For such a momentous decision, I would like to find solace in knowing that God is OK with my decision. For those of you who have diligently prayed about this, how did you find your answer?

through various religious scripture. God is a God of love. God would not condemn someone because that person wants to feel better and at peace with themself.

I also knew because I was at peace with my decision.

PS: this thread would be better in the spirituality section as some here in this section do not believe in a god and find the question irrelevant.

I take solace in God does does not make mistakes.  I am sure the Duck-Billed Platypus has a reason for being, just as I am sure I, and others like us, do.

It's just an inner voice. When you follow it, and things go smoothly, then you know

Quote from: jdinatale on January 04, 2012, 08:45:15 PM
For such a momentous decision, I would like to find solace in knowing that God is OK with my decision. For those of you who have diligently prayed about this, how did you find your answer?

Kia Ora Jdintale,

Annah's right this type of question should be in the spiritual section-perhaps a mod will shift it...

Anyway to answer your question[bearing in mind I'm a non believer]...Ask yourself this simple question...Would your god want you to be 'happy' ?

Metta Zenda

Assuming that Jesus is God, he didn't actually have much to say about gender or sexuality.
Other than not to lust after another's wife or betrothed obsessively,  it is only the later commentator's like Paul, who seem concerned about these things.  I guess if God isn't worried, then it's okay. 
I would take the boss's word as final over one of the shop floor staff's.

Karen.

Quote from: justmeinoz on January 05, 2012, 07:18:25 AM
Assuming that Jesus is God, he didn't actually have much to say about gender or sexuality.
Other than not to lust after another's wife or betrothed obsessively,  it is only the later commentator's like Paul, who seem concerned about these things.  I guess if God isn't worried, then it's okay. 
I would take the boss's word as final over one of the shop floor staff's.

Karen.

and many scholars say that Paul did not find condemn "homosexuality"as harshly as some may think. Long story but he viewed homosexual relationships like any other relationship...u shouldn't have one but if u must have a relationship then have it (personally, I think all the girls turned him down

Quote from: jdinatale on January 04, 2012, 08:45:15 PM
For such a momentous decision, I would like to find solace in knowing that God is OK with my decision. For those of you who have diligently prayed about this, how did you find your answer?

I prayed for 'guidance and direction' in a very much broader sense - I thought - because things just felt like being in some sort of limbo. I was not knowingly into any gender issues at that point, but just deeply depressed in some fashion, - I guess. Kind of out of touch with myself?

Next thing one morning 3:00 am I got this epiphany, my male house of cards just collapsed.
Do (transition) or die (big check-out).

I think God/Jesus was with me as horribly painful it all was at first to REALIZE what on earth was actually happening.

That's my situation in short - I'm not really a religious person.
I then prayed and asked for some folks (dead by now) to forgive me if I had disappointed them deeply. It can and will get pretty heavy at times!

That is long past... (about 2 years) and now I've battled through RLE, HRT, GCS, rejection by some close ones, and some not so worthy friends.
I feel God/Jesus is on my/our side and that is all that counts to me in the end.

Bless you,
Axélle

Quote from: justmeinoz on January 05, 2012, 07:18:25 AM
Assuming that Jesus is God, he didn't actually have much to say about gender or sexuality.
Other than not to lust after another's wife or betrothed obsessively,  it is only the later commentator's like Paul, who seem concerned about these things.  I guess if God isn't worried, then it's okay. 
I would take the boss's word as final over one of the shop floor staff's.

Karen.

In my opinion, Jesus and Yehowah(God) are two completely different characters, for they constantly goes against each others teachings. Yehowah condemns, Jesus forgives. Yehowah destroys his enemies, Jesus says to love them. Yehowah approves the making of vows, Jesus forbids them, God is a Man of War, Jesus is a man of peace and turning the other cheak, etc etc etc etc.

Given how much the God of the Old Testament contradicts himself and changes his mind, or atleast according to the Biblical writers, it is impossible to tell what He would think or have thought about people changing their birthsex. Maybe he would be okay with it, maybe he wouldn't, but I am fairly sure that Jesus, on the other hand, probably would be/been more okay with it, as he did, for instance, say that so called "Bourne Eunuchs" Were "Made so in their mothers womb".

God, however, says that Eunuchs will recieve a very special place in Heaven, a place better than that for anyone else, while he in another section makes a complete U-turn and says that there are no place in heaven for Eunuchs.

My advice is to simply not think about what any religion says at all, for according to atleast some rule in every religion, you are already "fallen" anyway.

Ok, I'm a believer and something happened to me very early on in my transition. I don't think I've ever talked about it on here because I wasn't sure how people would react, but this would seem to be the place to present it.

Back when I was still him and had come to realize I was a transsexual and not simply a cross-dresser, I prayed quite a bit. I had come close to suicide, but ultimately did not attempt to end my life. So one night during one of my prayers where I asked God what I should do, I heard an answer. An actual voice in my head. It shocked me very deeply in that I am not the sort to expect that sort of thing. I am not the "hallelujah" type. More like a highly educated, pragmatic type. This voice did not sound like my narrative voice at all. It simply said "You are on the right path." It confused me and the next morning I asked myself if I had really heard what I had heard the previous evening. At that moment, the voice returned and said, "Do not be afraid."

I have held on to that experience throughout my transition. I KNOW what I am doing is right for me. It feels right. Things feel smoother for me. I also know that there is a God and no matter how many of my churchgoing former friends give me a hard time or turn their back on me, they are the ones that are in the wrong. My transition has been blessed. It has gone so well that I can hardly believe it. I never experienced what it is like to not pass even starting at my age at the time of 39. Voice and looks came together for me virtually instantly. I am employed. People who find out about me shrug their shoulders. It has been a tremendously humbling experience.

