Why is it that when I was 11-13 and wanted "cured" of being transgender, and devoted every second I could to finding God and begging him "cure" me, he never did?

I mean literally, every second... I was once the most religious person I knew, I was so concerned with God a lot of people thought I was making it up, but I really wasn't. I read the Bible at school, all I talked about was God and Jesus, and etc. And this went on for months, not days or weeks, before I gave up after feeling nothing different... None of my questions were answered, none of my "sinful" feelings left, and I disregarded the warm and fuzzy feeling I got from god as the placebo that it is.

If God wanted to save me from the hell he created for me in case I acted upon the desires he instilled in me, why didn't he take that golden opportunity?

God's timing is not our timing.  If God gave us everything we ask for, when we want it, then there would be no need for faith.  There would be no growing in God.  No maturing in His faith and continued longing to know Him.  We would never learn patience, perserverance, hope, and we would have no understanding or empathy for others that struggle.  I have found that, if God lingers in His answers, it's for my best.  It's for my growth and to increase my faith.  God does hear our prayers, knows our struggles, and at the right time, He answers.  As it says in Isaiah 40:31
"But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings, like eagles.  They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."  The hard part....learning how to wait on the Lord. 

Hi Scarlett

There are not easy answers to your question of where was God.  Number one I wish we could have a long bible study and I would show you clearly that you are not living in sin.  Maybe that's your first answer, if you were he would have changed you or shown you what to do to bring it to pass.  He did not.  Therefore secondly you are not going to hell.  Think about the scriptures you did study, they reveal Jesus' character.  Would the one you read about who went about doing good and teaching and revealing God's character to mankind just thow someone in hell over something he did not have the power to change.  Going to hell or not in the Christian bible is based on your faith and belief in who he was, what he did, repenting of our sin like nature and calling on him as our Lord and savior.  There is the key, not your life style, gender or anything like that.

I guess that's it for now.  Go back to seeking him and leave your tg issues out of it.  He is God and could have changed you but choose not.  Now find out what you can do for him and learn to rest and trust in him.  You will feel a whole lot better about everything, even joyful in who you are
and beyond that joyful knowing he is with you and loves you to pieces.

Veronica

Becuse he doesent exist sweetheart.

here have a cigarette with me. lol.

I asked my aunt, a Minister in the Uniting Church, much the same question.. Her reply was 'God has long since ceased taking an interest in earthly matters.. And it would seem his appointed representative has quite the sense of humour.'

Make of that what you will..

Quote from: kelly_aus on November 04, 2011, 08:03:09 PM
I asked my aunt, a Minister in the Uniting Church, much the same question.. Her reply was 'God has long since ceased taking an interest in earthly matters.. And it would seem his appointed representative has quite the sense of humour.'

Make of that what you will..

Lmao, I fell off my chair laughing at that one

There's a falsehood spread everyday. No winter, God is very real!

That invalid statement is quite familiar. It goes, "God won't give you more than you can handle".

Over the course of my life I have found this to be entirely untrue.

God gives us all more than one alone can handle. That way we talk about them with others. The funny thing is after talking to others. I find that my problems aren't so bad after all.

God seems to have this nasty habit of making the suffering in life a riddle with no clear answers and no discernible clues. Humankind is constantly plagued with horrendous diseases, genocides, mental disorders, birth defects, birth in the wrong body, and so forth. There's no shortage of misery and evil in this world. Christianity offers no solid, clearly defined answer to the question "Whence cometh evil?" except original sin. The only alternative I've seen is that these things happen for the sake of experience and growth, and that answer seems shaky to me. A woman gives birth to ten stillborn children so she can learn a lesson about empathy and become emotionally strong? I cannot accept that answer. That's like teaching a kid not to bully other kids by beating him up on a daily basis for a year.

To be frank, I have long since stopped giving a damn why the world is the way it is. All I am concerned with is fixing the problems of this world and my own problems while I'm at it. I no longer care what God's answer to the question "Why do you let people suffer?" even is. I just want everyone to be able to limp away from this train wreck of a world with their dignity at least half-intact.

