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-Dr Rosemary Varghese
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness… -Ephesians 6:12
The recent shooting and murder that took place at a Catholic school at Nashville, US, continues to be shrouded in mystery even after weeks of investigation into the motive behind the killings. Though these insane shootings are not uncommon in today’s world, this one stands apart because the 28-year-old killer, Audrey Hale, identified as a transgender, and was an alumnus of the school she targeted for the attack. Police have found that she was emotionally disturbed and had planned the attack for months before the actual execution. Though no official confirmation has been presented about a possible motive for the killings, the anti-Christian element in this seemingly senseless act is slowly gaining momentum.
Best selling author Jonathan Cahn was among the first to bring this up, and he claims that Hale may have been ‘possessed'’ and thus driven to attack the Catholic institution owing to their stand against the transgender movement that has taken America by storm.
Whether we choose to accept this or not, we cannot deny that a powerful lobby in the US is actively promoting the idea of sex conversion and transgenderism among innocent school-going children and adolescents. An earlier article titled “The Woke Agenda” featured under Radio Veritas Asia’s Perspectives-Viewpoint gives a detailed account of this deadly malaise, and the pivotal role that Walt Disney had in advancing this idea. Right from their primary classes, children are encouraged to feel that they need not necessarily accept their natural gender. They have the freedom of choice, and once they decide they want to change their sex, their decision is final. Parental permission is not a requirement for children to begin the clinical procedure.
Abigail Shrier, who has authored a book on the subject of adolescent transgenderism titled Irreversible Damage speaks of the sharp rise in transgender clinics in recent times. US had one clinic in 2007 and now the numbers stand at 300. Businesses, medical practitioners and social activists alike have jumped into a common bandwagon disguised under the banner of humanism and freedom of choice. Their personal motives, however, are more ambitious. Profiteering comes first, but they also have a long term plan in place. Trans clinics use puberty blockers and hormone treatment for their young patients, which leads to sterility in most cases. This would ultimately help the power centres to transfer the reproductive function to the tech sector, a goal which has many diabolical possibilities. The groundwork has begun in full swing in schools in the US where children are counseled on their rights to change their sex, and if they show an inclination, they are referred to trans clinics where they undergo a complete deconstruction of their sex organs.
Christians who believe in the authority of God’s Word find it difficult to take a legitimate stand on the issue of transgenderism and same sex relationships. Social borders are getting blurred across geographies as a large section of college students today are openly gay, or trans, or supporters. Where does that leave the parents who are torn between religious sentiments, and their love and responsibility towards an offspring who confronts them with this unpalatable reality?
For a Christian to make a considered decision on this sensitive issue, it is important for us, on the one hand, to know what the Bible says on the subject, and on the other hand, to understand the shocking reality of this dangerous social pandemic that has taken root in the West, and is fanning out across the world, with a clear long-term anti-Christ agenda .
Taking up the first question, I wish to start with a quotation from Mark’s Gospel . Jesus is seen discussing the question of divorce with the Pharisees. He reminds them of the creation of Man and Woman described in Genesis 1:27. In no unclear terms He says: “But at the beginning of creation God created them male and female”-Mark 10:6. It was God’s decision to differentiate genders, assigning each with their special physical, mental and emotional attributes. They were created to be companions as well as sexual partners, and then progress to parenthood.
Having said that, it is important to add that transgenders and eunuchs have been part of society from time immemorial. Mathew’s Gospel refers to three categories of eunuchs— For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven-Mathew 19:12
St Mathew’s first classification exists even today and they comprise of individuals with disorders of sex development. Just as we find a small group of differently abled children and adults in society, a miniscule percentage of the population comprises of transgenders who stand apart from others due to their reverse sexual orientation, and they deserve social acceptance, rehabilitation, as well as medical and psychological aid.
The second classification refers to the historical account of the cruel castration of boys before puberty, during ancient times, when monarchs and kings wanted guards for their harems and queens. This practice was prevalent in Asia and Europe but waned with the advancement and education of civilizations across the world. Today, in its place, a new form of castration has evolved, perpetrated by the monarchs of our present world— the pharma industry, medical institutions, law firms and LGBT activists. They have come together with the single-minded objective of destroying Gods kingdom, and creating and controlling their own global empire. Using modern-day catchwords like freedom and autonomy, they have launched their attack on society’s most vulnerable section—innocent school children and adolescents.
