At this link
http://thinkchristian.reframemedia.com/questions-i-have-after-the-bruce-jenner-interview
We have an advocacy article for Transgenderism being accepted in the Church under the guise of asking putatively harmless questions. The article is written by a CRC pastor and is published by a blog site that is an arm of the CRC itself. One would think that the implication of the reality that it is published by a blog site that is an arm of the CRC itself means that at both the CRC agency directly involved (Back To God Hour) as well as the denomination itself there is support for Transgenderism being normed in the life of the Church.
According to the “Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation” (GLADD) Transgenderism occurs when one’s gender identity or gender expression does not match one’s assigned sex. This could mean everything from the mannerisms or dispositions in a man being expressed as a female to a woman cross-dressing to pass as a man to eventually Transsexualism where surgical mutilation is preformed in order to give the appearance of changing a persons sexuality. Not all Transgenders are Transsexuals.
I enter into the repudiation of this article not in the least hopeful of changing the mind of anyone who is responsible for its appearance on a denominational website. Neither one person, nor a hundred people, have the ability to stop a mudslide once started. As such, I write this to rescue the handful of people who might be confused by Clergy and Church bureaucrats advocating the normalization of perversion. Once something like this is posted the damage is done even if eventually pulled unless there is a well publicized maxima mea culpa.
Rev. Kory Plockmeyer (Herinafter R. KP) writes
In an ABC interview last night with Diane Sawyer, former Olympian and step-patriarch of the Kardashian family Bruce Jenner confirmed his transgender identity and said that he* is in the process of transitioning from male to female. For many Christians – and, for that matter, non-Christians – the topic of transgender identity is a complete unknown. What questions can we ask that can help us formulate a grace-filled, Biblical theology on this matter?
Bret responds,
First, we should note it is literally impossible to transition from male to female or from female to male. There is no method that allows one to quit being the gender that God created them. Now, certainly people can transition from male to abnormal male but it is not possible for Bruce Jenner to become Brunhilde Jenner.
Second, I don’t know how this subject matter can be a “complete unknown” since everywhere we turn we are being saturated in the idea that the heretofore category of perversity is now to be embraced as ‘normal.’
Third, R. KP desires a grace filled Biblical theology on this matter. Let’s see if we can help him.
When we read Genesis we find,
“And God created man in His image, in His likeness; male and female He created them . . . . and it was very good.”
Here we see that God is binary. He created man as male and female. There is no hint here, or anywhere in Scripture, that God mixed and matched female souls to male bodies or male souls to female bodies. So, ‘a grace filled Biblical theology on this matter’ begins with clearly laying out that there is no biblical evidence that God has created man and woman so that their sexuality and their gender does not match. And we might go on to add that neither is there any non junk science evidence that gender and sex are mismatched. Certainly, if I and 1000 other people, insisted that God gave us the souls of a wolf that wouldn’t, by itself, prove that God puts wolf souls into people. (Though the rise of the Furry movement might find elements of the CRC embracing that idea eventually.)
In continuing to pursue this matter of forming a grace filled biblical theology we might note I Cor. 6 points us toward an answer to Transgenderism.
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (malakos), nor homosexuals (arsenokoites), 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9f — NASB).
When we consider Greek dictionaries to tease out the meaning for these Greek words “malakos” and “arsenokoites,” we discover that this passage does indeed give us insight into God’s mind on Transgenderism.
- μαλακός, malakós; fem. malak, neut. malakón, adj. Soft to the touch, spoken of clothing made of soft materials, fine texture (Matt. 11:8; Luke 7:25). Figuratively it means effeminate or a person who allows himself to be sexually abused contrary to nature. Paul, in1 Cor. 6:9, joins the malakoí, the effeminate, with arsenokoítai (733), homosexuals, Sodomites.
- Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. electronic ed. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000.
- μαλακός, malakós; soft; (1) of clothes soft (to the touch), delicate (LU 7.25); neuter plural malakoί as a substantive, luxurious clothes (MT 11.8); (2) figuratively, in a bad sense of men effeminate, unmanly; substantivally ? µ. especially of a man or boy who submits his body to homosexual lewdness catamite, homosexual pervert (1C 6.9)
- Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller. Vol. 4, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker’s Greek New Testament Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000.
- μαλακός, malakós; m: the passive male partner in homosexual intercourse–‘homosexual.’ For a context of malakós, see 1 Cor 6:9–10 in 88.280. As in Greek, a number of other languages also have entirely distinct terms for the active and passive roles in homosexual intercourse.
- Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.
- ἀρσενοκοίτης, ου, ὁ, arsenokoítēs; an adult male who practices sexual intercourse with another adult male or a boy homosexual, sodomite, pederast
- Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. (2000). Vol. 4: Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker’s Greek New Testament library (76). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.
- ἀρσενοκοίτης arsenokoítēs; gen. arsenokoítou, masc. noun, from ársēn (730), a male, and koítē (2845), a bed. A man who lies in bed with another male, a homosexual (1 Cor. 6:9;1 Tim. 1:10 [cf. Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:27]).
- Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.) (G733). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
- ἀρσενοκοίτης, arsenokoites /ar·sen·ok·oy·tace; n m. From 730 and 2845; GK 780; Two occurrences; AV translates as “abuser of (one’s) self with mankind” once, and “defile (one’s) self with mankind” once. 1 one who lies with a male as with a female, sodomite, homosexual.
- Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G733). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
So, in striving to answer Rev. Kory Polckmeyer’s desire for the formulation of a grace filled Biblical theology we find a good beginning in passages like Gen. 1:26 and I Cor. 6:9f.
Rev Kory Plockmeyer continues,
The more we understand about transgender identity, the more it appears that gender dysphoria, or the experience of feeling as though your gender does not match your biological sex, is innate. If so, is there a theological basis by which to distinguish our response to gender dysphoria from our response to other physical conditions?
Bret responds,
1.) The key words in the first sentence above are “appears,” and “experience.” There is no objective evidence on any of this. All we have is subjective ‘appearances,” and “experience,” combined with some nebulous sense of “innateness.” And Rev. Kory Plockmeyer would have us think that this equals understanding transgenderism?
2.) In the question that Rev. Kory Plockmeyer offers above there is a tacit push towards equating the sin of Transgenderism with the physical disabilities like cerebral palsy or glaucoma. This is complete and utter nonsense. Physical conditions like CP or glaucoma are measurable and identifiable diseased physical conditions. Transgenderism is a disease of a different sort. It is the disease of someone morally broken by their fallenness. It is true that we have compassion and pity on both the CP victim and the Transgender person but the compassion we have towards those suffering CP is a compassion that comes alongside to minister and help with physical, emotional, and psychological needs that arise due to the physical disease, while the tear filled compassion we have towards the Transgender person is to command them to repent. The compassion we have for the CP child is to hold out to them the reality that the Lord Christ will heal them in heaven. The compassion we have for the Transgender is to hold out to them the hope that the Lord Christ will begin to heal them now.
When we being to draw the line of equivalence between compassion for the physically broken and the morally broken as Rev. Kory Plockmeyer does in his article that indeed it is true that the tender mercies of the well intentioned are often cruel.
R. KP wrote,
Jenner spoke at length about the difference between gender identity and sexual identity: “I’m not gay. …It’s apples and oranges. There’s two different things here. Sexuality is who you are personally attracted to, who turns you on, male or female. But gender identity is who you are as a person and your soul and who you identify with inside.” With what theological framework do we approach gender identity and how does this differ from our approach to sexual identity?
Bret responds,
1.) Of course when we go down this road the possible permutations are endless and can get quite confusing.
Transgender males who are heterosexual
Transgender males who are homosexual
Transgender females who are heterosexual
Transgender females who are Lesbian
Transgender males who are heterosexual but only as with Transgender females who are also heterosexual
Transgender males who are heterosexual but only was with non-Transgender females who are heterosexual
Transgender males who are homosexual but only as with non-Transgender males who are homosexual
This is only a beginning list. The social media outlet “Facebook” offer 51 possible choices for gender identification. One wonders if the publisher, Rev. Steve Koster, wants us to toy with the idea that all these possible permutations are legitimate expressions within the body of Christ?
2.) The question that Rev. Kory Plockmeyer offers here and that Rev. Steve Koster publishes tacitly implies that all this gender confusion is biblical. We are asked to put all this in a theological framework that accounts for these putative differences. The uninitiated reader will read this and not think, “the theological framework that I need to put Transgenderism in is a framework that names it ‘unbiblical.” No, the uninitiated reader will assume that Rev.’s Plockmeyer and Koster’s question is suggestive that we need create theologies that allow for this gender blenderism.
3.) One thing that is conspicuously missing in all this talk about identity is our identity in Christ. Where is the discussion that as we find our identity in Christ that men move, in sanctification, from true maleness unto true maleness? Where is the discussion that as we find our identity in Christ that women move, in sanctification, from true femininity unto femininity? Isn’t one of our core beliefs that the more we are sanctified in Christ the more genuinely human we become so that there is a harmony of interests between the binary God created reality of male and female?
4.) Anther reality that should be offered here is that all that Rev. Koster and Plockmeyer are offering here are completely contrary to the reading of Scripture as bequeathed to us by 2000 years of Church History. Unless one considers the Marquis DeSade or Alexandra Kollontai to be great Reformed theologians it is difficult to find anyone in 2000 years of Church history to be experimenting with mainlining perversity.
R. KP writes,
Gender expression is culturally constructed – it varies from place to place and from time to time. In Scotland, men wear kilts. In ancient Rome, men wore togas. Expected roles change as well. If gender expression is dependent on the culture, what can we say about the uniqueness of the genders?
Bret responds,
1.) The idea that gender expression is a social construct is itself a social construct. It is true that culture impinges on the idea of how gender is expressed but to suggest that gender is merely a social construct and that kilts and togas prove that is breathtakingly simplistic. Both Roman and Scot cultures were male enough, despite their kilts and togas, to be considered patriarchal. If we could enter a time machine to go back to Rome or Scotland none of us would be confused as to male behavior and female behavior.