I try to keep it down, to be understanding, but there are times when I am very angry at God for making us suffer like this. I admit that I may not have given much thought to the plight of the downtrodden if I had been given my female body by default. But there were definitely better ways to get my attention than this. I have a certifiable right to be pissed, though I must simultaneously maintain the proper respect that is due to a deity. I admit this is my biggest crisis as a Christian, something I'll struggle with for quite some time (if not the rest of my life). I'm a very angry woman, and the pain I experience on a daily basis only fuels the fire.

I don't know. Maybe having put this out there will give someone an insight into my anger, and with another's wisdom I may be able to extinguish the flame. But as it is, OP, I can only offer commiseration and rage at my creator that I love so dearly.

I have asked the same question for years.  I have come to the conclusion that God just doesn't care.

Scarlette,
As one post said earlier God's time is not our time. It is written in Ecclesiastes among other places.

Another issue is that many people have many different problems that vary in degree of seriousness.

One may have a problem you think is a mere nothing and you may have a problem that is serious to you but not to them.

It would be easy for people to say they love God if all went well all of the time or if every request was answered. That wouldn't take much faith. God would be nothing more than some unimportant mystical genie or answerman.

When faith is tried it grows stronger. Even more so when the problems get worse. It is then that I can look back at a smaller problem that was the end of the world in it's day and see how much farther the good Lord has brought my faith.

I hope you get your answers kiddo.
Take care.

Hello Scarlette,

I do not have any pat answers for you.  But i believe i have learned a bit. God's ways of doing things are not my ways. (How i have longed to be set free from this body) By no means does this mean that i have handled it well. For a long time my thoughts were that either He hated me or He had a very sadistic mean streak and He wanted to torture me. I often asked the question "What do i do that was so bad that i disserved this?" Yeah my thinking was VERY messed up. It always seemed like every time things would start becoming OK and i was able to kind of handle things i got slammed down again. The thing was is that He did not change my circumstances,so i would cry at times for weeks on end,get angry and start throwing things out of frustration etc etc... But i was missing one thing i kept trying to do it on my own in my own way. I was afraid to let go of it and just place it in His hands to work it out. He finally had to lay me out so to speak when i felt like i couldn't take another step. He had to pry my hands open to let go so that He could do it His way.

It does not mean that He has transformed my body yet. What i believe He has shown me is that His perspective is from an eternal viewpoint. Everything He does in our lives is to prepare us for a life with Him. His focus is on our hearts and minds first and for most. (It does not mean that He is not unconcerned about our physical being) He finally got through to me on how much He truly loves us and understands us when He finally finally got through to me on one thing.
We say that we believe that Jesus is God made manifest in the flesh. His name is also Immanuel meaning God with us. Think about that for a moment. It can only mean one thing. It means the fullness of an infinite being poured out into a finite body and allowing Himself to be compressed and confined. Think about it. Who else can truly understand us in the same way other than one who has walked the same path. (I know it's not the same thing but it gives me a better understanding that He does understand what i am going through)

It was a hard lesson to get through but if we can only get it through our heads just how much He truly loves us. He is not the one that condemns us. He loves His transgendered children so much more than we can even begin to imagine. It is so wide and deep that no human love can even begin to compare to His love. He sees and hears what others have said and done. But His promise is not to change the circumstances,His promise is to carry us through it and to be with us as we go through it. He never says that what we are going through is good but His promise is that He will works all things for our good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes.

Please this is just my opinion but i think this also fits Jesus says He is the good shepherd. One of the things that shepherds will often do is to break the forelimb of the sheep. Which sounds harsh but the purpose of doing so is so that the shepherd ends up carrying the sheep so that the sheep can recognize the shepherds voice and will come when the shepherd calls. It's not that a limb is broken the good comes in learning to hear and recognize His voice.

