Mon 25 Feb 2008
I’ve been reading The Chronicles of Narnia to the two older boys at night before bed. We started with The Magician’s Nephew and are currently reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. We just read the section in which the White Witch is about to kill Edmund before his immediate rescue. The Witch and her dwarf escape by masking themselves to look like a tree stump and a boulder and Lewis notes that this was one of the Witch’s powers, “making things look like they’re not.” This, of course, is one of Satan’s tricks. He does not create, he distorts, fooling us into thinking things are as they are not.
Overcoming this, of course requires discernment; all the more important and difficult when the heartstrings become involved, as of course, they often are. Discerning truth never occurs in a vacuum and it nearly always involves people. It is a difficult thing to stand for Truth knowing that someone might feel hurt in the process. But Truth is no respecter of mere feelings. Truth is Truth whether it makes us “feel” good or not.
All of this came to mind as I read a recent article in the February 2008 issue of Christianity Today. The article, entitled “The Transgender Moment,” told the tale of John (Julie) and Joanne Nemecek. According to the piece,
John Nemecek struggled with gender confusion from early childhood. Marrying at age 21 didn’t change that confusion. Neither did raising three sons - all of whom are themselves now happily married. Four years ago, Nemecek’s Internet search of a medical site matched the symptoms he exhibited: gender identity disorder (GID). ‘It was an awesome experience to realize something I’d been dealing with all my life had a name,’ Nemecek says. A therapist, endocrinologist, and a counselor all later confirmed the diagnosis.
Nemececk began taking female hormones in 2004 but will not undergo sex reassignment surgery and recently celebrated his 35th anniversary with his wife Joanne. As a result of his decisions, Nemecek lost his job at Spring Arbor University, a Free Methodist affiliated school and has stepped down from serving as an elder where he also served as occasional pulpit supply. At a news conference covering his firing, Nemecek was quoted as saying:
Should I deny my head, heart, and soul to live according to what others think of my body? I cannot do that and live a life of Christian integrity.
Elsewhere, Nemecek has been quoted as saying “This is something that’s in you from the womb.” The not-so-subtle implication, of course, is that this is the way he was born and to try and force him to live any differently (i.e. as a man) is simply unloving and outright discriminatory. Nemecek now works as an independent consultant on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
Nemecek’s story is a sad one. I can’t imagine what it must be like to go through life confused about one’s gender and the inner turmoil that must cause. Then, to gather what one thinks is the courage to act on that confusion, only to be ostracized by the world and rejected (or so one feels) by a church community one thought was based on love. Surely there is much heartbreak in this and other stories just like it. But let’s be clear, this is not about emotions; it is not about our sympathy towards Nemecek.
We see that “transgender” advocates realize that this is about more than our sympathy. The movement has closely aligned itself, as we see with Nemecek’s current role, with the gay, lesbian and bisexual “rights” movements. This is not about sympathy, it is about people seeking to redefine the boundaries God has set for His creation.
Nemecek argues from is to ought. He believes he should be able to change genders, therefore, it’s what God allows and even condones. Notice the absolute subjective nature of his arguments: “Should I deny my head, heart, and soul . . . ” He then labels this as “Christian conscience,” but it is anything but; it is a person seeking to redefine what God has set in place. The move to redefine marriage is perhaps more public, but this is nothing less than a push to redefine gender, not by God’s standards, but man’s.
I haven’t looked, but I doubt it would take long to find stories of people who said that they felt gay from birth, or felt attracted to children or animals. Pardon my bluntness, but I hope you see my point. Nemecek asks if he should deny “head, heart, soul,” as if these internal weathervanes are indicators of Truth. Yes, he is to deny these things because these things are blowing about in the winds of sin and his emotions have taken place of God’s Word.
God, of course created male and female with distinctive roles (Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:22-33, etc.) for each. Our feelings, and even our confusion, no matter how sincere they might feel, do not change these realities. Because of sin, even our discernment is defective (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9, etc.) and our emotions are certainly no better off.