The process adopted is ruthless from start to finish. Educational institutions receive funds from LGBT organizations on condition that the schools promote their ideology. Teachers take this up by encouraging primary school children to decide what sex they want to be, and to choose the appropriate name and pronoun for themselves. These confused youngsters are then sent down the medical pathway. Practitioners at gender clinics put them on puberty blockers, followed by hormone treatment. This leads to sterility in most, if not all the young patients, and they have no other choice but to subject themselves to further expensive trans-sexual interventions. At no point is any permission required from the guardians or parents of the child. The child’s decision is final!
The third classification refers to voluntary celibacy, similar to the vow taken by Catholic priests and nuns today. As this community does not come under the transgender umbrella, it is not within the scope of this discussion.
Among the two classifications under consideration, the Bible teaches us to be empathetic to this community who have been either born with sexual aberrations, or have been cruelly castrated by others.
Isaiah comes out strongly in favour of transgenders who are devoted to God.
To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters;
-Isaiah 56 4-5 The Acts has the famous example of how the Holy Spirit guided Philip to the chariot of an Ethiopian eunuch , a senior official of the Ethiopian Queen. Philip was given the task of explaining the scripture to the eunuch, and before he reached his destination, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. God’s kingdom is open for all people who are faithful to the true God and eunuchs and transgenders are undoubtedly welcome to be part of God’s faithful people.
Once we have understood the Christian standpoint on this issue, through the biblical lens, we need to take a closer look at the problem that confronts us today. The castration of school-going children in the present era is fundamentally different from the physical cruelty that was inflicted on eunuchs in the past. This has more subtle overtones. The influencers, who could be teachers, social activists or even their peer group, present this ideology to their target audience in the name of unrestrained freedom— something that is irresistible to the younger generation. Never mind your natural sex, you have the freedom to choose who you want to be! Children and young adults, especially those who suffer from mental or emotional inadequacies, fall easy prey to this pie in the sky that is being offered to them through their mentors. They are made to believe that a sex change procedure would set things right for them. Added to this, it gives them a special status among their peers if they claim to be on cross sex hormone treatment.
What they don’t know at this point of time is that the medical procedure for sex change is irreversible. Should they realise at a later stage that a sex change was not really the solution to their personal problem, there is nothing that can be done about it. They also know very little of the physical and emotional consequences of the procedure. Research into the after-effects of this reveals that there is a high incidence of osteoporosis among its young patients. Suicide rates are high, and mental depression is a common outcome. For some sinister reason, these realities are swept under the carpet as transgenderism continues to gain popularity in western society today.
Clearly, this medical procedure is unsafe, and its widespread propaganda smacks of unholy objectives that are fueling a long-term agenda that is demonic and materialistic. From a Christian point of view, the ideology is satanic in intent and execution. Genesis 1:27-28 shows us how God created man and woman as complimentary human beings whose physical union was interwoven with love and togetherness, and that resulted in the institution of family where children would ‘grow up and mature in a correct relationship represented by the masculinity and femininity of a father and a mother.’ This has been quoted from a document released by the Vatican (2019) on gender theory in education. Sex change procedures seek to create a sterile population which will be the final death knell for the institution of family—God’s first gift to mankind
As Catholics, then, there is no question of a compromise when it comes to the issue of sex change and its attendant medical procedures. However, we need to tackle a generation who is being nurtured on this ideology. Conscious parenting in the early stages of childhood could go a long way to give children strength and maturity to be happy about themselves as they are. A familiarity with God’s Word and regular prayer routines will help them counter opposing cultural values. If, unfortunately, inspite of our best efforts, we still have to deal with children who confront us with painful decisions regarding these issues, our best bet would be to listen with understanding and gently mentor them in the best way possible to delay their decision for an adequate time period. More often than not, children get over these quirks, along with many of their other adolescent notions, and things settle down soon enough. Our faith in the Almighty will do the rest.