Reformed Evangelical Catholic Press

On Gender Transition and the Christian Response

Chase Reed

by Chase Reed

In the recent United States election that took place on November 5th, 2024, the state of Delaware elected Senator Sarah McBride to the U.S.House of Representatives. McBride is known for being the first openly transgender senator, and upon winning the recent election this November, is now the first openly transgender member of Congress (Associated Press). This acceptance of the transgender lifestyle in the U.S. government is a symptom of an overall trend in the nation as a whole. According to a recent study published by the Williams Institute, over 1.6 million adults (ages 18 and older) and youth (ages 13 to 17) identify as transgender in the US (Herman et al., 2022, p. 1). Many of those who consider themselves transgender will seek certain medicines that affect their natural hormones or block their puberty advancement. Others will seek what is often termed “Gender Affirming Care” (GAC) in which they have certain body parts (mainly those in the reproductive system) surgically altered or completely removed. A study by the Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery found that between 2016 and 2021, the number of GAC procedures “per year increased nearly 500%…from 421 procedures to 2,224 procedures” (Ha et al., 2024, p. 47). With this evidence in mind, it is clear that the trend of transgenderism is on a steady rise. This research paper seeks to present the current state and effects of transgenderism, uncover the convictions that drive people to affirm it, and put forth both a theology of gender and a proper Christian response to the issue. It will also include my own pastoral strategies for teaching and leading the people in my specific ministry context to live biblically in a world that continues to affirm the trans ideology.

Current State of the Issue 

Although transgender individuals believe that medically and surgically transitioning is a safe and healthy option, numerous studies have exposed the true harm that GAC and puberty blockers have had on the transgender population. The latter of the two in particular is marketed towards children who do not have fully developed reproductive organs. Former adolescent psychiatrist and GAC pioneer Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala (2023, October 30) writes that “gender transition has gotten out of hand” and that those who do undergo these procedures end up “possibly [being] sterile, [having] damaged sexual function, [and having] great difficulty in finding romantic partners.” In other words, a transgender person may begin to look like the other gender but will face other medical and social issues brought upon by the GAC. If one is young enough to opt for puberty blockers as opposed to receiving GAC later on in life, there are still numerous issues for them. For example, the blockers do not merely affect one’s hormones but also decrease necessary bone density and brain development (Smith, 2022). This means that children who transition using puberty blockers are at a higher risk for fractures and related injuries. These serious consequences are the reality for those who choose not to merely crossdress but to medically and chemically transition their bodies to look like the opposite gender.

How This Issue Affects Modern Christians

The aforementioned election victory for Senator McBride and the overall trend of people seeking out medicines and GAC operations to appear as the other gender should raise an alarm for those with a worldview that testifies that God created humanity as men and women and intended for them to remain that way for their entire lives (English Standard Version, 2016, Gen. 1:27). Although it is understood in American culture that Christianity does not view transgenderism as compatible with its beliefs, the rise in gender transitions still affects the Church indirectly. Many states are implementing laws where a child can be taken from their parent(s)’ custody should the parent(s) prevent the child from being able to transition. In Texas, Jeff Younger is a father who lost custody of his son following his ex-wife’s belief that their son wanted to change his gender and that the boy’s father’s prevention was harmful (Deese, 2024). This story could indeed happen to any American Christian with young children. It is the duty of the Church to stand up to injustice, which certainly includes children being taken from their parental guardians (2016, Is. 1:17). Likewise, the Church is called to love those dealing with thoughts of transitioning or those who do in fact transition. This does not mean the Church must in any way advocate, approve, or affirm medically or chemically transitioning oneself to the opposing gender. Rather, it means towing the fine line between having courage to stand up for the truth of the biblical view of gender and having respect for human dignity by seeing transgender people as sinners who can be forgiven by the Lord Jesus Christ. As the transgender issue now enters the federal government, Christians will have to seriously understand the background of the gender transition, as well as be aware of how God expects them to live and act in a world that has abandoned the biblical worldview of gender.

Philosophy and Worldview of the Transgenderism Movement

In order to understand why certain individuals would take hormone blockers and/or seek out “Gender Affirming Care” (GAC) procedures, one must look at the underlying philosophies and worldview convictions inherent to the transgender movement. Though each individual trans person may have their own reasons for wanting to “change” their gender, the two key convictions that drive the overall movement of transgenderism are neo-gnosticism and social progressivism.

