Bible Question

[Amazon D]

One thing. God loves everyone He created. We are His creation and He loves us unconditionally. When describing His love for us if you look up the word love that it uses in that context it is Agape. That means unconditional love. That means that no matter what we do, He will love us. It also says that no one sin is worse than another, and we all sin everyday, He just wants us to repent. It is awesome, that He loves us no matter what. It says He knows the amount of hairs on our head, which means he knows everything about us. If you are trans and you like girls then He knows that and He created you that way and still loves you, so dont let anyone else tell you otherwise.

DITTO

MICHAEL HAS IT RIGHT

[ToriJo]

A lot of xtians cherry pick the bible to feel loved, fee superior (to the heathens), judge others (all the time), and a lot use the bible to justify and defend bigotry. They will read a passage that tells them to stone their children for talking back and skip that one but go for the 'hate homosexuals' and use that.

I've seen the same thing, as a Christian.  I don't understand it, either, but it does seem to be quite common - but I hope you know that not everyone who calls themselves a Christian does this kind of garbage.  Unfortunately, most Christians do not use a consistent standard when reading the Bible (well, consistent to an outside observer who doesn't share identical biases, anyhow) and pick what they think fits their bias, missing the whole point.

For instance, Romans has a huge point about "you're no better than the other people", which everything in the book supports, yet people will read Romans 1 and think Paul was saying homosexuality was wrong.  He wasn't.  He was saying, essentially, "YOU think 'these people' are horrible because they do this and this and this (which includes some sort of sex act the people he was writing to thought was wrong, and is translated/mistranslated today as 'homosexuals')."  I can imagine the self-righteous shaking their heads saying, "Yep, Paul's really laying into them!  Good!"  Then Paul says, "And you're condemned to hell for judging them."  He goes through the book comparing and contrasting Jew and Gentile, explaining that neither is better than the other.  Yet, people ignore all that and focus on Romans 1 and end up drawing exactly the opposite conclusion than the book itself draws - but it fits their bias, so it must be right...too often, our biases are how we judge things (myself included).

(disclaimer, since it appears necessary: Maybe I'm wrong, that's fine - I'm only stating my beliefs and opinions, anyone else is welcome to theirs; I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it was 'right' just as I suspect nobody else here is saying things they think are wrong.  But that doesn't mean I am close minded towards alternatives, simply that I haven't yet been convinced otherwise)

[SarahM777]

What is very sad for me is that i believe that a lot of people who claim to be Christian miss one very major point that was suppose to be evident as a sign that they were follows of Jesus. He was quoted as saying "They will know you are my disciples by the love you have one for another" and Paul also wrote that the evidences would be the fruits of love,joy,peace,patience,goodness, kindness,gentleness,faithfulness and self control. But way to often they are lacking.

[VeryGnawty]

A lot of xtians cherry pick the bible to feel loved, fee superior (to the heathens), judge others (all the time), and a lot use the bible to justify and defend bigotry. They will read a passage that tells them to stone their children for talking back and skip that one but go for the 'hate homosexuals' and use that.

The Bible is designed to be cherry-picked.  Virtually everything in the Bible is contradicted somewhere else in the Bible, sometimes even in the same book.  This is why I got out of making Biblical arguments a long time ago.  It's impossible to tell what the Bible is actually promoting.

[justmeinoz]

Basically, don't  get too hung up on the whole thing. 

If you believe in God, then you ,by inference, have to believe that he knows you inside out, and understands you totally, so can't be pissed off.

Anyone who says,"The Bible says that...", is mistaken.  Books don't talk ( yes, Tekla I know there are audio books    ), what they should say is, "The following is written in this particular edition of the Bible, and I (or Pastor X, or the Pope etc)  interpret it to mean ...".

So, unless they have a direct line to the Almighty, their opinion is no more valid than your own.
And anyone who claims God talks to them directly and personally, as a Prophet, is really a candidate for the Psych Ward.

