If God loves me, why did he make me like this?

[Natasha]

If God loves me, why did he make me like this?

http://tamarracherrie.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/religion/
9/29/2008

I can't seem to get my mind around that. I was taught that God is incapable to making mistakes. If God is incapable to making mistakes then why would God create me with a inborn flaw that I cannot wish away and that I have to suffer through daily. Why would God in effect, breathe life into a vessel that was broken prior to conception? What possible purpose would God have in creating a man or woman whose gender or sexual desire falls so far outside the norm that the only life they can live comfortably is a life that both he and many of his children see as an abomination? I was taught to believe that God loves all of his children. Why would he choose to torture any of us in this way either directly or indirectly?

[Nicky]

Poor soul.

[The Bri Girl]

Hi Natasha,
     I can't answer your question for you of course, but I can tell you how I feel.  I sat down and wrote myself a list of exactly what a God I could believe in would be like, all the things he would and could do, and all the things he couldn't, or wouldn't.  Afterwards, I acted as if my vision of God was real.  I came to believe in God as a good guy, and a friend.  Now I get help through hard times with this spiritual vision.  For me, I accept there is some kind of reason for me to be in this body, in this place, in this time.  Maybe I'm here with a male body because my ex-wife needed me in that role for a while, maybe so I would learn about being a man, I've come up with whole lists why God might have put me here this way.  I have faith.  Not certainty, but a doubting kind of faith.  I'm willing to believe in a loving, caring higher power who is a friendly person, sometimes female, sometimes male, sometimes old, and sometimes young.  He can stretch over boundaries, and I can too.
Hugs, Bri

[sarahb]

...because there is no god.

If people have to come up with this list of attributes that a god would/should have in their mind, then why can't people believe that thousands of years ago that's just what other humans did to start this whole notion of a god? It strikes me as odd that people believe so strongly in this notion of a god, and yet they themselves are practically making up the definition of this god on the spot. Others who believe in the word of the bible do the same thing even though they apparently get their "knowledge" of god through his own divine words. Ask any one of them to tell you they wholeheartedly believe in every aspect of the bible, every single word in it, and they'll likely falter at points. A lot of the punishments for some of the sins is death. Some of these same "sins" are thought of today as ridiculous. But how can you believe in god and the holy word of the bible if you only believe in the parts of it. It is god's own words isn't it? No. It's other people's words and just like today if you talk to anyone on the street, some ideas you'll have in common and some ideas you won't.

[Arch]

Jeez. It's religion. It doesn't have to make sense. I hate to be insensitive, but WHEN are people going to figure this out?

[lisagurl]

We are born with the code of DNA. It assembles the genes and all the cells. Each person is a little different but has some of the same codes as do animals but less so. These formations that genes make create the chemicals that regulate the brain. Some of these chemical reactions make us feel things like déjà vu and also so spirituality. How we handle these thoughts in the brain is a product of experience and education. Not everyone has the same intensity or number of these occurrences due to their physical makeup.

[The Bri Girl]

     I don't think it matters who or what higher power you put "faith" into.  The mythology you create about your "God" of choice, or any of that.  Of course the bible isn't literal historical truth, it's a longwinded argument about man's need for something "out there" that loves and protects us and helps us get on with other people.  And frankly it's a redacted mess of a document anyway.  I do think that the human mind finds strength and comfort that generates hope for the future and power to weather tough times, through the exercise of religion and belief.  I think it's a good thing until it's carried so far that it becomes dogmatic and you feel a need to convince others you your superior understanding, and beat them senseless if they don't agree.  That's a problem.

     I do like the saying at our church; When Jesus said "love thy neighbor", I think he meant 'don't kill them'.

Anyhow, My Christian/Buddhist faith works for me.  Your milage may vary.
I'd say that if you see some kind of faith out there that piques your interest, try it for thirty days, if you don't like it, ask for a refund.  If nothing else, you might meet some cool supportive people.  If Christianity is your bag, try reading "Pastor, I'm Gay" by Howard Bess.  It offers something a little different for us in the LGBT community.  I think it's positive and compassionate, and inspiring.  I'm biased of course, it helped me save my sanity and life when I was locked up in API.  If you want to read it, and can't find a copy feel free to email me, be happy to send you mine".

[Alyssa M.]

It's not God's concern for humanity that worries me, but humanity's concern for humanity.

Most if not all of the suffering I experience around gender is not the fault of God (or fate or chance or science or whatever you want to blame) but of people (starting with myself) who have trouble accepting and loving me for who I am.

