Thoughts? Maybe doubts?

[Tad]

Thanks I was getting that impression about Tekla, hehehehe. Though I welcome people's challenges. I enjoy being challenged in my faith as it offers oppurtinuties to hopefully learn, grow, and draw closer to God.

Anyhow Tammy. I get what your saying, and it's an argument that I've been trying to use as well with all of my condemning associates, however I often make it much more wordy. XD. I tend yo be wordy and somewhat confusing. Really I have met very few christisns that actually have an issue with trans - the only ones that do are the very conservative based ones like my bible college friends and the parents. Feel free to slog through if you want, though unnesseccary. The thread has evolved from a few of my own doubts, to dealing with the doubts of others. I think I liokrely repeat myself alot.

[Tammy Hope]

I wan to try to get through the comments from your study group and your friend at least (I believe i picked up that there ware some there) because I'm always sort of trying to have my antenna up for potential lines of attack so i can be ready for them.

[spacial]

No problem spacial. I was kinda cofused there.. still am, but it's fine.

If I can keep them I will, I'm not going to work overhard to do it though. If they are going to judge me, I can't see the reason as to why I would want to keep them as friends. Now if I felt there was some truth to their judgement (aka I was in the wrong with God) - I'd want to keep them around to help me get back on the right path, but I can't say that God has given me any sign or conviction that I'm in the wrong here so I will only put up with correspondance for so long before I let this go. Still I partly welcome their arguments in an attempt to perhaps see if I can find conviction, to see if my eyes will be opened to this as sin, I donno... I think it's just to make sure that I have thouroughly investigated my faith and stance on this matter? In essence, I'm trying to make myself vulnerable and open at every point, in case I've just been to calloused to see the truth, opening myself up for the voice of God in case he has more to say on the issue. However, with every correspondance, with every situation in life, all I can find is that I am more at peace on this issue; at Peace with God/He with me.

Thank you Tad.

Though we may be seeing slighly different scenery on some occasions, I am pleased that I seem to be walking, essentially, the same road as you.

I look at humans and don't see imperfections, just a remarkable difference between ourselves and other life. That we can think so tangently, metaphorically and hypothetically.

I revel in that uniqueness and try very hard to use it. The teachings of Jesus pointed the direction for me.

[Tad]

<3

[Tad]

Well I got another reply (from the last set of letters I posted).

I've let this sit for a couple of days hoping that I would find an appropriate response but I can't seem to find any that wouldn't turn it into an argument which I won't do. So as long as I am not abandoning you in your processing I'll refrain from responding to what you said. Hope your Christmas break is going well. Happy New Year! (name).

Not sure what this means. it's clear though that she's not in agreement, but that perhaps it comes down to interpretation of scriptures rather then anything else.

[ToriJo]

Not sure what this means. it's clear though that she's not in agreement, but that perhaps it comes down to interpretation of scriptures rather then anything else.

I'm guessing it means "I think you're wrong, but I can't explain why."  It's a pretty major shift for people to go from American selective fundamentalist-literalist Christianity to something a bit more consistent with less rules and more grace.

But at some point knowing that an argument is no longer productive isn't necessarily a bad thing on either of your parts.

[Tad]

Yeah, I wasn't ready to argue anyhow. However, Ikind of like the fact that she can't explain why she thinks it's wrong. Because it means I've caused her to stretch into some corner of her faith that she doesn't exactly know why. Perhaps in the long run it will be a favourable outcome for me.

[SarahM777]