[spacial]

The Bible is designed to be cherry-picked.  Virtually everything in the Bible is contradicted somewhere else in the Bible, sometimes even in the same book.  This is why I got out of making Biblical arguments a long time ago.  It's impossible to tell what the Bible is actually promoting.

With respect, only because of the way you read it.

Most of the Old Testament is historical narritive. It covers a long period when situations changed repeatedly. Even the most devout Jews don't try to adheir to it all.

But for Christians, the Old Testament is for historical reference. We follow the teachings of Jesus, which are very different.

For me, personally, I take the teachings of Jesus to be paramount. Anything that appears later is, for me, just local opinion.

But it's important to be aware of those that claim Biblical justification while saying things that contradict Jesus.

However many references someone can come up with to justify, killing, hatred, adultry, judging each other or public displays of worship, these contradict Jesus.

[tekla]

Even the most devout Jews don't try to adheir to it all.

See: Hasidic culture and Lubavitch movement.

[Christy Edwards]

I too am a Christian, and the best way is trust His Grace and know He is a wonderful understanding God...

[Tamaki]

Disclaimer; I'm not Chirstian and have a very different view of god than most people. I did study theology for a year and a half (not what it sounds like and that doesn't make me any kind of expert). The following is strictly my opinion.

technically, wouldn't it be God's mistake for putting you in the wrong body?

[begin preachiness]

I don't believe god makes mistakes, that is a human trait. I don't feel like a mistake and I don't believe I'm a mistake.

I am the way I am, made the way I was meant to be made (if you believe that kind of thing). God has given me a great gift; to live at and experience both ends of the gender spectrum and I am a better person for it. There is suffering in all of life (that's the buddhist in me) not just because I'm transsexual but because I'm human and I'm alive.

God has given us something wonderful, there's no way it's a mistake.

[end preachiness]

rar - thank you much. My siblings are very religious and this will be helpful when I come out to them.

[Julie Marie]

Who wrote the Bible?  Man or God?

From what source did you derive your answers to the above?  God or man?

If you were raised Buddhist, would you have the identical belief systems as Christians?

What will happen to those raised in different faiths?  Will God punish them for not being Christian?

Remember, history tells us Christianity conquered.  And that didn't happen because it was the religion of God or a really attractive choice.  People were pressured, harassed, persecuted, tortured and killed in that conquest.  Conquest as in war.  Does anyone with a reasonable mind think God created all those people who have suffered in that conquest with intent they will be crushed for the benefit of Christianity?

God in heaven: "Let's see I'll make 10,000 people to be placed on the rack, 8,500 to be put into the whirligig, a whole bunch for burning at the stake all in my name and glory.  And these people here will carry out my will.  Sounds like a GREAT plan!"

I kinda doubt it.

[Amazon D]

God is love and love is god so let us make a resting place in our heart for God / Love

[Michael Joseph]

God is love and love is god so let us make a resting place in our heart for God / Love

amen

[tekla]

A bigname scientist was giving a lecture on astronomy. After the lecture, an elderly lady came up and told the scientist that he had it all wrong. 'The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist asked "And what is the turtle standing on?"

To which the lady triumphantly replied: "You're very clever, young man, but it's no use -- it's turtles all the way down."

[Joelene9]

Even if it does not mention TS by name this passage of St. Matthew 19:12  had always had me intrigued. Jesus says:
"For there are some eunuchs, which were born from their mother's womb: and there are some enunchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." KJV.
This passage gives me some hope of being accepted into God's kingdom. We as TG's mostly fit into the third cause Jesus mentioned of being an eunuch. We do things like HRT, orchies, surgeries, etc to remove or supress the function of the male organ that would define one as an eunuch.  Some of those eunuchs at that time did form the female secondary characteristics and lived as females. 

I believe there are some rules we must follow:
1) God is the Lord:  God does not make mistakes. Keep your faith in God.
2) God gives us each challenges in our lives, what we do with them we have to follow God's rules.
3) If we that are born males want to be women, we shall follow the biblical and your government rules regarding women.

