I've been athiest for 2 years but went to church all my life. Both of my parents are very religious and grew up in the church all their life.  Lately i've been thinking about God and being transgender but idk if the two even mix together.  Then i heard Rob Paterison say today that Transgender isn't like homosexuality and that it's very rare but real. (Not saying being gay isn't real). Even though i take what he says with a grain salt. The past week i was looking through the new itunes releases and then i say bethel, not knowing they were a christian band and played one of their new songs called "letting go". Even being the athiest the song hit me pretty hard. It was just so nice and nothing like i've ever heard before. I don't know what i'm feeling..    Sometimes i feel like maybe i should be christian again but then it hits me about being trans and thoughts of logic start sinking in too... Idk.. Has anyone felt this way before? And does the bible say about being trans?

Quote from: PrincessPatience on September 29, 2013, 02:34:49 AM
I've been athiest for 2 years but went to church all my life. Both of my parents are very religious and grew up in the church all their life.  Lately i've been thinking about God and being transgender but idk if the two even mix together.  Then i heard Rob Paterison say today that Transgender isn't like homosexuality and that it's very rare but real. (Not saying being gay isn't real). Even though i take what he says with a grain salt. The past week i was looking through the new itunes releases and then i say bethel, not knowing they were a christian band and played one of their new songs called "letting go". Even being the athiest the song hit me pretty hard. It was just so nice and nothing like i've ever heard before. I don't know what i'm feeling..    Sometimes i feel like maybe i should be christian again but then it hits me about being trans and thoughts of logic start sinking in too... Idk.. Has anyone felt this way before? And does the bible say about being trans?

I had the same feelings in the past about being trans but I realized that the Bible, in all honesty, doesn't condemn transsexualism. Not once. And being transsexual does not mean you are homosexual.

The only two remotely condemning verses to trans people ( which isn't actually talking about trans people and I can give you an in depth explanation about each if you want ) are Deuteronomy 22:5 and Deuteronomy 23:1. Guess what is significant about that? They are in the Old Testament. Therefore old law. As Christians we are not bound to the old law because of Christs sacrifice on the cross. There is no New Testament verse condemning being transsexual. It is possible that the New Testament has verses the condemn homosexuality, but the modern translations have been so misconstrued on some of those verses due to prejudice, I'll be honest, I'm not even sure that it does. And anyways like I said, being transgender does not make you a homosexual.

I hope this helped, I can go more in depth on my points if you want. Feel free to ask. If there's a particular verse that worries you go ahead and let me know and I'll look into it

EDIT: Out of curiosity, why did you leave the Christian faith? Were you told that being trans was a sin, or was it just a personal decision? If you we're "pushed out of the church" by hateful and judgmental people that know next to nothing about trans issues and just threw a few verses at you without actually looking into them, then let me just say that those people are easily countered. If you do end up going back to church, don't go in blindly, arm yourself with bible verses and information that people can't dispute. The fact of the matter is if you are prepared for an intelligent debate with a hateful bigot ( or even just an uneducated and misguided person ), you should have no problem showing that you are right and they are wrong. They might not admit that they are wrong, but they surely won't have an intelligent point to fall back on.

Being transgender and Christian is totally possible as many people here, including myself, are both.  It's funny you mention *Pat* Robertson because I just got finished watching that clip where he was talking about transgender not being a sin.  Ar far as music, sometimes there are some tracks that touch us for some unknown reason.  A few years ago I listened to Skillet and was just so touched by their music but I didn't know why.  I later found out they were a Christian band so I can relate to you in that sense.  It could have just been the voices or the music or lyrics.

The closest thing to transgender in the Bible is the discussion of eunuchs, which are spoken favorably of.  I think you might find the website transchristians.org very heelpful and resourceful on ->-bleeped-<- and the Bible.

For my part, I'm very much a "cafeteria Christian." Basically, I go with the commands of Christ and disregard anything attributed to the prophets and patriarchs who came before and the disciples and modern-day preachers who came after if those words are against how I interpret the Golden Rule and the Great Commandment.

I regularly attend a UCC church, the same church I've been attending off and on since 1988. I started transitioning in 2011. So, I'm totally out to the congregation as trans, and I'm welcomed nonetheless.

I never even considered that being trans and Christian were somehow in compatible. Given that there are two out-of-the-closet lesbian pastors at my church, I no longer fret over being queer and Christian too.

