.”
This issue of the mind brings up the point that the mind is the all important matter here. It is the crucial command center for the body and this is where so many of us are attacked. Many deceptions and conflicts occur in the mind.
I must say that this discussion is timely in that I’ve recently started a series of articles on this website regarding Spiritual Warfare which elaborates on this very issue.
As for being fruitful and multiplying, yes I do take this and all of Scripture literally unless it involves symbolism. But please understand that I do not condemn anybody. There is nothing in my article or anywhere on this website that does so. God’s original will when He made that command will always hold. But as I mentioned earlier, because of man’s sin and subsequent Adamic nature, imperfections came upon man and the creation. Therefore the issues you mentioned are the result of that condition. Individuals who are unable to reproduce for one reason or another, or are biologically intersex, etc. are all part of the imperfections we must bear. As far as transgender men freezing eggs and transgender women freezing sperm and afterward producing offspring is concerned, that substantiates the very fact that God’s original will cannot be changed, regardless of what our “minds” tell us. So, is transgender really the will of God?
As for your point on the number of sins, it really doesn’t matter how many or few times a sin is mentioned in the Scriptures, it is sin—sin is sin. Also note that the Scriptures make no allowances for our “feelings.” God knows our feelings; after all He created us.
To your point of ignoring sins: the phase in your statement “have decided to ignore” cements the fact that this is a choice. God has given us free will which was passed down from Adam and we must understand that there are consequences for every choice. There are passages in the Scriptures (available upon request) that contain examples, warnings and prophecies that have and will occur as a result of ignoring sins. Many of the events occurring in the world today are the result of “ignoring” sins and are contained in Biblical prophesy written and spoken hundreds of years prior. One thing important to consider concerning this: it’s not that the Bible hasn’t kept up with the times, but the times [“our core values”] has fallen from the Bible. There will be a price to pay.
It behooves us as individuals and our respective nations to adhere to the Scriptures and act accordingly.
You are welcome to respond.
Blessings!
Hi, no more essay style comments from me I’m afraid, I just wanted to thank you for your response. You raised some interesting points for me to consider.
You’re welcome E.C. feel free anytime!
Wow!
I never followed the bible or religion of any sort but surely any religion that excludes people because of their sexuality or gender (oh yes and that means transgender) really hold no weight in the world anymore.
I actually pity anyone that agrees with the ‘written word’ and if you are a friend of mine and agree then we are no longer friends.
I am proud to say I have four children one who is bisexual, one who is trans and two who identify as ‘normal’! Guess what. They are all happy. They all have morals and know right from wrong and they are all loved very much.
Who knows what that makes me and my husband. I don’t need a label and I certainly don’t have time for any of this rubbish!
Come on!
Remove yourself from my life. You won’t be missed!
Hi Tara – There is nothing in this article that excludes anybody from anything. How you and your family chose to live is your business. Thanks for commenting.
Have a blessed day!
Hello, I do follow the Bible and the word written down through the Holy Spirit. I agree with you on the word.
But so many forget to implement the part about, it is not our place to judge. Only God can pass judgment. We are to make the word known but never to condemn another for their actions. For if we love people God may use us to bring those to the word and the fold of Jesus Christ (salvation.)
If we judge, condemn and push transgenders away we will also be pushed away for leading one of his children astray.
I do commend your courage to stand by these strong beliefs. And I do not think you are condemning others but I needed to make my thoughts on this known.
Thank you
Laura
Hi Laura – Thanks so much for commenting! I agree with you, we are not to condemn or Judge transgenders or any other sinful actions. Sin is sin and we are all guilty in one form or another. [Romans 3:23] But we are to observe and address one another of our wrongful actions for the sake of restoring them according to the Word. [Galatians 6:1-2] All of us need correcting and restoring at some point (some more than others). Jesus came to save us but we are not to remain the same.
Have a Blessed Day!!