Quote from: SarahM777 on November 08, 2011, 05:55:43 AM
It was a hard lesson to get through but if we can only get it through our heads just how much He truly loves us. He is not the one that condemns us. He loves His transgendered children so much more than we can even begin to imagine. It is so wide and deep that no human love can even begin to compare to His love. He sees and hears what others have said and done. But His promise is not to change the circumstances,His promise is to carry us through it and to be with us as we go through it. He never says that what we are going through is good but His promise is that He will works all things for our good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes.

Please this is just my opinion but i think this also fits Jesus says He is the good shepherd. One of the things that shepherds will often do is to break the forelimb of the sheep. Which sounds harsh but the purpose of doing so is so that the shepherd ends up carrying the sheep so that the sheep can recognize the shepherds voice and will come when the shepherd calls. It's not that a limb is broken the good comes in learning to hear and recognize His voice.

This sort of reasoning, that God stands with me through my hardship, is the only way I can retain my loyalty to the divine. I deeply love God, that's the truth. And I want to remain loyal, that's unquestionable. I want to enlist in the Heavenly Host once I've died, that's the extent of my loyalty. But that doesn't mean I won't experience pain when the shepherd breaks my forelimb, and it also doesn't mean that I won't bear some internal sense of resentment for having my forelimb broken. Even still, my loyalty remains despite my anger.

I still don't care what the reason for my being born in the lowest social class and with the wrong body is. I only want to attain equal treatment from my peers and to have a physical existence which doesn't cause me misery. If I get stronger along the way, fine. I'm only interested in surviving, seizing the happiness I deserve, and standing loyal to my Lord. The trials I face are pain and anger. So be it.

Quote from: Sailor_Saturn on November 08, 2011, 04:49:48 PM
This sort of reasoning, that God stands with me through my hardship, is the only way I can retain my loyalty to the divine. I deeply love God, that's the truth. And I want to remain loyal, that's unquestionable. I want to enlist in the Heavenly Host once I've died, that's the extent of my loyalty. But that doesn't mean I won't experience pain when the shepherd breaks my forelimb, and it also doesn't mean that I won't bear some internal sense of resentment for having my forelimb broken. Even still, my loyalty remains despite my anger.

In someways it seems to me that when He takes me through these things that the real issue for me is the trust. For me it's not just whether i can believe Him but can i also trust Him? I can say i believe Him all i want but it's the trusting Him and acting on it on that shows that my belief in Him is real.  I can not say it's true for all but what i have found to be the toughest battle is learning to trust Him. Especially when He DOES NOT explain it to me. At times He does show me what He wants me to do before hand and He works them out just as He said. Other times He just ask do it and i don't get an answer why at that time but after some time He will show me how it worked out. But then again it's the last one that is for me the most frustrating it's when He does not give me an answer on why. This is just my opinion i believe there are some things i can not no matter how much He would try to explain it will never make sense to me and first and formost HE is GOD and He does not have to explain it to me and i am not God.

I think that when He does give us the answers it's so He can build our trust so that even when we are not given the answer that we can still let go and place it in His hands and He will work it out for our good.

Quote from: SarahM777 on November 09, 2011, 05:24:23 AM
This is just my opinion i believe there are some things i can not no matter how much He would try to explain it will never make sense to me and first and formost HE is GOD and He does not have to explain it to me and i am not God.

I think that when He does give us the answers it's so He can build our trust so that even when we are not given the answer that we can still let go and place it in His hands and He will work it out for our good.

I understand that the chain of command must be respected, but when my commander doesn't give me a clear idea of the mission's purpose I begin to wonder if it belies a lack of trust in me. This in turn erodes my trust in God. I recognize that God is a deity and I am a mortal, but that does not nullify my right to ask questions. And answering questions is a key part of ensuring that what we think is God's will actually is, and that there's some sort of greater purpose for what is happening.

I don't claim to understand the divine plan, but I'd at least like to look at the blueprint once in a while and have its dimensions explained to me by the architect. That keeps me from wondering if my master has gone off the deep end. And if you look at horrendous parasitic diseases in Africa, famines in Asia, and (of course) the misery of our own community, it's fairly easy to fall subject to the conclusion that God has a screw loose.