Evangelicals must be both sensitive and bold. While we ought to hurt with Nemecek, we must also assert that his confusion is a result of sin rather than “God’s mistake” in assigning gender (granted, Nemecek did not use these words, but his actions betray the belief). As awkward as it might initially seem, the unloving thing would be to encourage him in his current pursuits. As believers in Truth, we must understand that our lives are called to align to God’s standards, not the other way around. We are not free to redefine things as we see fit. Whether marriage or gender.
we must speak with sensitivity, but we must speak the Truth (Ephesians 4:15). We must recognize that emotions run high in such situations, but we must also assert that the issue is not emotion, no matter how high.
on 25 Feb 2008 at 8:39 am 1.Julie Nemecek said …
Are all diagnosed medical conditions sin or just Gender Identity Disorder? Or is my sin following the only standards of care that have proven successful? Since transitioning, my worship has become more precious, my prayer life more intimate, and life itself more celebrative of God’s goodness. God sees me as the woman I am and has comforted me as His daughter. I am at peace with Him.
It is sad that some only see a black and white world where God created a rainbow of differences for His glory. Looking for sin, they overlook the love and grace of God that proclaims “no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”
on 25 Feb 2008 at 10:09 am 2.Arni Zachariassen said …
You refer to Genesis, but you seem to forget the far reaching effects Genesis says the fall into sin had. Chapter 3 suggests that the fall didn’t only affect humans, spiritually and physically, but even the animals and nature in general. Why can’t gender be confused by sin, in the sense that people are born the wrong gender? And why can’t we, in light of Christ’s redemptive work, seek to overcome that sin?
on 25 Feb 2008 at 10:27 am 3.Brent said …
John,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, consider and respond. Anyone can see that these issues have been the cause of much consternation for you and anyone can see that you are quite sincere. But Nadab and Abihu were also sincere in their so-called worship, weren’t they (Leviticus 10:1-3)? Your sincerity is no indicator of Truth.
In a sense, in between the Fall and consummated glory, all medical conditions are the result of sin. Not necessarily your sin (think of the man born blind in John 9:1-3), but sin’s affects on creation itself (Genesis 3, Romans 8:18-25), for we know that the day will come when indeed, all things are made new, and sickness will be no more, including yours (Revelation 21:3-5). Your sin was not your confusion but thwarting God’s created order.
Pardon my exegetical liberties, but your life now says “Peace, when there is no peace” (Ezekiel 13:10) and you have answered back to God, saying to the Potter, why did you make me as you did (Romans 9:20-26). I must humbly ask you if you believe that God made a mistake in your original gender assignment.
In your instance, “bearing your cross” to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24) does not mean bearing ridicule and scorn for your choices, but denying your selfish desires for “self-fulfillment,” dying to yourself and joyfully submitting to God’s created order for your life.
I don’t write these things to judge you, but to humbly ask that you see how your current choices do not honor God as He has revealed Himself in Creation and Word.
on 25 Feb 2008 at 11:04 am 4.Brandi said …
Brent,
I read daily but never post a comment. Our Pastor spoke of “giving thanks” yesterday at our service and I wanted to give thanks to you for sharing the TRUTH — always. I read and know that you have discernment for the Word of God and I appreciate your lack of fear in sharing what the Word of God says to us. So thank you for posting on your blog. It makes me think and helps give me even more knowledge and reason to further dive into the Word of God.
Sincerely,
Brandi from Virginia
on 25 Feb 2008 at 3:51 pm 5.Jessie Stimpson said …
I like that Brent brought up the verses from Jeremiah about saying “peace, peace,” where there really is no peace. I’ve heard many people who come out of a divorce and say they feel “peace” about it or who have sex outside of marriage because they say they prayed to God about it and “felt peace,” that God was saying it’s ok for them. 2 Timothy 4:3 says that a time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine, but will find “teachers” who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear.
I have no doubt that John (Julie) has prayed about this issue, but when one hears an answer that goes against the bible, it seems they are not likely hearing from God, but from some other source. I think it is loving and compassionate when another Christian confronts such “sin” in gentleness and love. Like it has been said, it is not our duty to sit back and judge this man, but to guide him to the truth and the love of God’s freedom.
