Transgender Issues - Christians Divided

 

It’s no surprise to learn that Christians are divided in their attitudes toward people who identify as transgender.

A look on social media makes it clear some Christians view gender as something linked to a person’s birth sex as either male or female. And you probably have probably seen gender and sex linked to the Genesis creation story of Adam and Eve.

PEW STUDY 2017

In a 2017 Pew study, the researchers sorted out the views of American Christians. And most (63%) responded to their survey: “whether a person is a man or a woman is determined by their sex at birth.”

The highest percentage of belief in the link between gender and birth sex is found among white evangelicals (84%).

What about acceptance of transgender people?

Most white evangelicals think society has gone too far in accepting transgender people (61%). This was the only category of Christians above 50%.

Personal contact can often change views. There aren’t many people in society who identify as transgender. Pew included a relevant survey item. About one in three (34%) Christians know someone who is transgender—the figure was lowest for white evangelicals—25%.

LIFEWAY 2021

Lifeway (2021) reported a survey of Protestant Pastors.

Identifying as transgender is morally wrong, 

say most Protestant American clergy.

The data: “Among U.S. Protestant pastors, Lifeway Research found 72% say it is morally wrong for an individual to identify with a gender different from the biological sex they were born, including 62% who strongly agree.”

Most of the pastors (77%) also believed gender-affirming surgery is “morally wrong.”

GALLUP 2021

Data from Gallup, (2021) reveal a split in US society on these issues.

"Changing one's gender identity is sharply contentious among Americans, who are slightly more likely to say it is morally wrong (51%) than morally acceptable (46%)."

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Same Sex Marriage and Christian Duty

 It is no surprise that many Christians object to same-sex marriage. In the United States, same-sex marriage is legal. Couples obtain licenses from local authorities.

Friday (18 March 2022), Kentucky federal judge David Bunning ruled that county clerk Kim Davis violated the constitutional rights of two gay couples when she refused to provide them with a marriage license. Their right to marry is based on a 2015 US Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. It is yet to be determined if Davis will be responsible to pay for damages.

Davis' defense counsel raises the matter of religious belief.

“Kim Davis is entitled to protection to an accommodation based on her sincere religious belief," Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said in a statement. "This case raises serious First Amendment free exercise of religion claims and has a high potential of reaching the Supreme Court." (From The Hill)

Although most Americans support same-sex marriage, which includes a lot of Christians, the official position of most Christian groups limits marriage to the union of one man and one woman thus, Davis' position is widely held.

The right of same-sex couples to marry is not an issue in the United States.

The rights of people to refuse service based on a religious belief is at issue. 

I am not an attorney but I cannot help wondering if Davis' rights are contextual. For example, do religious rights vary depending on the employment status of the Christian as self-employed, employed by a private business, or employed by a government entity?

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A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures

--Examining research and the moral foundations of Christian beliefs and values

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Divine Healing Part 4 LGBTQIA+

 What Does Healing Mean?

Christians remain divided about responding to people who identify as LGBTQIA+. 

This post is part of a series on divine healing so, the focus here is on Christians who believe there is a "cure" for sexuality such that the only sexual desire people would have is heterosexual, which is considered by many conservative Christians to be God's design for people.

I've written about the different ways Christians interpret the biblical texts dealing with same-sex relationships in A House Divided. Here I want to encourage Christians to think carefully about what they want God to do when they pray about sexual orientation.

The phrase, "Pray the gay away" obviously implies being gay is not something a Christian desires and that God can and will answer prayers to take away whatever they mean by being "gay." Whatever biology might be involved in differences in sexual desire, the person praying is in a sense asking for healing. And some testify that they used to be gay or lesbian. Like any other testimony, there usually isn't any observable evidence that a change has been made. How could we even agree on what the evidence would look like? People either believe the person changed and that God was the source of the reported change or they reject the testimony.

 NOTE: See this link to understand sex and gender terms.

Bisexuality is usually not addressed in these change testimonies. How do we know a person who no longer reports an attraction to people of the same sex is not a bisexual living as a heterosexual?