More or less, I'd just like a mission briefing and debriefing. Doesn't seem to be too much to ask of an omnipotent being.

Quote from: Sailor_Saturn on November 09, 2011, 10:32:53 PM
I understand that the chain of command must be respected, but when my commander doesn't give me a clear idea of the mission's purpose I begin to wonder if it belies a lack of trust in me. This in turn erodes my trust in God. I recognize that God is a deity and I am a mortal, but that does not nullify my right to ask questions. And answering questions is a key part of ensuring that what we think is God's will actually is, and that there's some sort of greater purpose for what is happening.

There's no two ways about it. It is not easy by any means. I think we often forget that God's ways are meant to prepare us for an eternity with Him. It does not mean He is not concerned with the here and now. So often i have found that the paths He chooses for me is NOT what i would choose. He has taken me and broken me down,put me through the fire, etc. I would much rather that it would just be a bit easier. It seems like He often wants to take me a direction that is 180 degrees from what i would ever choose. I can only speak of what He has done with me in those times. I have found that it's in the hard times that He has done His greatest works in me. It is part of the refinement process and gold can only be refined by going through the fire.

Getting back to the original question. Here again i can only speak of what i believe He is showing and asking me. Two things keep coming to mind. The first is what are my motives for asking? Is it that i am seeing Him as a big Santa Claus in the sky and that if He were to grant it would i then walk away because i no longer have a need to depend on Him, or is it truly to allow Him to glorify Himself through it? The second one is Have you counted the cost of what is being asked of Him? There will be consequences. Some good,some neutral and some bad to very very bad. Maybe just maybe it's the fact that i am not strong enough in Him yet to be able to deal with them and in His grace and mercy He knows that at this point in time i am not  ready to handle them and needs to work out other things that will give me the strength and courage to go on. Let's face it those who go through transition by human means can get a lot of grief take a look at those who have already gone there and it's not always a pretty picture. Now i would be asking God to compound it by granting this request. The first person in this time that would be able to see it is going to have to be as tough as titanium in Him and is going to have to hold on to Him for all they are worth. Because i believe that the first person who can reach that point to be prepared is going to get everything thrown at them and if  they are not in Him them would be crushed. This is just my opinion.

It's a tough question if you are a believer, but if like me you have eventually decided that the God concept is no longer neccessary, then the question disappears too. 
It's a matter of personal choice, and I would not presume to suggest any particular answer for you.

Karen.

John 9:2-3
New International Version (NIV)
2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."

I am sure Abraham was thinking the same thing when God promised him a son...decades came and went and no son. He got a son after he was dirt old. He cherished that boy.

Sometimes perseverance helps build one's character versus getting instant results. Life is like that. You will appreciate a car more if you worked up the monies to get it versus having your parents by one for you.

And unrelated to the topic....i cringe whenever people use "he" when referring to God a lot. That's all

Quote from: Annah on November 10, 2011, 07:42:11 AM

And unrelated to the topic....i cringe whenever people use "he" when referring to God a lot. That's all

Please bear with me. Old habits and teachings that at times are hard to break. My friend is working with me on this as my friend pointed out to me is that we as humans want to bring God down to our level. He explained it to me this way when God speaks of being Father it is to give us an example of how we are to see God it does not mean that God has a gender per say in our terms. God has the completeness of what we consider to be both male and female. What it boils down to is that God is showing us that God has the attributes of Fatherhood but it does not mean we can take it to say that God is male.

Quote from: SarahM777 on November 10, 2011, 08:28:57 AM
Please bear with me. Old habits and teachings that at times are hard to break. My friend is working with me on this as my friend pointed out to me is that we as humans want to bring God down to our level. He explained it to me this way when God speaks of being Father it is to give us an example of how we are to see God it does not mean that God has a gender per say in our terms. God has the completeness of what we consider to be both male and female. What it boils down to is that God is showing us that God has the attributes of Fatherhood but it does not mean we can take it to say that God is male.

Oh I totally understand. I see God more of a mother type of being and also God as Both male and female and neither male nor female.