Some folks reading may not buy into this, but there is something we crazy charismatics call “deliverance.” Whatever you want to call it, if there is something tormenting you and you cannot get free, do what Jesus did and cast the devil out of you and be free!
on 25 Feb 2008 at 9:10 pm 6.Allyson said …
I wonder…at the eschaton, when all things are made new and “medical conditions” are a thing of the past, will the transgender person’s body be healed to match the mind, or will the mind be healed to match the body?
The answer matters, I think.
on 26 Feb 2008 at 5:16 am 7.Marti Abernathey said …
This train of thought is exactly why Christianity is becoming more and more irrelevant every day. The truth is that Christ judges one by the heart, not the law.
I tend to look at things from the perspective of Christ.
I was in the evangelical community from the time I was born till I was in my mid thirties. I’ve been in the transgender community for 7 years. I say this without equivocation, I’ve found more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness in the transgender community, than I ever did in my decades in the evangelical community.
And you have no reason to judge transgender people, unless they are in your church (1 Corinthians 5:12)
I’ll leave you with the words of Christ:
on 26 Feb 2008 at 9:47 am 8.Brent said …
Of course you feel more “accepted” by the transgender community. They’re telling you everything is fine while the church will not. But that neither makes the church unloving or irrelevant. Surely we tell our children when they are wrong because we love them. Is that judging? Is that mean-spirited? Does that lack the fruits of the Spirit? Being loving does not mean patting unrepentant sinners on the back telling them God loves them just the way they are.
Imagine you were running full-speed towards a cliff while I was running alongside you shouting and pleading with you to you to stop and save yourself. Meanwhile, someone else begins running along the other side of you, holding your hand and telling you not to listen because I’m just being judgmental and I don’t want you to truly be happy. Who is more loving? The one who makes you feel better about your journey or the one hoping to save you from destruction?
You quote enough Scripture to surely understand that you misrepresent the “transition from Law unto grace,” as if now, it doesn’t matter how we live as long as we love and accept. The Law has not suddently disappeared. In fact, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17) and in fact, heightened it in many ways, saying it is the one who keeps His commandments that is truly His (Matthew 5:19, Luke 11:28, etc.) and in fact, the day will come when some who feel that they are His will be told to depart from Him (Matthew 7:23).
Does 1 Corinthians 5:12 mean that we cannot ever call sin sin unless someone is a member of our local church? As much as we might wish it were otherwise, your sincerity and desire for acceptance do not nullify God’s Law or created order.
We must be careful not to equate being accepting with being “Christ-like.” We must also be careful not to equate speaking the truth in love with bigotry. Yes, this is difficult in such an emotionally charged issue, but that means it becomes all the more important.
on 26 Feb 2008 at 11:44 am 9.stellewriter said …
Every ten minutes a child is born, 1/2500, in which the doctor cannot determine the sex, or gender. These children are Intersex; they are born into a life of not male or female. Likewise in similar fashion the Transsexual is identified with a Bioneurological congenital condition they too are locked into something not quite so clearly defined as male, or female. The best we can do is live as close to what we seem to believe we are. That may preclude the wants, and often ignorant and bigoted beliefs of others. In what case do we ignore this issue and abandon the children who now cannot hide? How can anyone continue in hate and prejudice so as to deny simple equality and justice? It is either time for change and understanding, or simply wheedle out the transgender element as inhuman and adopt the final solution as Hitler visualized? Not an easy thing to resolve, but one that is present and will not go away.
on 26 Feb 2008 at 3:32 pm 10.Just Jennifer said …
Okay, this is as good a place to start as any. There is considerable evidence that the condition known as transsexualism, or to use a new term, Harry Benjamin Syndrome, is the result of hormone imbalances during fetal development. Now, this is not at all unlike the condition known as intersex or disorders of sexual development. In fact, I would argue that HBS is a form of intersex. You see, the brain is sexually differentiated, just like the body. In some cases, this can result in a child who has some abiguity in the genitals. Or, in extreme cases, primarily the one known as Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, you have a child who is XY who has female genitals, and a female brain. In another words, a naturally born equivalent of a post-op female to male transsexual.