"Cures" for Gays and Lesbians

Conversion therapy as "treatment" is  discredited. A further complication is the pain people report after going through programs to change from being gay to being straight. In 2019  David Matheson, a former gay conversion therapist, apologized and came out as gay. He left his marriage of 34 years and began dating men. Several years earlier, Alan Chambers of Exodus International apologized on TV for hurting people with the "reparative therapy" "cure" for homosexuality. He stated "I'm Sorry" for the hurt and pain. Exodus closed. In recent years, a number of governments have passed laws banning conversion therapy because of the negative effects. When preparing this post, I see a list of 20 US states have banned the practice of conversion therapy. Surely, if there were a "cure" it should be safe and effective.

What about intersex?

It seems some Christians remain unaware that some people are not born as either biological males or females but present with internal and external differences inconsistent with being a biological male or female. The multidimensional condition has recently been termed DSD where the first D can mean Disorders, Differences, or Diverse and the SD refers to Sex Development. I wrote more on this in 2019.

DSD is a condition and medical and psychological interventions may be helpful to those experiencing distress. And for some, DSD interventions will make sense. In years past, parents and physicians made decisions early on without waiting to consult the child. Presumably, people identified as intersex could pray for healing but I am unaware of documented reports that prayer resulted in healing in a nonmetaphorical sense apart from human intervention.

What about Trans?

People who identify as a transman or transwoman often experience distress. Christians are divided on responding to people who identify as trans. It is not clear what it might mean to pray for healing aside from prayers for guidance in making the best decision when it comes to transitioning or prayers for mental health. Trans people have different experiences and different sexual orientations. Again, the concept of healing, or divine healing, does not seem to make sense unless one is speaking metaphorically about change.

Summary and Comments

Although some Christians talk about LGBTQIA+ issues as problems to be cured or treated, the concepts of healing or divine healing do not fit the conversation. In fact, talking about cures and treatments may interfere with clear communication. 

Christians who do not accept people who identify as other than a man or a woman are usually focused on a belief that any other gender variation or sexual orientation is sinful. In this worldview, the cure for sin is theological involving confession and repentance. Prayers may be focused on confession, repentance, and petitions for help in changing. But even in this situation, the concept of healing does not apply.

Christians who are nonbinary or accept people who identify as nonbinary without believing they need to confess sin or make a change to please God do not have a need to pray for healing in a literal sense of the term. Obviously, those who believe in prayer may well pray for guidance or help in dealing with stress and mental distress related to gender or sex issues.

I suspect the confusion about sex and gender will persist in religious and secular communities. And many will feel guilty about their sexual orientation or gender identity, the way they raised their children who do not identify as heterosexual men or women, or the way they treated people who identified as other than heterosexuals.

Some of us will need to forgive ourselves for things we may have said due to our ignorance about sex and gender. People from my generation who entered the mental health field had little guidance in these matters. In fact, when I was an undergraduate, homosexuality was still listed as a mental disorder. That classification did not change until 1973 (see Drescher, 2015). The decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders was not unanimous so, it took awhile for those of us in the profession to appreciate human diversity when it comes to matters of sex and gender.

Series posts about Divine Healing

Part 1 Observations and research

Part 2 When healing fails

Part 3 Mental Illness & Psychotherapy

Part 4 “Healing” of Sexual or Gender Disorders

You may be interested in A House Divided, which presents various Christian views on LGBTQ issues and other matters of sexuality.

Professors may obtain exam copies from the publisher.

Research: Gay Marriage and Gay Rights 2021

 

June 8 2021 by Justin McCarthy

Looking back on 2021, the issue of same-sex marriage is less divisive than it was a few years ago. Survey data indicate growing support for same-sex marriage among US political groups and those who identify themselves as Christian.

Some Christian groups have split over the topic and others seem about to split (e.g., US United methodists).

This post contains some data published in 2021. I have included links for those wanting more details.

Gallup researchers reported that Americans strongly supported gay marriage in 2021.

Key findings from the 2021 Gallup poll indicated support at 70%, which is up 10% since the US Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage.

Officially, most Christian groups oppose gay marriage. Since most Americans identify as Christian, the official position of the church groups is not reflected in the survey results.

