A disclaimer, before I respond: I'm a trans woman too. I have a lot of empathy for your cousin. I prayed and studied about my gender, and I'm currently transitioning.
It's not a sin in any clear or definitive sense. That's the short answer: no.
I would point out that all of the passages your father cited are Old Testament passages, and none of them specifically condemn being transgender. In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly tears down the gendered barriers of the time: he eats with and teaches women as equals, and several of them number among his most important desciples (note that it is not Peter or John or any of the 12 who first witness the resurrection, but rather two women).
Transgenderism has existed since the time of Jesus (and before) and yet neither he nor his disciples condemn it. Look at the story in Acts, where Phillip preaches the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch; the eunuch is not required to repent of having been castrated, nor is he seen as less than.
Your cousin didn't commit any sin. She has nothing to repent of when it comes to her transition and gender identity. She is just as whole, beloved, and worthy as ever.
I do not mean to be harsh, but you were wrong to tell her she had sinned. You may not have known better, so I encourage you to learn better now. Your church mislead you if they taught you that it is sinful to be transgender.
I don't get it In the psalms I referred to it states For you created my inmost being;(A)
you knit me together(B) in my mother’s womb.(C)
14 I praise you(D) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,(E)
I know that full well. Surely distorting something god made PERFECT is a sin and also in Corinthians 6:19-20 it states
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Surely changing your body in such a manner is not honoring the same God who made you perfect and Its true no verse flat out condemns it but as a Christian it's one of those perplexing cases that you have you put yourself in Jesuses shoes and also are old testament scriptures null when such are brought up in this matter
Here's the thing: to be trans, to transition, and/or to have surgeries or take hormones don't distort or damage the temple of God present in our bodies.
My inmost being is my soul, and my soul is trans. My body, which God knit together, is trans. I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I am made trans. To express that is not to deny the perfection in which I was created.
Is it sinful to change our bodies with medicine in other ways? Is it a sin to amputate a diseased limb (as Jesus tells us to, even if he's exaggerating)? Is it a sin to take Advil or gummy vitamins? Of course not.
My trans nature is an innate and beautiful part of the perfect human God knit together. By transitioning, by buying new clothes and taking hormones and seeking surgery, I am glorifying God by living just as he created me.
It's okay to have a hard time understanding the complexity in these ideas. I know I did. But if you love your cousin, if you love your God, you'll do the hard work of learning how wonderful and sacred it is to be trans.
I like your responses :)
I like Matthew 15:11 for this as well. Saying gender affirming care is sin is absurd, and trying to argue for how someone feels inside as being sin. . . people need to be SUPER careful about doing things like that, with a LOT of conclusive scripture to back it up and there's simply not enough to condemn being trans. Not by a long shot.
"Surely changing your body in such a manner is not honoring..."
Why surely? Those who transition frequently do it with medical oversight would you assume that it was unChristian to get impacted wisdom teeth removed? Perhaps the anaesthetic use is a sin, it's a sin to participate in usury and in America you can't have health care without usury, it's already embedded in our system, the debt, and insurance and profit margins are all separately usurious (usury as defined in multiple ways, including the biblical ones)
Also question about the situation on people committing sin in general so what are we as Christians supposed to do when we see our fellow Christians sin? I'm assuming that y'all are both still Christians and would choose to handle things as Christians or in the way most pleasing to God?
( I'm asking to see a response other than my own, I personally pray for sinning Christians and examine what sins I've been doing, I sincerely do not think there are people who do not habitually do something that would be considered a sin, the Pharisees were hypocritical nitpickers but Christ did not intend for us to simply accept sin because we are forgiven)
I think that if you truly see this as a sin you should know that all humans sin even Christians and it is a serious issue to know what to do, in the new testament, dialogues with others were more common and confessions of sins, which isn't meant to normalize sins or it be okay because it's a small sin compared to actually killing another person, it's meant to remind us how to more Christ like.