Now, you speak of “thwarting” God’s created order. Okay, let’s assume for a minute, as the evidence clearly indicates, that a person who is HBS is born that way. The only know medical treatment is to use hormones and surgery to allow the person to live a normal life. You seem to think this is sin. Okay, I had a nephew who was born with a horrible birth defect. His parents had this corrected with numerous surgeries. By your logic, they thwarted God’s creative order.
You ask, does Julie believe that God made a mistake in her “gender assignment?” How often we hear this asked of transsexuals. Or, it is put in the form of a statement, “God doesn’t make mistakes!” Again, if that is so, then what of my nephew? Was he meant to be horribly disfigured? Was it wrong to correct the way he was born? Of course not! Does God make mistakes? No, of course not! But God does allow them to occur. And I thank God that He gave doctors the wisdom to help people such as Julie and myself.
Let me begin by saying that I do not identify as transgender. That is an artificial, social/political construct that has no objective meaning. It is used as an umbrella term for a wide range of behaviors.
No, the Church may not be unloving, but I believe many churches are quite ignorant on this subject. Unlike Abernathy, who has a history of expressing rather harsh disdain for Christians, I myself, am a devout Christian. I grew up in the South during a time when it was not uncommon for many Christians to express what can only be called racist sentiments. They would tell you, with absolute certainty, that their position was based on the Bible. They would tell you that the Bible clearly taught that certain people were inferior, and that races should not mix. Now, those same people will tell you today that they have repented of that sin, and that they were clearly wrong.
There is nothing in the Bible that directly, and objectively, teaches that those with HBS should not seek treatment. I myself prayed for “healing” for many years. Finally, in desperation, I cried out to God, saying “What? Do you want me to be a woman?” The answer came back clearly, “Yes, my beloved child, you finally understand.”
I would ask that you actually study this subject more. In the very rare cases that can be classified as HBS, or true transsexualism, the only treatment is hormones and surgery. There has never been a single, documented case of a person actually being cured by any other means. The brain is sexually differentiated just as the body is. Medical science can correct the body, but at present, cannot correct the brain. I searched in vain for such a cure. To say to a person with HBS, “Just be a man!” or “Just be a woman!” is no more reasonable than telling someone who was born a normal woman, or man, to be the opposite. And it is just a cruel.
Please, beware the leaven of the Pharisees, who placed blind orthodoxy above charity. You may not understand someone like Julie, or myself, but do not presume to tell us that we are wrong without being able to actually prove that we are from Scripture.
Yes, God created male and female. And then creation fell, and that is where we are. If I am wrong, then God will restore me to being a man when I am reach Heaven. If not, then I will be a woman for all of eternity. But for the moment, I seek to live as the woman I believe God wants me to be.
on 28 Feb 2008 at 4:54 pm 11.Alan Wilkerson said …
I want to say thanks to Just Jennifer. I pastor a small urban/innercity mainline church. We are one of those denominations going through the wringer on the issue of gay ordination and I am on the very evangelical side of the debate.
That’s been said to preface the fact that we have a transgendered,Transexual, person worshiping with us who has tried marriage and having kids and hormone therapy. We’ve been a very caring community for him/her and are in the process of learning to use him, his and he rather than female pronouns.
Is his issue physical, mental, emotional, or whatever? I don’t really know but I do know that he isn’t seeking to change sexes so that he can be part of a political or gay group. He is struggling with this and the rejection he’s had in the past and we’re walking through it with him.
Alan
on 02 Mar 2008 at 4:19 pm 12.Just Jennifer said …
Hi Alan,
That is a wonderful testimony to Christian love. Yes, one who goes through this will often face horrible rejection. But your acceptance will go a long ways towards helping him get on with his life.