Neo-Gnosticism

The foremost conviction of the trans movement, neo-gnosticism, is a modern take on a worldview dating back centuries. “Gnosticism” is an umbrella term that encapsulates a variety of more specific worldviews underneath it. Author Gerald Borchert (1988) defines this view as religious thought “distinguished by claims to obscure and mystical knowledge, and emphasizing knowledge rather than faith” (p. 873). One of the primary convictions within gnosticism is the belief that the “…body…is merely a worthless covering or tomb, while the spirit—the spark in man linked to the divine—is the part that seeks release and return to the heavenly bliss” (1988, p. 874). In other words, one’s flesh is a subjective and useless burden, while one’s spirit or soul is their true self meant for transcendence. In the mind of a trans person, their physical sex is a barrier that stands in the way of their true gender identity, and thus, the physical can be altered without hesitation.

The modern day transgenderism movement, with its acceptance of hormone-altering medicines and surgical procedures that greatly affect one’s flesh, have increasingly adopted this neo-gnosticism perspective. Anglican scholar N. T. Wright, comments on this issue, stating:

  • …the confusion about gender identity is a modern, and now internet-fuelled, form of the ancient philosophy of Gnosticism. The Gnostic, one who “knows”, has discovered the secret of “who I really am”, behind the deceptive outward appearance. This involves denying the goodness, or even the ultimate reality, of the natural world. Nature, however, tends to strike back, with the likely victims in this case being vulnerable and impressionable youngsters who…will pay the price for their elders’ fashionable fantasies. (2017)

Wright properly exposes how the transgender worldview denies the objective nature of the physical and, in turn, creates victims who end up suffering from their destructive actions. This is evident in the suicide attempt rate among transgender persons, which ranges from 32% to 50% across various nations (Virupaksha et al., 2016). Though the average trans person will most likely have never heard of neo-gnosticism, the worldview still rears its head as the trans person denies their physical God-ordained sex through GAC and hormone-altering drug use.

Social Progressivism

The second conviction of the trans movement, social progressivism, is a worldview that seeks the constant evolution of society towards a shared utopic vision. Social progressives typically view the government as the instrument of carrying out their goal of allowing each individual the chance “to decide what the good life is” since they also hold that “[a]ll moral judgments of others are suspect” (Ward, 2016, p. 254). This ideology displays itself in two key ways: 1) the breakdown of cultural gender norms and 2) the breakdown of the traditional family structure.

The overall shared culture in the US has historically held to a traditional gender binary view, understanding that men are men, women are women, and that a person cannot become the opposite sex due to having unchangeable XX or XY chromosomes. This understanding has been coined “biology-based determination of gender” (Westbrook & Schilt, 2014, p. 33). Since the Sexual Revolution in the US during the 1960’s, those who agree with the trans movement have deferred to “identity-based determination of gender” where a person is merely recognized as the gender they present to others, even if it does not match their chromosomal or physical appearance (2014, p. 33). This swapping of descriptions illustrates the nature of the trans movement upholding subjective experiences over objective and ontological truth regarding their bodies. Though they cannot physically alter their chromosomes, the trans person believes that if they undergo GAC or take hormone-altering drugs, then they are now ontologically a different gender. This idea is believed to be real “progress” for society by those who affirm transgenderism as a valid practice.

Transgenderism likewise deconstructs the traditional idea of the family. Historically, those in the US have held to a perspective where minors are under complete care and authority of the parents, understanding that there is a natural hierarchy between the two. The trans movement has greatly affected this as those within it have pushed for legislation that would allow the government to consider a parent’s affirmation or lack thereof when deciding if they should have custody of the child in matters where custody is being disputed. A recent example of this legislation is Bill AB-957 from the state of California, which states: “This bill, for purposes of this provision, would include a parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity or gender expression as part of the health, safety, and welfare of the child” (2024). Under the guise of protection, the bill displays the disregard for a parent’s authority over their child, and weaponizes custody disputes as a means of pushing for minors to be able to receive GAC and hormone-altering drugs if they desire. This perspective of minors having equal to or more authority over their physical bodies than their parents is a recent innovation of modern society. It further shows that the transgender movement is motivated by social progress where personal, individually created definitions of who a person is outweighs anything that some external entity (such as society or God) may define them as.

