It is common belief, unfortunately, that LGBTQA and Christians are on the opposite end of the spectrum. If you are queer/trans then you cannot be a real Christian and if you are a real Christian then you cannot support or be queer/trans. And yet here I am... a transgender guy who is also a Christian. This topic has been one that has burdened me for a long time, and I want to gain perspective on it, so I've decided to discuss it here. I found a post on a different forum from an FtM Christian and this is what he said, I thought it was a really worthwhile read: I'm a man stuck in a female body and its been like that for me for years. Its been a tough road over the years. I did make a thread concerning my own GID issues and problems but its currently being reviewed. I've learnt some extremely fascinating information in human biology, which I'm currently studying at Polytech, that could provide a possible explanation for why some men in particular struggle with identity. It begins in the womb. Biologically we start of as females, however some of us go off to develop other physical features which make men who they are psychically, for you to say that its something that you were born with is completely understandable. Considering that we also born with a soul I believe that its the result of a psychical/spiritual conflict, a rejection. The possibility is there, as someone with GID I am absolutely convinced that this is beyond being a psychological issue. Considering that there is little information discovered, I am determined to research and find answers. Over the years I have been accused of homosexuality in the church, yes I am attracted to women but I have never crossed the line of engaging sexually with them. I remember when I first told my pastor at the age of 12 that I was trans-gender was determined to go through the process of having a sex change. However he told me that would be going against what God created and committing the act of homosexuality. He thought it was a faze, but the other elders and members of the church were thinking otherwise and I was being alienated. During my teens I turned my back on what was essentially me. Surprise, surprise, It came back to bite me in the behind and now I'm asking myself and God "WHY!" I want answers, and without a doubt you want them too. Nobody wakes up and says to themselves 'I'll think I'll start acting as the opposite sex today'. because its not an act, and its more complicated than a mere choice. I've tried living in denial before, its not worth it. Recently I've been diagnosed with BPD (borderline personality disorder) and no wonder. How do you keep something like GID bottled up? You can't. I've hidden it from most people out of fear of rejection from others. Its happened before. I've been a Christian for years, I have come to learn that Jesus Christ will help us through our problems and find ways to overcome them. He may not eradicate them, I believe that's wishful thinking. Even though we are spiritually pure before god, we still carry the flesh. We may think that God is in the wrong, but as much as we may sometimes hate it, God doesn't make mistakes. There is a reason for everything, as an individual with GID, I am determined to find what that reason is. Believe me guys, its far from easy. Daily I am tempted with just ending it all, suicide. The holy spirit however has different ideas, yes it may be the easy way out but its far from being the answer. There may be no cure, yet. So, why don't we use what we have to our advantage and be the some of the first to bring closure. In many ways, its hope in finding a solution that keeps me moving forward. I look at my life and I'm starting to see the answers, why did god bless me with the ability to understand science, his blue prints of life? We have a responsibility as individuals with GID, but God has also presented us with choices. DO NOT DENY THE WOMAN/MAN WITHIN! Since when was it wrong for a man to wear make up and a woman to wear garments such as pants? Its OK to do these things. I do activities all the time that are regarded as masculine, just take a look at my profile. Boxing, fishing, riding motorcycles, you name it, I do it. I feel happy and free when I do these things and thankful to God that he has allowed me to do so. For you it might be shopping with your girlfriends, trying and buying makeup, getting a pedicure. If it makes you happy, then do it. Society's stereotypes are not necessarily biblical, they are based on ideals and what the majority of what the different genders associate with. I desire to one day share my life with another individual, again, God probably doesn't give us these natural urges without reason. I honestly think that the only way I will be able to do this, is to share my life with another christian trans-gender. I can't see anything wrong with that, sure there may be issues regarding what Paul said in the new testament, but I'm sure that under the guidance of the holy spirit everything will fit into place accordingly. Now, it is probably difficult for others to understand what it is like to have GID because it is simply one of those things that you cannot understand unless you have been through it. So I'll try my best to explain to the others here on the the forums; What does it feel like to have GID? Simple. Trapped. Confused. Scared. Lonely. Sad. As humans, we all know these feelings, but its the arrangement and association of them that makes GID different. I'm not a pyschologist, so I can only speak from a personal perspective, but from what I have seen this is exactly how others (including myself) feel having and dealing with GID on a daily basis. My advice to the OP is trust in the Lord. Deut. 31:6 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on the topic of transgenderism (specifically) and Christianity. But also, please be respectful. I just want to have an open and reasonable conversation.
(Note that I am not religious, just interested in Christian viewpoints and such.) Eh, I don't see what there is to discuss. The Bible doesn't mention transgender people. It says crossdressers are bad, but we are not crossdressers. "A man who wears women's clothes is a disgrace before God", or something like that. Quite simply, I am not a man wearing woman's clothes. I am a woman wearing a man's body wearing woman's clothes. I am just trying to get rid of the man bit, that's all. If anything, not transitioning would make me a woman wearing a man, which is probably more of a disgrace (to a God I don't believe in. ^^) That section is generally not even considered to be important. Most people ignore those rules outright. (There is a name for it, but I can't remember.) There is another section saying nasty things about eunuchs, except we are not eunuchs. Especially not FtMs, for obvious reasons. There is also the fact that the section where everything said about eunuchs is repealed, and eunuchs are accepted into the churches and stuff. I have heard the argument that, "God made you, and changing yourself is going against God." Lets first ignore the fact that the Church's "antidote" to transgenderism is changing your mental state through conversion therapy and the like. And the fact that lots of people get tattoos, and such. They assume that God made me the way I am, and that I am not going to change because I am already made. Well, why did God make my brain and body not match? Well, "God works in mysterious ways", right? So I am just being what God wants me to be. I am being the woman that he designed me as, but I am just going through a different path to be that woman. Anyway, that's my two pennies on the issue. Really some Christians are wasting their time campaigning about issues like this, when they could be solving poverty, or war or the corruption in the church. They forget that their religion preaches inclusivity, and harmony. Not ostracising people who don't conform.
I really dont see the problem here. a transgender, or bi, or gay or lesbian has every bit as good a chance of going to heaven as any other Christian out in the world today. even if it is a sin, it is no worse in Gods eye than any other sin like drinking, or lust or stealing or cheating. if the christians that do these things are going to pass through those gates, then guess what? they better get used to you know because they are going to have to deal with you for eternity.