Chastity (Chaz) Bono, Transsexuality and the Church
By Laurie Higgins, Director of IFI's DSA, Illinois Family Institute
Chastity Bono's publicist announced that Chastity is pursuing a "sex change." Chastity, as everyone knows, is the only daughter of Cher and the deceased Sonny Bono. Many years ago, Chastity made the decision to embrace homosexuality, and as of March, she has begun the process of "changing sexes."
Of course, rational people realize that changing one's name, cross-dressing, ingesting hormones naturally produced by the opposite sex, and electively amputating healthy parts of one's sexual anatomy don't really change one's biological sex. The emperor was really wearing no clothes, and Chastity, who has assumed the moniker "Chaz," will always really be a woman.
It's utterly confounding that society en masse believes or pretends to believe that "transgenderism" reflects a real phenomenon of people actually trapped in the wrong body rather than a profound disruption in the development of a secure and proper sexual identity. Doctors who perform such surgeries are engaging in medical malpractice and violating the increasingly meaningless and antiquated Hippocratic Oath.
Governments and governmental bodies like departments of motor vehicles that permit people to formally change their sex on legal documents collude in fraud.
And friends, family members, schools, and churches that participate in the sexual confusion of "transgenders" lack both wisdom and compassion.
Someone who demonstrates both the wisdom and compassion so sorely needed in this time so suffused with sexual sin and the suffering it entails is Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also serves as a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
He has written an important and compelling document on how the church should respond to those who have had the woefully misnamed "sex reassignment surgery." Unfortunately, this issue will increasingly affect the church as society increasingly affirms sexual confusion. I should clarify that it is unfortunate that the phenomenon of transgenderism is increasing, but it will be a good thing if those who experience such torment someday find themselves in the pews of a Bible-believing church where they can experience the forgiveness and healing that comes from submission to Christ. The church needs to be ready and waiting for them with open arms.
Please read Dr. Moore's important document, send it to all the church leaders you know, and pray that Chastity Bono never has the surgery.
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I am also transgender and was considering doing sex reassignment surgery. I was brought up in the church and I have bible front to back many times and studied the word of god. I have yet to find anywhere in the bible to say it is a sin to have sex reassignment surgery. The people of the church are followers of christ not judges of other people.
My decision to change my outward appearance and to possibly change my sex organ is no one's business but mine. No child in america will watch Chaz on tv and want to become a transgender. This is a long tedious journey and very difficult. Leave the judging to Christ and follow his rules of loving one another not condemnation of your fellow brothers or sisters.
Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is not contagious and not entered into without much internal thought. I have prayed to my god and We have no problem about what I have done so why do other church folk have such a difficult time accepting me.
I cannot be judged by any man or woman on earth since we all have sinned and come short of the glory of god. I am so busy living my own life and I have no time to judge others. I find that the ones doing most of the judging of others have the most secrets and lies to hide.
GOD IS LOVE AND LOVE IS FOR EVERYONE
toni d newman
Just tossing this out there for fun.
By cursory glance the plastic surgery industry is a 13-15 billion dollar industry. Assuming as is often quoted, 78% of Americans are religious. If one applied the dogma that god 's creatures are perfect or "good" then theists would not have this type of elective surgery (please allow me that I understand that not all plastic surgery is elective). So, only 12% of the U.S. population are responsible for a 13 to 15 billion dollar industry. I'm willing to wager that not's the case.
So in keeping with this argument, it's ok for the theists to have their nose shaped, their thighs sucked, their boobs enlarged, but not their sex changed. Only for the sake of debate, what is the line in the sand?
There are really, really specific rules in my religion about how to change your body. No piercings, tattoos, etc. Judaism is tough on this, and it's possible that's where Christians get their ideas on that. The paradox is, despite us being not supposed to infringe on what is considered a perfect creation of G-d, and thus committing blasphemy, every Jewish male goes through a procedure that is...well, not a HUGE change, but certainly noticeable.
it's not a huge change. That particular tradition really caught on across the religious lines. When I was born, it was done to me. The thinking was it was more sanitary. And oddly enough, the thinking still is the same. I know this because when my son was born, he had it done to him. When I was asked whether he would have it done or not, there wasn't even a thought process on my part. It was an ingrained normality. Im not really ever going to kick my self in the ass over it, but when I think about it now I am a little remiss that I didn't consider it more. Or at least learn more about it. It's just such a normal thing in our society to do. I never even once thought about it being a religious custom, but a health custom. Hopefully, he will never wake up one day and be pissed at old dad here over it.
You are, of course, right in the odd paradox. The Briss (no offense intended if I am saying that wrong, or shouldn't say it or whatnot) does seem to be a bit strange as a religious rite.
The Bris isn't just a ritual for the baby. It's a test for the parents. See, the idea is that you have to be somewhat tough to be a parent, you have to know when to help and when to let them stand on their own. There needs to be some degree of hard-heartedness to be an effective parent. So, the idea is that if you can give your child to this guy that you don't know, watch and trust the guy enough to take a little bit off of your child, and not rush to the child's defense, punching out the moyl who's conducting the bris, and escaping by swinging on a chandelier (actually, that would be pretty cool) you'll be a good parent.
perspective on the Briss, and one that I have never heard. It's difficult to accept that rite for someone that cannot place a religious significance on it. I only mean that in the sense that the baby is already eight days old and I have to imagine he is not particularly enjoying that ceremony. So to an outsider who doesn't feel the mandate from a god to carry this out, it's seems rather barbaric. Please note that I am in no way passing any judgement, just observation.
"My Bris? Oh, yeah, it was traumatic! Afterwards, I couldn't walk or talk for a year!"
It's not too bad. The baby doesn't cry any longer than usual, most of the time. They give you wine first.
"They give you wine first". At least that explains how more parents can tolerate it.
Why are you worried about transgenderism increasing? Are you afraid they’re going to take over the world? He,he.
be less on the personal attacks, more on the keeping things civil, yeah?