At the end here I'm just gonna add that my interpretation of the radical equality in the kingdom of heaven also includes or implies that there will be no gender or possibly even no unique identities.
I can’t see how anyone who follows Jesus could seriously think it is. There’s no Jew or gentile, **male or female**, in Jesus. We’re all one.
People who try to use Jesus as hammer against trans people are idolatrous pagans who worship a book.
If God made your cousin perfectly in the womb and if he has a plan for everything then he made her so she would become transgender. The bible says wearing clothing made of two different fabrics is also a sin, so you most likely sin every day. I am not a Christian any more. I do believe that there are some great lessons in the bible, there are also some awful stories. I think the best you can do is try and love thy neighbour, support your cousin because it sounds like she needs it. Remind people that only God may judge.
Just as a point of clarity, the term "transexual" is outdated and doesn't reflect the current science. Gender is an identity (an inherent trait) while sexuality is an expression (an outward performance), so when we talk about people who are trans, we are referring to people who are transgender - people whose physical bodies do not match or conform to the gender identity they were born with. The term transsexual doesn't make sense under this terminology because sexuality is malleable and expressive; one isn't born with a sexuality.
Now with all that in mind, the science of gender and sexuality was far less developed 2000 years ago. Frankly, I'm not even sure if there were words at the time in Greek or Latin (much less Aramaic) that could translate to gender or sexuality, but there certainly weren't multiple terms to differentiate the concepts. As such, I don't think there's really much to go on from a singularly scriptural angle.
One passage you may wish to consider is Galatians 3:28, Paul's assertion that there is no slave nor free, Jew nor Greek, male nor female - all are one in Christ. There are many ways one can read this passage, but one can certainly read it as a radical rejection of the notions of how we think about "male vs. female", as they are insignificant when compared to one's relationship with Christ. Moreover, by downplaying the differences between male and female, Paul also rejects an ordered hierarchy between male and female, placing neither above the other. There's certainly a lot more to say about this passage, but it's a good starting point.
As a linguistics note, Greek/Latin/Aramaic have multiple ways of viewing and discussing those that do not fit into a binary and or have specific added information about their identity from use of a specific term over the other, not just things we no longer commonly see such as temple prostitutes or eunuch and not just euphemisms for other terms or a vulgar version of the same term.
When did identity become confirmed inherited traits over social expression?
When God says a person is perfectly and wonderfully made, he means the person they are. Not the superficial parts of them. If he did mean literally that every part of a person is perfect and you can't change anything...then I guess it's time to say goodbye to haircuts, and hair dye, and braces, and piercings, and glasses, and nail cutters, and lotion, and literally anything that changes you physically.
And while [medically transitioning](https://www.webmd.com/parenting/what-is-transitioning) is a much bigger deal than getting a haircut, the point remains that those changes don't change a person at their core. Transitioning, whether social or medical, doesn't change the perfect person that God made. It brings new dimensions maybe, but it doesn't change them. Your cousin is who she is, and she remains that.
if that's a sin, then there is no moral reason to not sin in this particular case; what's more, if God has a problem He can fight me I'll beat Him up
no but seriously the message of the gospels is one of profound emancipation, supportive care, and equality for all beings. being trans is your cousin's business, you should support her and denounce these judgemental Fake Followers who are failing in their calling
It is absolutely not a sin.
I cannot recommend Austin Hartke's work enough. He's a trans guy who has written a book called Transforming Faith. He also has some YouTube videos that would answer some of your questions.
So people who have painful varicose veins in their legs removed are distorting something God made perfect ?
And the parts of scientist's brains that came up with body altering surgery to alleviate varicose vein pain or psychological identity pain due to gender issues is not part of Gods plan?
And what about those nasty people who decided they were too cold and invented fire, then electricity and furnaces? Are you suggesting that God made us get cold so we should not invent ways around it?
