A:

Thanks for your note to us here at TruthBook. You asked: In what way is transgender a deterrent to Christianity?

God is no respecter of persons; to him, all of his children stand on a equal footing insofar as spiritual potential and portential for eternal life. If being transdenger is frowned upon by the Christian churches, it is unfortunate. I confess that I am not completely current with Christian thought concerning the issues of gender identity in its many forms. But if there is a bias against people of that persuasion I can say that this bias is the opposite of what I believe about Jesus and how he treated people. If the churches that bear his name are intolerant of people who find themselves in this situation, then they are not, it would seem, following the Master.

Said Jesus:

138:4.2 : “All men are my brothers. My Father in heaven does not despise any creature of our making. The kingdom of heaven is open to all men and women. No man may close the door of mercy in the face of any hungry soul who may seek to gain an entrance thereto. We will sit at meat with all who desire to hear of the kingdom. As our Father in heaven looks down upon men, they are all alike. Refuse not therefore to break bread with Pharisee or sinner, Sadducee or publican, Roman or Jew, rich or poor, free or bond. The door of the kingdom is wide open for all who desire to know the truth and to find God.”

Jesus does not mention physical characteristic here, only those who wish “to know the truth and to find God.” Our physical characteristics, our sexual preferences…it seems to me that these are not important in an eternal sense; only our love for God and our love for one another is what will survive with us when we die. And so, any church’s negative emphasis on these things, without acknowledging one’s spiritual status, seems shortsighted and unkind. I do not believe Jesus would act that way. But remember, Christianity is a man-made religion – an evolutionary religion that may contain many aspects that do not line up with the ideals of Jesus, unfortunately.

Then you ask: What is the motive or purpose of a transgender?

I am no expert on this subject, but my understanding of transgender people is that they are born as one gender, but feel in their hearts, in their inner being – that they are the opposite gender. In years past, someone in that situation would be forced to live out their life feeling out of place and not genuinely who they knew themselves to be; now, in this age, when all sorts of behaviors are being brought out into the open, people who are transgender are feeling more free to be themselves and live as the gender they want to be. I suspect their motive is much the same as anyone’s motive in life: to be happy, to love and be loved, to feel genuine and “right” on the inside. Again, I am no expert, but that is my take on it.

Thanks again for your note to us; I hope that my reply is helpful to you.