A related metric is the change in support among Republicans, which is the political home to most conservative Christians. The support for gay marriage was at 55%, which is the first time most Republicans endorsed support for gay marriage.

A trendline shows a dramatic increase since the 1996 survey showing 27% support.

The survey question was phrased as follows:

“Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?”

Gallup Poll link

**********

US Discrimination

Should people who identify as LGBTQ be protected against discrimination?

According to results of a survey reported by PRRI in March 2021, most Americans said yes—support was measured at 76%.

US political party affiliation showed majority support: Democrats 85%, Independents 78%, Republicans 62%.

Support for nondiscrimination protection was above average for all identified religious groups.

 The lowest support was 62 among White evangelical Protestants compared to 82% for White mainline Protestants. The level of support was above 70% for Jews (79%) and most Christian groups.

 

US Same Sex Marriage

The PPRI survey also explored support for same-sex marriage among religious groups. Here are some of the data:

White Catholics 75%

Hispanic Catholics 71%

Evangelical Protestants 43%

Jewish 80%

For the full report, see PPRI

**********

Same-Sex Marriage World Survey

Statista reported findings from a world survey June 14, 2021. The survey by Ipsos included 19,000 respondents in 27 countries.

Strong support was found in Europe and North America. The lowest levels were from Russia and Malaysia. See the report for more details.

You can download the report from the Ipsos page.

**********

The Church

The official position of churches is at variance with the views of some congregants as can be seen above. The issue of same-sex marriage continued to be in the news during 2021.

The largest Christian group in the world is the Roman Catholic Church. On March 15 2021, the Vatican issued a clear statement on same-sex unions.

The Roman Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex marriages, no matter how stable or positive the couples' relationships are, the Vatican said on Monday. The message, approved by Pope Francis, came in response to questions about whether the church should reflect the increasing social and legal acceptance of same-sex unions.

Some protestant groups support same-sex marriages or unions but most do not. A current resource listing the positions of religious groups can be found at HRC.  

Examples of groups supporting marriage for same-sex couples:

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Judaism (Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform), Presbyterian Church USA, Religious Society of Friends, United Church of Christ.

Examples of groups not supporting marriage for same-sex couples:

Southern Baptists- two churches removed because of LGBTQ inclusion.

Assemblies of God- Feb 25 2021

The US United Methodist Church appears headed toward a split over LGBTQ inclusion. RNS Nov 22 2021

Same-Sex Marriage is one of the issues in A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures

Learn more about the moral dimensions forming the arguments about same-sex relationships and other moral issues that divide Christian Groups.

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LGBTQ+ Rights January 2021

Methodist Church 2020

Gay and Christian Matthew Turner 2020

Conversion Therapist Comes Out and Apologizes 2019

LGBTQ+ Rights and Concerns 2021 USA

 Christian and American Values

One of the social issues that divide Christians is support for LGBTQ+ rights. A year ago, Rev. Franklin Graham included LGBTQ concerns as part of his "2020: A Nation on the Brink" article. He asked readers: "Will the ungodly sexual agenda of the LGBTQ lobby be forced down the throats of our schools and our children?” (See January 7 2020)

As of January 2021,  lawmakers in 14 US states had introduced bills limiting LGBTQ+ rights according to CNN. The subject of the bills vary but several focus on the rights of Transpersons. A few issues to watch are attitudes about participation in sports, use of public restrooms, and gender-affirming healthcare. Because most Americans identify as Christian, these issues are Christian issues too. NBC is also covering the new bills.

According to governing .com, half of the people in the US live in states that do not have protections for LBGTQ+ persons. During 2020, the Human Rights Campaign reported there were 379 bills supporting equality for LGBTQ and 185 bills considered anti-LGBTQ. Concerns include access to housing, employment, public places and credit according to the article.

Conversion therapy is also on legislative agendas as can be seen in this search for "conversion therapy bill 2021."

The Equality Act

People who identify as LGBTQ+ are seeking protection in the Equality Act. A point of concern for religious conservatives is an exemption from regulations that interfere with the practice of their beliefs. It appears that some changes will become law this year but it is not evident what those changes will be. (Status update, March 16, 2021 WP).