I've just found this topic.

The church I belonged to for over 30 years threw me out on the basis of one verse in the Old Testament: "A man shall not wear [a specific womans garment] and that which pertains to a man shall not be put upon a woman".  Their logic was that they don't acknowledge the existance of trans-gender people, so I was a cross dresser.  I understand many modern Rabbis would paraphrase this verse as "A man shall not disguise himself as a woman (to dodge military service), and you shall not forcibly enlist a woman".  I would support retaining that ruling.

Another thing taught in that church was that God will not tolerate being mocked.  I have had lunch with a leader of that church who has recounted seeing a man struck dead on the spot for doing so.  This came very forcibly to my mind the first time I attended communion as myself.  Well, I take communion and I'm still here.

Another thing they taught was thet God doesn't make mistakes.  They could see my body was male, so that was how I was supposed to be.  They couldn't see my mind, so anything I said about it was a lie.  I still believe the first part - God doesn't make mistakes.  I don't know why I'm a woman in what was a male body, but there must be some good reason.

The church I now belong to (United Reformed) is variable but in my town is very accepting.  I joined it as male and then transitioned.  Within a month I had been put on the rota for serving coffee after morning service, and asked if I wanted to be one of the women who do the food for special occasions.  As someone else said, you know you are accepted when they find you a job to do.

Good for you that you are having conflicted thoughts about your spirituality and its source of focus in your life.  The people who have no conflicts, are the ones that give us the most grief and the ones with the narrowest views of life that contain little room for wonder and exploration.  I attend a mainline Christian denomination that does not lock itself into Bible literalism or inerrancy, and in fact the errors that are numerous are the jumping off places for true spiritual adventure should one care to follow them.  In addition, I also hold to two other lines of spirituality that do not conflict with each other or with the Christianity (as I accept it) and there are elements of each that affect my inner being and which can be called up by music, poetry or just some essays or heaven help us, news stories. 

Do not fear your confilcted or even contradictory thoughts, because they will help you take a truly marvelous journey into yourself.

Princes, may I suggest you read the following scripture text and take them to heart because they tell of what is required to be a child of God, nothing more than this is needed to be a follower of Christ.
   
From my understanding also, there is nothing in scripture in regards to being trans. The full meaning and purpose of scripture is contained in the great command. 

1 John 4:8
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 Cor 13:2-8
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,endures all things.8 Love never ends.

Matt22:34-40
The Great Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it:You shall love your neighbour as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

May God bless you and guide you in your search of Him,

Talitha.

Quote from: PrincessPatience on September 29, 2013, 02:34:49 AM
I've been athiest for 2 years but went to church all my life. Both of my parents are very religious and grew up in the church all their life.  Lately i've been thinking about God and being transgender but idk if the two even mix together.  Then i heard Rob Paterison say today that Transgender isn't like homosexuality and that it's very rare but real. (Not saying being gay isn't real). Even though i take what he says with a grain salt. The past week i was looking through the new itunes releases and then i say bethel, not knowing they were a christian band and played one of their new songs called "letting go". Even being the athiest the song hit me pretty hard. It was just so nice and nothing like i've ever heard before. I don't know what i'm feeling..    Sometimes i feel like maybe i should be christian again but then it hits me about being trans and thoughts of logic start sinking in too... Idk.. Has anyone felt this way before? And does the bible say about being trans?

The first step is understanding that we are simply a human under a very large powerful force.Can we say how HE sets someones path or lays out the way? Can we say how someone is born,regardless if its in body/mind/heart and soul?

It says nothing about being Trans* and i on a personal level learned that this IS a path God has for me.I believe personally that i suffered for many years for a reason,had children and know the path to child birth,raising a child (and losing said child),the emotional rollercoaster that woman go through,their needs and desires/dreams and fantasies and now face new challenges but i know in the end,he will see that im ready and i WILL transition.There will never be a better man for a woman then a Transman because they HAVE been there.I say follow what your feeling,go to him on a personal level and ask for direction-ask him to show what he *might* be trying to tell you.Did you know that the very angels are both male and female? they embody power but comfort,a firm hand but a soft embrace,they are the perfect being.Why? because they know compassion but also how to punish in a loving manner.And i would rather be like an angel in design,then a pure cold-heartless human being.