I am nearly to the finish line now. Sixteen months and 1 day from my first estrogen pill I should be waking up from surgery. I feel very lucky and am not foolish enough to think it was all my doing.

Quote from: Melody Maia on January 05, 2012, 10:29:00 PM
Ok, I'm a believer and something happened to me very early on in my transition. I don't think I've ever talked about it on here because I wasn't sure how people would react, but this would seem to be the place to present it.

Back when I was still him and had come to realize I was a transsexual and not simply a cross-dresser, I prayed quite a bit. I had come close to suicide, but ultimately did not attempt to end my life. So one night during one of my prayers where I asked God what I should do, I heard an answer. An actual voice in my head. It shocked me very deeply in that I am not the sort to expect that sort of thing. I am not the "hallelujah" type. More like a highly educated, pragmatic type. This voice did not sound like my narrative voice at all. It simply said "You are on the right path." It confused me and the next morning I asked myself if I had really heard what I had heard the previous evening. At that moment, the voice returned and said, "Do not be afraid."

I have held on to that experience throughout my transition. I KNOW what I am doing is right for me. It feels right. Things feel smoother for me. I also know that there is a God and no matter how many of my churchgoing former friends give me a hard time or turn their back on me, they are the ones that are in the wrong. My transition has been blessed. It has gone so well that I can hardly believe it. I never experienced what it is like to not pass even starting at my age at the time of 39. Voice and looks came together for me virtually instantly. I am employed. People who find out about me shrug their shoulders. It has been a tremendously humbling experience.

I am nearly to the finish line now. Sixteen months and 1 day from my first estrogen pill I should be waking up from surgery. I feel very lucky and am not foolish enough to think it was all my doing.

Completely random and completely off topic, but I noticed your last name, do you happen to be Brazilian?

This seems to be another question where faith is a better response than evidence.

My own take on Paul is that he and other early teachers were talking to specific communities. Jesus seems to say that we should respect the local norms and laws where these don't conflict with the commandments. But when some seem to treat the teachings of Paul as law in themselves, that is, to break these, is to defy God, then I do believe that Paul himself would object. Even Jesus didn't make any new sins.

We know that many who claim to be teaching Christianity are doing no such thing. Jesus never told us to go to war so when some ArchBishop claims that a war is justified or some priest blesses guns then there is something seriously wrong. That demonstrates that, simply holding divinity qualifications or church titles, doesn't make these people right. They are clearly wrong.

I go one step further and take it that God wants me to be happy. Quite frankly, if God wants me to be miserable, then I have to ask myself what sort of god is that? I apologise for being rather blunt here, but since God made some of us one way and others another, why would He effectively decide that some of us are destined to be miserable?

And God did make us the way we are.

Some will say we must resist. On what basis do they make that claim? Because they are happy the way they are and being like them is more important than being happy? Or is it because they resist, in which case I have to ask them why they make themselves miserable?

Hi Jdinatale

I think some comments have said your post should be elsewhere, and without knowing more they may be right. To clarify this, and also to give some sort of answer to your question it would be important to know who is your God?  Since this in the Christian section this could mean you consider yourself a born again Christian.
Are you??  If so I can suggest some thoughts for you.

Veronica

Quote from: veronica nickie on January 06, 2012, 05:05:22 PM
Hi Jdinatale

I think some comments have said your post should be elsewhere, and without knowing more they may be right. To clarify this, and also to give some sort of answer to your question it would be important to know who is your God?  Since this in the Christian section this could mean you consider yourself a born again Christian.
Are you??  If so I can suggest some thoughts for you.

Veronica

The topic used to be in the general forum transgender board

I am sure all the seminary students out there will slam this simple answer.  But the Bible says, in Luke 11:9, " So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you."  This is not a one time thing you need to ask, and keep asking, seek, and keep seeking, knock, and keep knocking.  That is what I did, and I am so thankful that I waited to know God's will.  Yes, I transitioned, and God has been with me all the way.  Hope this helps.

Quote from: jdinatale on January 06, 2012, 04:00:46 PM
Completely random and completely off topic, but I noticed your last name, do you happen to be Brazilian?

No, Puerto Rican and Colombian.

I don't really believe there is a God. Not in the sense that the false-believers worship anyway. But, while I never told them, I did used to pray to change me into a girl. I wished upon a star. All I ever got was silence. So I took that as a sign that for better or worse, this was my life. every choice I make is mine alone. I've come to believe that there is no right or wrong about transition. As long as it makes you a better person. And to the people who tell me that God has a problem with it, I usually tell them that if he does, he can come see me personally and we can talk about it.

I'm not going to argue about scripture or deism. The best I can translate my experience is that God told me I was part of the intricacy of life, and that my manifestation is as important as anything, no matter how I evolve myself.

Quote from: mowdan6 on January 07, 2012, 12:18:05 PM
I am sure all the seminary students out there will slam this simple answer.  But the Bible says, in Luke 11:9, " So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you."  This is not a one time thing you need to ask, and keep asking, seek, and keep seeking, knock, and keep knocking.  That is what I did, and I am so thankful that I waited to know God's will.  Yes, I transitioned, and God has been with me all the way.  Hope this helps.

Just because "some seminary students out there" disagrees with your conservative viewpoints on Christianity (who goes to hell, etc etc) doesn't mean there will be a disagreement in every verse you quote....just the majority of the scriptures you quote.

I'm not much of a believer.. But I did consult with a Minister, who told me there was nothing in the Bible that really covered what I was going through.. Her response didn't really make any difference to my decision, but it was nice to know..