Reply To: Transgender People of Faith

#57449
clewisclewis
Participant

Hi Thom – you’re welcome! Thank you for your candor. I agree with your assessment of St. Paul’s words. And sin is sin, regardless of who commits it.

I don’t think I’ve answered your question fully for myself either. Obviously I’ve had to spend a lot of time dwelling on this subject matter. I definitely feel like I have an ascetic streak, which is difficult enough to properly discern and direct. (There’s obviously a moral and physical difference between fasting and starvation, for example.)

Since John’s writings were divinely inspired, and God cannot contradict himself, then perhaps John is cautioning us that loving the things of this world is wrong insofar as doing so conflicts with loving God as its creator.

Otherwise we would be taking objects created by God for our proper care and stewardship, and converting them into idols in some way.

Per your initial post, I remember all the times when I rejected my curiosity about the other gender, and denied myself any interest or outlet toward feminine activities, expression, etc. I’m not sure if that was self-denial, or self-hatred.

But I was obviously cutting off some deep part of myself. It hurt and it showed. I may well have been a better Christian outwardly, but inwardly I felt like a failure. I’m not sure how good of a Christian example I was then.

The present approach of being visibly transgender doesn’t perfect anything. However, people around me are perhaps now seeing a more fully integrated human being. That person is happier, more giving, submissive to Church authority, and less quick to offer my unsolicited opinions.

Since my personal and professional relationships are of the long-term variety, all this has been noticed. Perhaps it reflects more favorably on me as a Christian, although I cannot know this for certain.

At any rate, minds and feelings do appear to have been transformed for the better. Hopefully it counts for something in God’s eyes.

Christy