Christians are clueless on transgender issues: Here’s some food for thought - Se

[stephaniec]

Christians are clueless on transgender issues: Here's some food for thought

http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2015/11/11/christians-are-clueless-on-transgender-issues-heres-some-food-for-thought/

RNS News Service/Jonathan Merritt | Nov 11, 2015

"In the American culture wars, almost anything can become fodder for a fight. Even bathrooms have become battlegrounds.

In Houston, Texas, an "equal rights ordinance" failed to garner the votes it needed last Tuesday. The controversial legislation sought to ban discrimination based on more than a dozen classes of people, including gender identity and sexual orientation. It was dubbed the "bathroom bill" because critics said it would to offer any person access to a public bathroom whether intended for men or women. At issue, according to supporters was protection for a particular kind of citizen: transgender people"

[Deborah]

That was a good article.  Maybe it will get through to a few.


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[traci_k]

Well thought out and written article. Maybe some Christians DO have a clue.

[RobynD]

Good article and i think many churches are embracing inclusion and diversity. At a time when people are becoming less religious, the writing is on the wall.

The ones that are reactionary do not Focus on the message of your central character, Christ instead they focus on "culture wars and our team is better than your team, watch us gain an advantage on you and turn back the clock to a time and society that never actually existed "

They struggle with not being the "cool" people anymore, boy do they struggle with that. That is horrifically fearful to them. Christ of course told them they would always not be the cool the people. The pharisees were pretty cool, look where that got them in about 70 AD.

[bmapwv]

... they focus on "culture wars and our team is better than your team, ...

It is a hazard of religions that have "them" (unbelievers) and "us" (the chosen people). After a while "them" and "us" get applied a bit more widely to anyone different in any way.

[BeverlyAnn]

Our church in Atlanta has for at least 25 years been welcoming for all GLBT people and was the first church in the Presbytery to ordain two openly transgender people as Elders.  Erin Swenson was our Parish Associate for a number of years and Atlanta Gender Explorations met at our church for a long time.  In their wisdom the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta came to us and announced our church will be closed as of Easter Sunday.  Of course the committee that decided to close us was mostly made up of Ministers and Elders from the conservative churches in the Presbytery.  My wife is a serving Elder in our church and said she almost asked at one of the meetings where the transgender Presbyterians were supposed to find an accepting church.  I told her I wish she had just to see what they said.

[Shana-chan]

I did not like this article and here's why.

1. Mark clearly at one point is stating his belief that trans people are not who we say we are. It's how he worded things that gave this away and I doubt I misunderstood.

2. For what it's supposed to be about, it offers NO ANSWERS and simply is asking people to read the article and think for themselves but many religious people especially Christians don't do that. This is further proved by that last statement Mark said when asked, boy, what a thing to say to a trans person, I can't imagine many of us would be willing or want to be asked to tell our life's story let alone all the personal details of the gender we were perceived as but aren't. This Mark guy ticks me off, so does this article.

3. I forget but there is a 3rd one.