[The Bri Girl]

I heard that Sister!
    People is what it's all about.  Good and Evil are actions, people are the agents.  I honestly believe kindness, compassion, and helping others, treating them with fairness and humanity, this is the test of a believer/faithy/moral/ethical/or principled type person.  When you go judging and denying, lying, and hurting, then how can you claim to be following worthy principles?

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

It's been my sad experience that the two commandments Jesus is said to have actually promulgatged "Love thy god with all thy heart mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself",  are replaced with Levitican prescriptions in most modern Churches.

"I like your Christ, It's your Christians I do not like"
                                             - Gandhi



Posted on: October 03, 2008, 08:40:26 pm     I guess, looking over at the link above like I should have done, I just don't think of being transgendered as being a flaw.  Does the "Big G" make mistakes?  How would I know? I imagine he does.  I think of him as a fireman, running around trying to shape the consequences and results of our decisions into something good, just to have us screw it up again before he's even finished.   I just accept that I am not a mistake.  I figure I'm here, the way I am, for some good reason.  Now that may well not be true, but it gives me comfort and I can work with it.  To my mind being viscious, mean, nasty, discriminatory, unjust- these are abominable things, not your body and mind and expressions of love.
     I'm not a broken vessel.  I am an expression of the glory and variety of life.  I think the reason I felt like crap about myself sometimes, is that people, unhealthy and wrong people, taught me to feel like crap.  I don't see that as God's doing, or the Universe's, it's just the natural consequence of free will.  If people have power of choice in their lives, then they have the power to be wrong, or stupid, or whatever negative you choose, and inflict it on others. 
-Brianne

[vanessalaw]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. As a transgendered girl, why would God curse me like this. As I thought more though, I realized how being transgendered had changed me. I think I've become more tolerant, more loving and more accepting of others. I see it as a gift from God, because He wanted to shape me in His image - of love and acceptance.

I pray that I can live out the gift God had given me.
Some more details in my blog post here:
Crossdressing has made me more human

[cindianna_jones]

I think that we want to make god in our own image.  I've been through the religious grinder. Those of you who know me or read my book know that it was a very difficult experience.

For those willing to take a step away from the religious experience and look at some of the theories of evolution, you may find some answers and comfort.  You don't need to give up your faith to do so.  You may find a way to include the scientific perspective into your faith.

Life is "perfect" in that it learns to adapt.  We are only piece of that life that is adapting. We are part of the learning process of our species.  We are special because of our differences.  We are not like everybody else.

Thanks for the link Natasha.  It was a good read.

Chin up!

Cindi

[vanessalaw]

Hey Cindi,

I can appreciate that all to often religious folks try to deny science, believing that it threatens their faith. They've done this for centuries, claiming the earth was the center of the solar system, and most recently trying to attack the theory of evolution. This is disappointing to me, as this holds us back from increasing our understanding of life and the universe.

Personally I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, but I cannot reject the objective and studied conclusions that science reaches (the fact that organisms adapt being one of them). In fact the pursuit of scientific truth often leads to improvements in our standard of living. As one example, the life expectancy of countries that embrace modern medicine rises dramatically. Whereas many of the theocracies in the world today are poor and technologically backward.

One thing you said that I do have a hard time with, is that science can offer comfort. I don't think this is a task for science, and I think it does a poor job of it. If I feel that my life is meaningless amidst a timeless universe, I can turn to God for comfort, I can take comfort in the time I have on this earth with friends and family, I can even take some small measure of comfort at excelling in my chosen field. Precise and objective measurements of how the world offer knowledge, but seem cold compared to the embrace of a loved one (spiritual or otherwise).

I know we've drifted into a sensitive subject, please take my comments as I mean them - in the spirit of friendly discussion and sharing of opinions.

Hugs,
Vanessa

[cindianna_jones]

Vanessa,  I completely understand how you feel from your excellent post.  We all find our own comfort levels... at least we strive to do so.  I have true empathy to those who can not find that space.  It is difficult to live a life of guilt and sadness.

Cindi

[vanessalaw]

Yes - especially the guilt of feeling who you are is wrong or somehow not good enough.

Have a great weekend.

[cindianna_jones]

Yes - especially the guilt of feeling who you are is wrong or somehow not good enough.

Have a great weekend.

Few of us ever truly find it.  Even though I have a wonderful life, I do flirt with depression from time to time.  I still worry about some of my physical features.  That's just how it is.

Cindi

[joannatsf]

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours
But I think that god's got a sick sense of humor
And when I die I expect to find him laughing!   

[lisagurl]

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours
But I think that god's got a sick sense of humor
And when I die I expect to find him laughing!   

I have been accused of not having a sense of humor. But when it comes to religion, empathy, beliefs and emotions I find people incredibility funny.