I have often asked myself, why churches condemn transsexual people so with pleasure? Why they preach hate on transgendered people instead of charity don't? Why they treat transsexual people as a 2nd class citizen and why they destroy families?
I was a member of the LDS, and can consider only from this point of view at these questions. Others can act from the point of view of their (former?) church.
I own a copy of "Church Handbook of Instructions" from 1999 which is determined only for leaders of the Mormons. Simple Mormons will never see it. I will cite a little later something from it.
Nevertheless, before I would like to point out to the fact that Mormons treat transsexuality less than two different questions:
* If somebody is a member of the church, and wants to carry out then the gender change, or
* If somebody has already come as a ready operated person to the church.
Then their whole behavior lines up.
Transsexual Mormons:I use this word for the Mormons who discover during their membership that they are transsexual. The handbook of instructions says about them:
QuoteTranssexual Operation
Church leaders counsel against elective transsexual operations. If a member is contemplating such an operation, a presiding officer should inform him of this counsel and advise him that the operation may be cause for formal Church discipline. Bishops refer questions on specific cases to the stake president. He may direct questions to the Office of the First Presidency if necessary. (Page 95)
QuoteRecords with Annotations
In areas where the First Presidency has given authorization, an annotation may be placed on the record of a member whose conduct has threatened the well-being of other persons or of the Church. An annotation helps the bishop protect Church members and others from such individuals. When a bishop receives an annotated membership record, he should follow the instructions in the annotation.
Church headquarters will automatically annotate a person's membership record when the stake president or bishop:
1. Submits a Report of Church Disciplinary Action showing that the person was
disciplined for incest, sexual offense against or serious physical abuse of a child, plural
marriage, an elective transsexual operation, repeated homosexual activities (by adults), or embezzlement of Church funds or property. (Page 128)
Interesting, that in the eye of the LDS cult, transsexuality is the same as child abuse)
Non-members with transsexual past before their baptism:Quote: Persons Who Are Considering or Have Undergone a Transsexual Operation
Persons who are considering an elective transsexual operation should not be baptized. Persons who have already undergone an elective transsexual operation may be baptized if they are otherwise found worthy in an interview with the mission president or a priesthood leader he assigns. Such persons may not receive the priesthood or a temple recommend. (Page 26)
Let me once again summarize:Members are
excommunicated immediately if they want to undergone a surgery. The non-members who stand before this decision
mayn't be baptized. And though non-members who have already gone this step can be baptized after many talks about their "worthiness",
but get neither the priesthood (FtM), nor a temple recommend. And just these both things are important in the "theology" of the Mormons. Without priesthood they is no eternal progress and without temple visit also. "celestial kingdom" is closed for ever for transsexual people. And therefore they are 2nd class citizen.
In all books of the Mormons whom I had read and I have read many, I have never experienced the reason for it, why Mormons think so. "We are against it", seems to be the only comment they have had. However, why, I never learned.
Thus I was made make to myself own thoughts. I can fancythe following theories:
Pre-existence theory:Mormons think that they lived as "a spirit being", before they came on earth. And which we were already almost ready there.That the color of our skin and our gender was determined. . Now my thesis says that Mormons think that a gender, or the gender role, for ever is prescribed and is unchangeable. With it( they contradict the scientific knowledge.
Fear of homosexuality theory:Mormons are afraid of homosexual at which they look as "a role breaker" which want to destroy the mormon patriarchal order. And it isn't about it, according to my theory, which women become men, and get the rights of men. Including to the right to marry a woman in the temple.
Ignorance theory:According to this theory Mormons don't know, and don't want to know also it what means gender really, and which it contains more than only the "MALE-FEMALE matter".
What do you think about that? How is the situation in your churches? And, have you counted because of the behavior towards the church?