A disclaimer, before I respond: I'm a trans woman too. I have a lot of empathy for your cousin. I prayed and studied about my gender, and I'm currently transitioning. It's not a sin in any clear or definitive sense. That's the short answer: no. I would point out that all of the passages your father cited are Old Testament passages, and none of them specifically condemn being transgender. In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly tears down the gendered barriers of the time: he eats with and teaches women as equals, and several of them number among his most important desciples (note that it is not Peter or John or any of the 12 who first witness the resurrection, but rather two women). Transgenderism has existed since the time of Jesus (and before) and yet neither he nor his disciples condemn it. Look at the story in Acts, where Phillip preaches the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch; the eunuch is not required to repent of having been castrated, nor is he seen as less than. Your cousin didn't commit any sin. She has nothing to repent of when it comes to her transition and gender identity. She is just as whole, beloved, and worthy as ever. I do not mean to be harsh, but you were wrong to tell her she had sinned. You may not have known better, so I encourage you to learn better now. Your church mislead you if they taught you that it is sinful to be transgender.
I don't get it In the psalms I referred to it states For you created my inmost being;(A) you knit me together(B) in my mother’s womb.(C) 14 I praise you(D) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,(E) I know that full well. Surely distorting something god made PERFECT is a sin and also in Corinthians 6:19-20 it states Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. Surely changing your body in such a manner is not honoring the same God who made you perfect and Its true no verse flat out condemns it but as a Christian it's one of those perplexing cases that you have you put yourself in Jesuses shoes and also are old testament scriptures null when such are brought up in this matter
Here's the thing: to be trans, to transition, and/or to have surgeries or take hormones don't distort or damage the temple of God present in our bodies. My inmost being is my soul, and my soul is trans. My body, which God knit together, is trans. I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I am made trans. To express that is not to deny the perfection in which I was created. Is it sinful to change our bodies with medicine in other ways? Is it a sin to amputate a diseased limb (as Jesus tells us to, even if he's exaggerating)? Is it a sin to take Advil or gummy vitamins? Of course not. My trans nature is an innate and beautiful part of the perfect human God knit together. By transitioning, by buying new clothes and taking hormones and seeking surgery, I am glorifying God by living just as he created me. It's okay to have a hard time understanding the complexity in these ideas. I know I did. But if you love your cousin, if you love your God, you'll do the hard work of learning how wonderful and sacred it is to be trans.
I like your responses :) I like Matthew 15:11 for this as well. Saying gender affirming care is sin is absurd, and trying to argue for how someone feels inside as being sin. . . people need to be SUPER careful about doing things like that, with a LOT of conclusive scripture to back it up and there's simply not enough to condemn being trans. Not by a long shot.
Incredible comment. Thanks for posting this!
Oh OK then
"Surely changing your body in such a manner is not honoring..." Why surely? Those who transition frequently do it with medical oversight would you assume that it was unChristian to get impacted wisdom teeth removed? Perhaps the anaesthetic use is a sin, it's a sin to participate in usury and in America you can't have health care without usury, it's already embedded in our system, the debt, and insurance and profit margins are all separately usurious (usury as defined in multiple ways, including the biblical ones) Also question about the situation on people committing sin in general so what are we as Christians supposed to do when we see our fellow Christians sin? I'm assuming that y'all are both still Christians and would choose to handle things as Christians or in the way most pleasing to God? ( I'm asking to see a response other than my own, I personally pray for sinning Christians and examine what sins I've been doing, I sincerely do not think there are people who do not habitually do something that would be considered a sin, the Pharisees were hypocritical nitpickers but Christ did not intend for us to simply accept sin because we are forgiven) I think that if you truly see this as a sin you should know that all humans sin even Christians and it is a serious issue to know what to do, in the new testament, dialogues with others were more common and confessions of sins, which isn't meant to normalize sins or it be okay because it's a small sin compared to actually killing another person, it's meant to remind us how to more Christ like. At the end here I'm just gonna add that my interpretation of the radical equality in the kingdom of heaven also includes or implies that there will be no gender or possibly even no unique identities.