Transgender Youth

Several states are considering limitations on healthcare for transgender youth. A May 23 episode of CBS 60 minutes addressed some of the concerns. The story included gender dysphoria and detransitioning.

Churches, Christian Schools, and Organizations

Christian leaders would do well to inform their congregants/employees/ students about the needs and concerns of people who identify as LGBTQ+ --especially transpersons. At a minimum, it would be helpful to encourage Christians to show love and respect toward people who identify as LGBTQ+ even as individual Christians wrestle with their moral stance. Too often, people can oppose an entire set of rights without considering the impact on the people of a specific right. Even worse are personal attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals who suffer real abuse when people vehemently disagree about laws and policies.

I would also hope that more and more Christians will learn about sex and gender and that Christian universities and seminaries include required sex education courses for all students.

Learn more about sex, morality, and Christian Cultures in A House Divided-- a text recommended by conservative Evangelicals. Publisher Link

Different views on Abortion, LGBTQ+ issues, and women are among the topics in A House Divided.

Also, consider Christian Morality--a text used in Christian University courses. Publisher Link

Christian philosopher, Brandon Schmidly addresses abortion in his Christian Morality Chapter.

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Shocking Conversion Therapy LGBTQ+

Shock Treatment image / BBC

It is no secret that sexual orientation is a concern to many religious people. Christians point to texts to support the view that same-sex relations are sinful. Other Christians interpret the same texts differently.

Advances in psychotherapy included strategies for helping people change behavior. However, ethical concerns arise when a treatment causes harm--especially when a treatment produces more harmful effects than beneficial effects. The harmfulness of sexual orientation change efforts is what concerns professional organizations like the APA, which established a policy based on evidence of harm.

In November 2020, a decision in the US state of Florida overturned ordinances aimed at the protection of minors from potential harm caused by attempts to change the sexual orientation of minors by licensed mental health clinicians (APA, 2020 November 22).

Earlier today (16 Dec 2020), BBC news published an article that tells the story of a gay man (now age 74) who underwent an extreme form of change therapy using electric shock in his 20s. He seeks an apology for the treatment, which caused considerable suffering. The article offers details of his pain (e.g., PTSD, job loss) and the response of the university, where the man obtained the treatment. 

Interestingly, he tells the story of his relationship with a woman who became his wife and a good friend.

What's also of interest is the university statement about conversion therapy and the current state of such therapies in the UK.

Diverse Christian attitudes toward people who identify as LGBTQ+ is one of the topics in the highly recommended

A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures

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Protestants Pummel Pope

 

Pople Francis/ Wikipedia

Recently, Pope Francis either said something perceived as controversial or had his words interpreted to mean something outrageous in the views of conservative Christians.

Protestant fundamentalists have a long history of attacking the Pope and Catholicism. And Catholics have fought against Protestants. Some of the recent attacks on social media focus on the Pope rather than Catholics. What is difficult at present is the presence of a Catholic running for president of the US. If elected, he would be the second Catholic president—the first was John F. Kennedy. Those who recall the Kennedy campaign know conservative Protestants were skeptical of Kennedy and Catholics in general.(About Kennedy and anti-Catholic bias).

So, what’s the big deal this time?

1. Firstly, a topic of great concern to conservative Christians is same-sex relationships. The Pope cannot win on this topic. From one perspective, he appears kind and conciliatory toward people in same-sex relationships. He empathizes with their desire to live in loving relationships—that sounds nice for some, but not all. From a second perspective, he does not support a Christian marriage—only civil unions, which leaves same-sex couples in an inferior position (e.g., CNN). From a third perspective, the Pope endorses sin because he does not condemn “homosexuality” and same-sex relationships.

 

2. Secondly, the Independent story from 2015 was recently (October 2020) circulated on social media with the headline, “Pope Francis assures atheists: You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven.” When you read the story, there is nothing at all about atheists going to heaven. The story quotes the Pope as emphasizing God’s love and mercy:

“…God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.”

Why is that news? And why are conservative US Christians posting this a few weeks before the election that has a Catholic ahead of a Protestant in the polls?