The Christian in a Trans-Affirming World

A Biblical and Theological Perspective on Gender

Upon understanding the current state, issues, effects, and convictions of the transgender movement and its affirmation of a person choosing to medically and chemically alter their body for the sake of “transitioning,” it is also necessary to analyze the issue through a biblical lens. The Bible is explicit from its first few chapters in both testaments that God created only two genders: male and female (Gen. 1:27; Matt. 19:4). God also intended for men and women to be unique, seen for example in the various roles they each play in the family unit (Eph. 5:22-33). No where in Scripture does God command or permit a person to attempt to alter their outward appearance to “become” the other gender. Acts such as crossdressing are forbidden (Deut. 22:5). Likewise, the act of cutting one’s body as a sacrifice for a dead ancestor or a pagan God is prohibited (Lev. 19:28; Phil. 3:2). Although transgender people are allowing doctors to cut into and remove parts of their body for reasons separate from ancestor or pagan worship, the practice still falls into sin as it shows a lack of respect of the body, which Scripture states is the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). To allow one’s body to undergo GAC or to alter it with drugs is to ultimately deny the sacred union between the spirit and body, the immaterial and material (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Cor. 15:44-45). The early Fathers of the Church upheld this view declared by the biblical authors. Justin Martyr (1977) writes in his First Apology about how some in the Gentile societies were “…openly mutilated for the purpose of sodomy,” and he vehemently condemns it alongside other sins of sexual immorality (p. 172). Tertullian (1976) comments on various non-marital and non-binary behaviors, stating, “But all the other frenzies of passions – impious both toward the bodies and toward the sexes – beyond the laws of nature, we banish not only from the threshold, but from all shelter of the Church, because they are not sins, but monstrosities” (p. 77). From both Scripture and the testimony of the early Church Fathers, it is evident that receiving GAC surgeries and altering one’s body with drugs to “become” the other sex is not in accordance with the Christian faith.

A Proper Response for the Christian

Armed with this knowledge, a Christian should seek to apply within their surrounding context what the Scriptures and the Church teach regarding gender, the human body, and God’s commands. Though the acts of trying to medically or chemically transition to the other gender are sinful, those who engaged in them can be forgiven and received into the Church through true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9). Modern believers must carefully balance the line between these two truths. They must stand for the truth of God’s Word and not affirm the sinful acts associated with transgenderism. At the same time, they must show love towards those struggling with transgenderism, encouraging them to repent and become a part of God’s kingdom. If someone does indeed repent of their prior desire to alter their gender, the local church must attempt to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of that new believer (Gal. 5:13). Many of those who undergo GAC or receive hormone-altering drugs will have done irreversible damage to their bodies. The local church should seek to help the repentant former trans person navigate life dealing with this pain and make them feel included within the congregation.

My Own Approach to the Issue

To conclude on this topic, I seek to offer an explanation of how I personally would teach and lead the people in my ministry context as to how a Christian community or church can live as witnesses and ambassadors for Christ in secular society. My current ministry is to the young adult community at Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA). The two primary areas where I can best influence and guide these young men and women is within the Sunday School classroom and our weekly Bible studies. I can use these opportunities to discuss what the Bible and the tradition of the Church has said regarding gender issues. In these settings, I can dialogue with them if they have questions or have specific examples from their own lives where they have had to live out the principles described in the previous section of this paper. I would also encourage them to intentionally interact with anyone they meet who has shown desire to become transgender or has actually gone through GAC or hormone-altering drug use. Christians are frequently accused of “transphobia,” meaning they have an innate fear of trans people (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). By simply interacting with these individuals, the men and women I lead can show that Christians are not afraid or hateful towards those they disagree with, but truly desire for trans people to turn from their sinful ways and experience the fullness of Christ’s love. This approach seeks to unite both knowledge of the issue with serious action that is meant for the healing of those struggling with the desire to change their God-ordained gender. Although their actions are disobedient to God’s Word, trans people can still be regenerated by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ and sincere repentance for their sins, just like any other sinner. In my current and future ministry, these people will be seen as a unique mission field meant to receive the truly transforming Gospel.

References

  • (2024). AB-957 Family law: gender identity. California Legislative Information. https://leginfo. legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB957
  • Borchert, G. L. (1988). Gnosticism. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, 873-874. Baker Book House.
  • Deese, K. (2024, November 21). Texas father who lost court fight over transitioning son vows appeal. Washington Examiner, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3237636/ jeff-younger-texas-father-lost-court-fight-transitioning-son-vows-appeal/
  • Ha A., Garoosi K., Hale E., Higuchi T., Winocour J., Mathes D. W., & Kaoutzanis C. (2024, January 4). Trends in Gender-Affirming Surgeries in the United States from 2010 to 2021. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, 57(1), 47-53. https://doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1778096
  • Herman, J. L., Flores, A. R., & O’Neill K. K. (2022, June). How many adults and youth identify as transgender in the United States? Williams Institute, https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla .edu/wp-content/uploads/Trans-Pop-Update-Jun-2022.pdf
  • Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway.
  • Justin Martyr. (1977). The first apology. The Apolstolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, 159-187. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
  • Tertullian. (1976). On modesty. Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second, 74-101. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
  • Virupaksha H. G., Muralidhar D., Ramakrishna J. (2016). Suicide and Suicidal Behavior among Transgender Persons. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 38(6), 505-509. https://doi:10.4103/0253-7176.194908
  • Ward, Mark. (2016). Biblical worldview: creation, fall, redemption. BJU Press.
  • Westbrook, L., & Schilt, K. (2014). Doing gender, determining gender: transgender people, gender panics, and the maintenance of the sex/gender/sexuality system. Gender and Society, 28(1), 32–57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43669855

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