Psychologists and sociologists speak of “the gender assigned” at birth. Gender assigned at birth. According to Psychology Dictionary, “gender”refers to the classification of an infant at birth by parents, nurse or doctors as either male or female. To be more accurate, I suggest the word recognized instead of assigned, since “assigned” can mean “chose”.
I also suggest sex would be more accurate than gender. Why? Because, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s second definition for gender is “the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex.” At birth gender can’t be assigned or even recognized; gender is developed over time.
So why “gender assigned”. I think it’s a great Republican conspiracy! Not really. I suspect that gender is used instead of sex to make gender reassignment or transgenderism appear natural or normal. “Gender reassignment”—you’ve heard of that, right? And of “transgender”?
Merriam-Webster defines “transgender” as “of, relating to, or being a person (as a transsexual or transvestite) who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person’s sex at birth.” Or we might say a transgender person is one born male, but at some point “identifies” with female. Thus the person may dress female or even undergo what used to be called “a sex-change operation”, but is now euphemistically called “gender reassignment surgery.”
Bruce Jenner is a case in point. He is now Caitlyn Jenner. As far as I can discover, no surgery—just hormones and dresses and hair styles and make-up, along with cheers from the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer (LBGTQ) community for his/her courage.
Because we’re hearing more about this, I thought we should consider what a biblical worldview would say about it. The first two texts at least imply intentionality on God’s part. That is, he intentionally created “man” male and female.
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).
He created them male and female and blessed them.
And when they were created,
he called them “man” (Genesis 5:2).
This third text, the wonderful poetic prayer of Psalm 139, virtually makes the implicit explicit . . .
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:13-16).
Certainly God’s “knitting me together” included my biological sex as well as the color of my eyes. Therefore, logic demands that “gender reassignment surgery” (which is actually sex-change surgery, since surgery cannot change my “behavioral, cultural or psychological traits”) is contrary to God’s will.
In view of the Scriptures above, encouraging either my taste for pornography or for female-ness is wrong. I need God’s help to overcome what is contrary to the good he wants for me. What follows is an important article from the American College of Pediatricians.
American College of Pediatricians Say ‘Gender Ideology’ Is Child Abuse
The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is urging educators and legislators to reject all policies that condition children to believe that identifying with a gender other than their biological one is beneficial.
Dr. Michelle A. Cretella, president of ACPeds, vice president Dr. Quentin Van Meter, and pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Paul McHigh write that adopting these policies is harmful to a child’s well-being and is child abuse.
The organizations of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals derail claims that a child can be born as the wrong gender by citing eight reasons why “gender ideology” instead of treatment is harmful.
“The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female,” they state. “No one is born with a gender. Everyone is born with a biological sex.”
The group explains that no one is born aware of their gender. It is a sociological and psychological concept that develops over time but it does not negate your biological sex.
“People who identify as “feeling like the opposite sex” or “somewhere in between” do not comprise a third sex. They remain biological men or biological women.”
“A person’s belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking,” they added.
“When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such,” they explain.
The organization also states that prescribing chemical drugs and surgical procedures to stop the physical changes that happen during puberty can damage children.
“Children who use puberty blockers to impersonate the opposite sex will require cross-sex hormones in late adolescence. Cross-sex hormones are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke and cancer.”
ACPeds says that suicide rates are 20 times higher for those who use cross-sex hormones and that 98 percent of boys and 88 percent of girls eventually accept the reality of who they were born to be.
“Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse,” they said.
* * *
In a world awash in “sex” of all sorts, I hope this sharpens our biblical worldview.
so we can see this societal development through God’s eyes,
and respond to it God’s way.
(You may also wish to read these “N.Y. Times” columnists—http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-same-sex-sinners.html & http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/opinion/sunday/the-republicans-gay-freakout.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Ffrank-bruni&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection. (They’re not friendly!)
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