2.) Rev. Kory Plockmeyer needs to be reminded that culture is merely theology instantiated. As such there is no appeal to culture without, at the same time, an appeal to theology. Cultural abnormalities of any time or place can not be seen as normal merely because the culture is supporting it. Cultural abnormalities arise from theological abnormalities.
R. KP writes,
Jenner identifies most strongly with the woman he refers to as “she.” Pronoun and name choice is important to people.How might the decision to respect the pronoun and name choice of a transgender person communicate grace and love?
Bret responds,
1.) Read again the first sentence above where we find this snippet, “… he refers to as she.” The male Jenner is identifying most strongly with the female Jenner. Dissociative identity disorder anyone?
2.) Note again this question that Rev. Steve Koster published, pushes the reader to accepting Transgender behavior. When words like “respect,” and “communicate grace and love,” are used the reader is being pushed in the direction of accepting the behavior as normative. To not make this decision means the one refusing to make this decision is not respectful and is not communicating grace and love. We should note where this behavior is accepted it is at the same time encouraged.
The tender mercies of the well intentioned are cruel.
R. KP wrote,
Jenner’s children and family largely express support. One son suggested, “I feel like I’m getting an upgraded version of my dad.” Jenner went to great lengths to reassure his family that he is still the same person, just living what he believes to be the true version of himself.To what extent is one’s identity consistent, regardless of the gender transition one may make?
Bret responds,
Again note how this question pushes the reader to conclude that Transgenderism is legitimate. After all, the Transgender’s male identity is still consistent with his/her female identity. What’s the big deal?
R.KP writes,
Jenner shared his struggle with Deuteronomy 22:5, a verse used in some Christian communities to forbid women from wearing pants. Where do we look in Scripture for Biblical approaches to gender and transgender identity?
Bret responds,
Given where we have arrived at, in terms of gender blenderism and Transgenderism, maybe those who opposed women wearing pants were on to something? I know that I would much rather be dealing with the problem of dress wearing women vs. dealing with the problem of the “Back to God Hour” embracing gender blenderism and Transgenderism.
Again, note how the question explicitly pushes the reader into accepting the normativity of Transgenderism.
R. KP writes,
Jenner’s life has included marriages to three different women. Jenner’s struggles with his gender identity contributed to the unraveling of each marriage. His experience is not unique in this. How do we approach transgender identity in a way that supports and celebrates marriage?
Bret responds,
1.) Again, note how the question explicitly pushes the reader into accepting the normativity of Transgenderism. Rev. Kory Plockmeyer is not merely asking questions. He is advancing an agenda for the Church to accept Transgenderism under the guise of “just asking questions.”
One can’t help but wonder that this perversion advocacy that we find in the Banner as well in this online publication is pursued all to the end of breaking up any resistance to the homosexual agenda that is represented in the current “listening tour” that the CRC committee to provide pastoral guidance regarding same sex “marriage” is now conducting. A cynical person might look at all this clever and barely concealed advocacy and see a orchestrated agenda to pass sweeping new guidelines into the CRC touching modern sexuality.
2.) We would only note that any identity that leads to multiple divorces cannot be healthy as God has explicitly made it clear that divorce was only allowed by God due to the hardness of men’s hearts. If Jenner’s Transgenderism led to three divorces how is it that we Rev. Steve Koster can seek to norm this illness in the Church.
R. KP writes,
Like many transgender people, Jenner’s story included depression, years of confusion and suicidal thoughts. The interview highlighted the physical violence experienced by some members of the transgender community. How can the church be a safe space for people struggling with gender identity? What steps can we take to provide healing?
Bret responds,
1,) I should say at the outset that as a Minister I’ve worked with any number of people whose sin made for depression, years of confusion and suicidal thoughts. To suggest that a person having depression, confusion, and suicidal thoughts should be told that that sinful behavior that is driving the depression, confusion and suicidal thoughts is not really sinful is a strange cure indeed. It is akin to eliminating murder by eliminating murder as a crime.
2.) As to the final question we would agree that the church has to be a safe place for people struggling to give up their Transgenderism. The Church should be a safe place because it is in the Church that we can be reminded that only in Christ can we put off the guilt of sin that drives confusion, depression and suicidal thoughts. The Church should be a safe place because there in the Church we find a company of fellow sinners who are every ready to support one another in putting off the sin that doth so easily beset us all. The Church should be a safe place because in the Church we are reminded that Christ has propitiated the Father’s just wrath against sin (Transgender and all other) and as reconciled the Father to sinners who come petitioning for Grace as clothed in Christ and His righteousness. The Church should be a safe place to hear that just as the old man with its transgenderism was crucified with Christ so we have been raised to walk in newness of life. The Church should be a safe place where we are reminded of the great and luxurious grace of God that took all kinds of sinners and washed, and sanctified and justified them in the name of the Lord so that they who were once children of darkness are now those who walk as children of light. The Church is a safe place because it not call evil, “good,” and good, “evil.” The Church is a safe place because in the Church you will find the faithful wounds of a friend.
It is the very nard of hatred to get rid of sin by re-defining it as acceptable and normal behavior.