Jennifer
on 02 Mar 2008 at 6:16 pm 13.Euphranor said …
Jennifer,
I find your comments interesting. I am new to this topic, so indulge an admittedly naive question:
If someone had XY DNA, female genitalia, and a female brain as described in the above dilemna, why would this person want gender reassignment surgery? Wouldn’t this person’s female brain prefer female genitalia?
I like the idea of DNA grounding one’s sexuality, so to speak. However, I am confused; if the brain is sexually differentiated as you say (and I have no reason to doubt this claim), how can someone “think” they should be a gender other than that which they are mentally inclined?
As an illustration, if I found out that I had female DNA (being an otherwise heterosexual male) I assume I would reject the idea of a gender reasignment surgery because having a male brain means I think of myself as a male. I could understand wanting surgery if I had male DNA and a male brain but female genitalia. This would be a position I think most evangelicals could support because testing DNA would confirm the persons mental inclinations twords a sex different then their genitalia. However, when the DNA and genitalia are male and the brain female, how do we confirm the person is “actually” female other than the person considering themselves female, which strikes many as uncomfortably subjective. The strength of your argument seems to be that their are times when gender reasigment surgery can be corrective.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Thanks,
Euphranor
on 08 Mar 2008 at 10:27 am 14.Zoe Brain said …
You know, it’s a funny thing: I’ve met many people who have urged transsexual people to “bear the thorn in the flesh” and to “dedicate their suffering to God’. Yet not one of them has ever had a toothache, and borne it with fortitude as their personal cross. They’ve all gone to Dentists. Every. Single. One. Many wear glasses too. Fancy that.
Euphranor, I’ll try to answer your questions. Firstly, chromosomes are not infallibly reliable. That’s why the International Olympic Committee stopped gene testing - too many people were failing. There were too many 46xy (male) women who had actually given birth, and too many 46xx (female) men who had fathered children. And all too many people were either 47xxy, or mixes of 46xx, 46xy, 45x, and/or 47xxy.
People with either the 5ARD or 17BHDD mutations all look female at birth. But those with 46xy chromosomes get an apparent natural sex change between the ages of 15 and 25.
Right now, you’re right: the situation regarding diagnosis of transsexuality is “uncomfortably subjective”. But not as much as you might think. All major medical conditions have ’standards of care’ SOCs - set procedures for diagnosis and treatment that have been proven to be the best available, and transsexuality is no exception. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH)’s SOC is now in version 6. It requires a 3-month observation by a trained mental health professional before administration of hormones, then a period of not less than one year of the patient living in the target gender before surgery can be authorised. Even then, it requires another clinician, this time a post-doctoral specialist in the area, to review the case and sign-off, putting his professional reputation on the line each time he does so.
The diagnostic success rate is well over 95%, anc compares very favourably with the diagnostic success rates of conditions such as myocardial infaction or diabetes.
Functional MRI scans - “brain scans” - show promise as useful diagnostic tools in the future.
Original at ArzteZeitung, peer reviewed translation from the German and critique here
From the Deakin Law Review detailing “Significant findings of Justice Richard Chisholm in respect of the expert medical evidence in that case as to the causation of transsexualism and as strongly affirmed by the Full Court on appeal”
Then there’s my own case.
In 1985, as the result of a brief physical examination and some simple androgen studies at a Fertility Clinic, I was diagnosed as an “undervirilised male”. In 2005, as the result of very extensive examination. MRI and Ultrasound scans, blood tests and a karyotype, the tests triggered by some spectacular and rapid somatic changes, the formal diagnosis was changed to “severe androgenisation of a non-pregnant woman”.