Hello,
I also am a Christian that has go struggled through a lot of the same questions. Please bear with me because i will try tell you how the issue was finally resolved and i am now at peace with the answers that i got.
One of the problems that i had was that people will tell you what they believe is true through their own mindset. But no matter how hard i searched or spoke to others it never settled the question my heart and mind. It finally dawned on me i was asking the wrong question.The real question i needed to ask was it is true that i am trasgendered or not and how does God see me.
At this point i was reminded of what Jesus himself said You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. So what did this mean to me? I need to know the truth and how to go about finding out the truth. Could it be i was not asking the right person?
It was about this time that i was going through a study of Romans and we were going through chapter 8 and we had just gotten to verses 18-25 and it seemed like these verses jumped right off the page
Romans 18  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration not by its own choice,bu t by the will of the one who subjected it,in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
The four words in bold were the ones that stood out the most. (I think someone is trying to tell me something)
Ok i think i am being told something is not right with my body and it will be fixed.
It was at this point i was then reminded that Jesus also said He is the good shepherd and He knows His sheep and the sheep hear His voice and He calls them by name.
I am beginning to see a pattern here maybe i need to ask God what name He calls me by. Sounds a bit wierd but ok lets try asking and see where it leads.  I got the answer and it was not what i had thought it would be. Because i thought maybe it would be either my given name or the female version of my name. It was neither but it is female. He sees me as a woman not a man. If He sees me as a woman and not a man how then can it be a sin?
  But i do still have a problem as it is still subjective. I do need some confirmation that i am not hearing or seeing this wrong. Time after time He has brought others that have not known the situation and has confirmed to my mind and heart that it is true and i will be changed.  The one that totally confirmed it was through my niece whom i hadn't seen in years and was 10 years old at the time and looked at me and said you are going to be a girl. She did not know about this.
I know this sounds really off the wall but all i can say is it's a God thing as i can not explain it any other way.
All i can say at this point this is how i was gotten through this point in my life.  I hope that this can give you a different way of looking at it that may gives you the answers you are looking for.

[spacial]

Sarah.

Thank you. That was very revealing and interesting.

[Tad]

Just thought I'd mention that the friends backed off.. I have heard from them since - they haven't brought up anything about my GID. We've talked, and I guess my name and gender has just been avoided it seems as well as the whole GID topic.. which is okay. I wasn't expecting them to accept me as me, but it's nice to know they also aren't out there hating me now. Umm, dad started telling the relatives, I got emails from a few of them saying I was making a poor choice/sermons against homosexuality etc.. but saying they'd still love me because despite gender, I still am who I am and they love me for that. I'm going to a family wedding in a couple weeks.. and it'll be the first time seeing a lot of these people.. and I'm scared. I know they love me, but I also don't want awkward conversations at a wedding which is supposed to be happy. Umm.. job wise I'm unsure, I've been offered my old job back by a very conserative christian couple that is typically very unnaccepting of deviation for the summer, it's freaking good pay. My parents told them back in October, though I'm not sure what they told them.. I'm worried that if I take the job I might be subjected to having to talk about this and religion every day, however I'm also having no luck finding other work.. so it might be my only option. Had to come out to a few more christian friends because it turns out they were in my classes - and they are still my friends despite not agreeing with my lifestyle choices - they did nothing ti out me the whole semester which was great. hmmm.. oh religion. I've found a trans friendly church that I've attended when I've had time, and found inner peace on the whole religion front at least for now. However if I move baco the the parents to take the good paying old job, that means the old church - which I have no idea who knows and who doesn't now.. I'm sure the gossip chains been busy - they are baptist though they have taken a step or two to accept gay people (though no openly gay people attend the church).. so I donno... Run into a few other people here and there that think our kind is going to hell... but in general things are good. Got to love religion.

[Amazon D]

Hey tad bless you your going thru a lot right now. Know God is with you and well as long as you love God you will survive. Not sure what else to say hugs

[ToriJo]

Thanks for the update Tad.  Keep standing for truth (you know the truth of who you are) and I'm sure God will help you through this, whatever you decide.  Whatever you decide to do, taking care of yourself is essential.  And just living your life is going to change people.  Maybe only a few, but if your life makes it even a tiny bit better for the next person, you've done a great work by letting Christ's love work through you.

[justmeinoz]

Hypothetical situation you might want to run. 
Hypothetically you have terminal cancer that has spread to every part of your body from the neck down.

A medical breakthrough will allow you to survive by having your brain transplanted to the body of a person who died of a brain haemorrhage.  The only available donor happens to be of the opposite sex.  (You are still TS by the way.)

Would it be a sin to go ahead with the operation? 

If yes, why? how would it differ  from any other transplant?

If not? What's the difference between this and having SRS to save you from a possible early death at one's own hand in despair?

Would the answers be different if you were NOT TS? If so why?

Karen. I always like asking the hard ones!!