When the apostle Paul prayed that the false teachers troubling the church at Galatia would emasculate themselves, he surely did not envision the disturbing fulfillment of such an entreaty as reported in the latest edition of Newsweek.
When the apostle Paul prayed that the false teachers troubling the church at Galatia would emasculate themselves, he surely did not envision the disturbing fulfillment of such an entreaty as reported in the latest edition of Newsweek.
Under the headline “Gender and the Pulpit,” the newsweekly bemoans the “workplace quandary” facing ministers who have surgically altered their gender. The article examines the obvious and even ironic difficulties facing a minister who suffers from “permanent gender ambiguity.”
The author quotes numerous “transgender ministers” who attended a gathering this past weekend held at Pacific School of Religion, the first “Transgender Religious Summit.”
Pacific, an ultra left-wing ecumenical seminary in Berkeley, Calif., prepares students for ordination in Protestant denominations that include United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church and the Disciples of Christ. At its website, Pacific articulates its purpose as “Equipping historic and emerging faith communities for ministries of compassion and justice.”
The article offers an uncontested platform for “transgender ministers” to air their grievances about conservative religious ideologies that have kept them “in the closet” with regard to their true sexual identity. The story does not include an evangelical response.
“Transgendered people are beginning to find their public voice with more advocates and opportunities for protection,” explains Justin Tanis, an ordained minister who helped put together the summit—and who was born female.
Ministers quoted in the article accuse conservative Christians of twisting Scripture out of context in order to treat “transsexuals and other people with ambiguous gender as having psychological defects that can be cured with psychotherapy.”
Ironically, one female minister, formerly a man, then quotes Isaiah 56:1-5—a passage that begins with a command of God to “do righteousness,” a portion of the verse that is left out of the article— and says she uses it to locate evidence “of God’s love for her unique case.”
Sadly, one “transgender minister” finds ultimate vindication, not in the gospel of God in Christ, but in the government; Tanis expresses hope that the Democrat party’s recently gained majority in Congress will create a political climate in Washington such that transgender activists will “finally be heard…on the issue of workplace rights.”
The entire article may be viewed at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16774861/site/newsweek/from/ET/
You, too, can help support the ministry of CBMW. We are a non-profit organization that is fully-funded by individual gifts and ministry partnerships. Your contribution will go directly toward the production of more gospel-centered, church-equipping resources.
Menu