I don't usually dwell on this passage, I'm too busy debunking some other's interpretation or theories of the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation! These two are dangerous territory!
Joelene.

[Debra]

I always refer people to this site with questions about Transsexuality and Christianity.

People will use all kinds of parts of the bible and throw them at you to say why being TS is wrong but this site has all the rebuttals and they make quite a lot of good sense:

http://www.transchristians.org/

[spacial]

Even the most devout Jews don't try to adheir to it all.

See: Hasidic culture and Lubavitch movement.

With respect, to you and to these two, undoubtedly find groups, they are not following everything. Some may argue they aren't following any of it.

[xxUltraModLadyxx]

No human can speak the mind of God.  This is the greatest sin.  Therefore they are totally wrong.  But they say they speak for God.  They would have a front row seat in hell.

that's completely right. if we're supposed to believe that god makes no mistakes, why bother with anything?

[Joelene9]

Thanks, Jerica for that link.
It confirms on some of the data on other well-known transwomen I usually gotten from the printed word (books, newspapers, etc.).
It also has more updated autobios than what I found on the internet these past 2 years. Some are missing, either the link is bad, dropped or the author changed her web address. A lot of good debunking on this site. Most of her explanations about God and ->-bleeped-<- follows closely to what I believe in. The same bible passages as well. Thanks again and God bless.
Joelene

[Vicky]

I just read where a new version of the Bible is coming out in a day or two here in the US, with "confusing words" or words that have changed meaning over the last twenty year being modified.  I am mildly concerned about who were the main force behind this version, but it does point out a very common problem in taking your religion "Only from the Bible"  I have over thirty different versions of the Bible on my bookshelf, or in digital format.  I am also a lector in my church who reads the Old Testament and or the Epistles aloud during the principal worship services on Sundays and other feast days. In reading the passages aloud, I impart some of my own biases just by how I intone the words and punctualtion.  The Bible is a good friend that I do listen to, but its not a replacement for ALL of the other books that I own that deal with more of society and how we as humans fit together in known verbal and written history and in history derived from the studies of archeology and anthropology.  None of the people whose ideas began the making of the Bible could in any way see what we would be like today and the ideas behind their words are not the same as we have today for those same words.  We can put a date on when the word "Transsexual" was coined, and its less than two centuries old, it would not have been a familiar concept to Abraham or Melchizadek, and definitely not to Adam.  Neither would it have been known to any of the "church fathers" who influenced the canon that would beccome the Bible from all the scriptures known in the first 4 centuries of Christianity.  We still see people today who will proclaim that space flight is an affront to the power of God, but the Bible did not portend the Challenger disaster twenty years ago, and maybe they are true to what the original story telliers/priests/shamans would think about space flight, but that was yesterday, a good many of them ago.  I know my transgender state is not listed in the Bible, and so it does say nothing. An old friend though just whispered to me "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:.... (Ecclesiastes 3).  Thats a scripture you could make a hit song from, (they did in the 60's)  I am here, I am transgendered, tomorrow the sun will be shining here in So CAL which is not in the Bible either.   

[Julie Marie]

I own one copy of the bible.  It's over 60 years old and the cover is pretty tattered, but that's not from me reading it.  It's a family heirloom.  That's why I keep it.

Even without the bible guiding me through my life, I have managed to do pretty well.  I haven't ever intentionally harmed another person.  I am thoughtful, considerate and kind.  I enjoy helping people and like putting a smile on their face.  If the (Wo)Man In The Sky were to come down and assess my life, I think (s)he'd say I did a pretty good job of treating his creations well.

And I did all of that without once using the bible as a guide for living.  I'd say that's pretty amazing, considering how some people say you're going to hell if you don't heed the words of the bible.  But I know I'm not so special.  The majority of people I know have done the very same thing.