Rather than being a mildly intersexed male, it was decided that I was better described as a very intersexed female. The terms ‘male’ and ‘female’ are problematic in such circumstances, where chromosomes, soma, and psychology don’t match. They are approximations. For what it’s worth, I’ve had the unshakeable conviction that I should have had a female body since early childhood. Objectively, I went from looking like a middle-aged, overweight ex-Rugby player who could not possibly be mistaken for a woman, to a rather frumpy and plain middle-aged woman who couldn’t possibly be mistaken for a man - and in just 3 months. The metabolic chaos nearly killed me of course, and I lost a third of my body mass. My endocrine system has now settled down to something appoaching a female norm.
neither I nor anyone else have been unable to detect any psychological differentiation between my own situation and that of “standard model” late-transitioning transexual women. This strongly suggests a biological causation for them too. The fact that my own transition was due to natural causes rather than external therapeutic measures appears irrelevant.
on 10 Mar 2008 at 10:19 am 15.Virginian said …
I don’t trust any reported feelings of “this feels right” because it’s too easy for people to talk themselves into things. I have, for instance, known of a preacher who used to pray with his secretary just before taking her to bed. It’s all too easy to say “God is love so anything goes”.
On the other hand, I don’t trust feelings that “this feels wrong” either–I personally don’t much care for alcohol and wouldn’t mind if no one ever got drunk again, but to say that drinking is sinful (”alcohol is the devil in liquid form”, as my Baptist friend puts it) is going beyond what Scripture says. It’s all too easy to be the Pharisee who puts his own tradition above the actual Word, leaving the beaten man to hope that there’s a Samaritan coming.
Julie, if you’re still reading this, let me make sure I understand your position. You’re saying that:
a) your GID condition was congenital and therefore a result of sin only in the sense of Original Sin and fallen creation, not in sense that you caused it
b) medical treatment is a valid means of correcting the problem, just as it would be if you’d had cancer, birth defect, Siamese twin, etc
c) best medical treatment in this case is hormones and surgery? I haven’t looked into this but if the cause if physiological, then I assume psychological therapy is not going to help any more than it would for, say, grand mal?
on 10 Mar 2008 at 11:36 am 16.Just Jennifer said …
Sorry to be so long getting back to this, but I have been rather busy.
I have never heard of such a person undgergoing sex reassignment surgery (gender reassignment surgery is misnomer, as no surgery is known that can change one’s gender) because, as you say, their female brain prefers having female genitalia.
To be honest, this one is a mystery to me as well, but anyone who has spent any time dealing with people who are “transgender” (as opposed to those who are HBS or transsexual) will have observed people who are very obviously that way. In many cases, these people have a fetish and are motivated by sexual desire. In other cases, they seem to simply be looking for some way to rebel against society. And still others seem to simply think being “transgender” is a cool thing to be.
Well, you have to remember that sexual differentiation starts with DNA but actually is controlled by hormones. That is why some people have genitalia that is contrary to their DNA, and other have a brain that is at odds with their genitalia. Now, you raise an issue that causes a lot of problems for doctors who treat people who have HBS. Unfortunately, at present, there is no physical testing available that can objectively confirm the diagnosis. The best that can be done is to have the person undergo examination by a therapist who is trained in these matters. And even then, some people slip through for whom the surgery is not a good idea. I do believe that standards need to be tightened, but the surgery is necessary in specific cases.
It is possible, with ongoing research, that a physical test may eventually be developed. But that is still a ways down the road.
on 10 Mar 2008 at 8:36 pm 17.Brent said …
It seems that the issue sort of peeking its head out from under the rug throughout this conversation is also one’s biblical understanding of the issue of homosexuality.
on 11 Mar 2008 at 9:42 am 18.Just Jennifer said …
Actually, no, since sexual orientation is separate from gender. Some HBS women go on to be lesbians. That is, they are born male, have surgery, and then find a female partner. So yes, in that case, they would be homosexual. On the other hand, many HBS women are attracted to male partners, and after surgery find someone to marry. And there has even been at least one case where someone, after surgery, took vows of chastity and celibacy and entered a religious order.
The thing you have to remember about homosexuality is that a person who is homosexual wishes to be with a person of the same sex, who they see as a member of the same sex, and who sees them as a member of the same sex. Obviously, this is not the case when someone is HBS or transsexual.
on 21 Mar 2008 at 10:38 am 19.Gender and Easter - Southern Seminary Blog Roundup | Said at Southern Seminary said …
[...] Thomas mourns the concept of Gender Identity Disorder, and winds up having carefully to engage professing transsexuals in the [...]