           Here’s one relevant Bible passage that of course can be, and has been, attacked by people who wish to interpret it differently (Romans 2: 13-16 (NIV).

           Perhaps a different example is relevant. Sincere Christians who believe people must confess belief in Christ have wondered what happens to people who have never heard the Gospel? The concern is something like would a loving and merciful God send them off to hell? Christians are divided on this but most want to trust God to be just.

A related conundrum is the worry of parents about infants that die without a salvation experience. Most belief that infants go to heaven despite the lack of expressed belief in Jesus as Savior. No one wants a preverbal baby or a toddler to burn in hell for eternity for lack of salvation because they did not express their belief in Jesus as is commonly taught in many churches. Instead, exceptions to the “belief” requirement are provided. You can find a Googleplex of ideas about infant salvation—I found over 3.6 million in less than a second! You might also know that people worry about salvation for the intellectually disabled who do not understand the gospel and the traditional requirements.

Well, I am not a theologian or a Bible scholar so I won’t wade too deeply into these murky waters.

*********************

Some thoughts on the attacks

It is no surprise that Christians are divided over doctrine. So many are certain they have the right answers and make proclaim these answers in a haughty manner.

It is also no surprise to see Protestants attack a Pope. Nor is it surprising to see charges of antichrist hurled at the Pope as I saw this week. Sadly, social media does not permit people to hold a civil discussion with each other or humbly interact with the Pope to understand his thinking or even a greater context.

Although most of us are dependent on news sources to get information about leaders we will likely never meet, news sources are usually out to earn a profit. Headlines get attention and entice readers like you and I, which are important to ad revenue. Click, click, $$.

Election battles can be vicious affairs. Adding religion to the mix increases tension and divides one group against another energized by hatred and feelings of moral superiority.

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Lessons From the Tale of a Queer Parson

Rebecca Parson is an American Patriot, a Woman, a Christian, and Queer.

Parson’s tale represents in one person several ways in which Christians are a House Divided in 2020. That is, Christians are divided by political party, sexist policies, religious beliefs, and their response to people who identify as LGBTQIA+. By learning about her position, Christians can clarify their own stance even if they strongly disagree. Parson has posted her agenda on her website, so it is easy to see what she is for and against.

Patriotism, Male Privilege, Sexism, Genderism

It is no secret that the US flag and the military have strong support among Republicans. However, Democrats have a long history or supporting the flag and the troops most evident during WWII. No party can claim to be more American. People have always interpreted the US Constitution in different ways. Parson supports the constitution.

It’s axiomatic that women do not experience equality in most nations. Despite capturing the right to vote a century ago in western societies, women have only recently approached equality in national leadership. The largest democracy, the US, still has not had a woman president or vice president. That could change soon.

The leaders of large religious groups are often in lockstep with their national leaders when it comes to cultural values. In the US, the secular state leads the religious bodies when it comes to women’s rights. Only a few religious groups ordain women and within that restrictive set of the faithful, only a few women hold high positions of leadership. Ironically, theologically conservative Pentecostals have a history of women in the pulpit and in education albeit, male support for respect and equality has an uneven history. And, as is well known, there are no women priests in the largest Christian group, the Catholic church, which is Parson’s church.

Support for the rights of people who identify as LGBTQIA+ is also uneven. Although the US Supreme Court ruling allowed same-sex marriage, most religious groups do not support same-sex marriage. People who identify as gay or lesbian are outsiders when it comes to leadership in most churches. Parson identifies as queer.

Now a Parson is running for office.

 Rebecca Parson is an American patriot, a woman, a Christian, and Queer.

 Her story is worth reading to understand a less well-known perspective on patriotism and faith (See Singh, 2020).

 What about women’s’ rights? Parson is an advocate- no surprise there.

 Some conservative Christian leaders openly oppose what they view as the LGBTQIA+ agenda (See for example Franklin Graham’s election concerns for 2020). Parson does not hide her view about gaining rights for people who identify as LGBTQIA+. Her agenda is public.

 Learn more about Parson’s position on the issues of 2020 at her website.

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