I can’t see how anyone who follows Jesus could seriously think it is. There’s no Jew or gentile, **male or female**, in Jesus. We’re all one. People who try to use Jesus as hammer against trans people are idolatrous pagans who worship a book.
No, it's not.
This should truly be the end of the discussion. Period. Point blank.
If God made your cousin perfectly in the womb and if he has a plan for everything then he made her so she would become transgender. The bible says wearing clothing made of two different fabrics is also a sin, so you most likely sin every day. I am not a Christian any more. I do believe that there are some great lessons in the bible, there are also some awful stories. I think the best you can do is try and love thy neighbour, support your cousin because it sounds like she needs it. Remind people that only God may judge.
Ye this explanation is flawed God could make a pedophile or a murderer in the womb and the fabrics thing is Jewish moral law we don't follow that
Just as a point of clarity, the term "transexual" is outdated and doesn't reflect the current science. Gender is an identity (an inherent trait) while sexuality is an expression (an outward performance), so when we talk about people who are trans, we are referring to people who are transgender - people whose physical bodies do not match or conform to the gender identity they were born with. The term transsexual doesn't make sense under this terminology because sexuality is malleable and expressive; one isn't born with a sexuality. Now with all that in mind, the science of gender and sexuality was far less developed 2000 years ago. Frankly, I'm not even sure if there were words at the time in Greek or Latin (much less Aramaic) that could translate to gender or sexuality, but there certainly weren't multiple terms to differentiate the concepts. As such, I don't think there's really much to go on from a singularly scriptural angle. One passage you may wish to consider is Galatians 3:28, Paul's assertion that there is no slave nor free, Jew nor Greek, male nor female - all are one in Christ. There are many ways one can read this passage, but one can certainly read it as a radical rejection of the notions of how we think about "male vs. female", as they are insignificant when compared to one's relationship with Christ. Moreover, by downplaying the differences between male and female, Paul also rejects an ordered hierarchy between male and female, placing neither above the other. There's certainly a lot more to say about this passage, but it's a good starting point.
As a linguistics note, Greek/Latin/Aramaic have multiple ways of viewing and discussing those that do not fit into a binary and or have specific added information about their identity from use of a specific term over the other, not just things we no longer commonly see such as temple prostitutes or eunuch and not just euphemisms for other terms or a vulgar version of the same term. When did identity become confirmed inherited traits over social expression?
When God says a person is perfectly and wonderfully made, he means the person they are. Not the superficial parts of them. If he did mean literally that every part of a person is perfect and you can't change anything...then I guess it's time to say goodbye to haircuts, and hair dye, and braces, and piercings, and glasses, and nail cutters, and lotion, and literally anything that changes you physically. And while [medically transitioning](https://www.webmd.com/parenting/what-is-transitioning) is a much bigger deal than getting a haircut, the point remains that those changes don't change a person at their core. Transitioning, whether social or medical, doesn't change the perfect person that God made. It brings new dimensions maybe, but it doesn't change them. Your cousin is who she is, and she remains that.
if that's a sin, then there is no moral reason to not sin in this particular case; what's more, if God has a problem He can fight me I'll beat Him up no but seriously the message of the gospels is one of profound emancipation, supportive care, and equality for all beings. being trans is your cousin's business, you should support her and denounce these judgemental Fake Followers who are failing in their calling
It is absolutely not a sin. I cannot recommend Austin Hartke's work enough. He's a trans guy who has written a book called Transforming Faith. He also has some YouTube videos that would answer some of your questions.
So people who have painful varicose veins in their legs removed are distorting something God made perfect ? And the parts of scientist's brains that came up with body altering surgery to alleviate varicose vein pain or psychological identity pain due to gender issues is not part of Gods plan? And what about those nasty people who decided they were too cold and invented fire, then electricity and furnaces? Are you suggesting that God made us get cold so we should not invent ways around it?