Where do trans people fall with the right-wing Christians?

[bookworm43]

So everyone knows who all those crazy right-wing Christians are- Michelle Bachmann, her husband, the like. And they all say that being gay is bad according to the bible. But I've never heard them preach against transgender people. What's their take on that while they're preaching against the LGBT community? Is there anything about it in the bible that I'm just not aware of? Just curious. Thanks!

By the way, if this should be in the LGBT rights section, sorry EC mods- feel free to move it as u see fit.

[Kerze]

I'm pretty sure they consider it an affront to god because you are changing the creation of God (i.e. your physical body)
*dislike*

[Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Concretehands

I'm pretty sure they consider it an affront to god because you are changing the creation of God (i.e. your physical body)
*dislike*

I bet thats what will happen, as well.


The church isn't as accepting as it should be, IMHO.

[Mogget]

There are no proof-texts against transexuality in the Bible, though there are passages that forbid men from acting like women and women from acting like men. In any case, right-wing opposition to trans people tends to hinge on two points: 1) there are prescribed gender roles that must be followed and 2) SRA (sex-reassignment surgery) is an offense against God.

To elaborate, point 1 is based on the idea that the Bible says women are to do certain things and men others, which is debatable at best and in any case, most of the roles they believe are prescribed are not biblically correct. Proverbs 31:10-31 is traditionally quoted as the ideal of womanhood, but they generally leave out verses 16-18

She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

The roles of men and women in biblical times did not allow for the stay-at-home model cherished by the right-wing. Mothers worked, except those in the upper classes, and worked hard.

Point 2 is that SRA is mutilation. You hear this from anti-trans activists of all stripes. Like other anti-trans activists, right-wing Christians claim that it is not possible to make a female-bodied person into a male-bodied one nor vice versa. They regard people who have undergone SRA as sad, pathetic, and deluded creatures.

Like all anti-trans activists, right-wing Christians believe that gender dysphoria is best cured by therapy or prayer to make the trans person at home in their body and with their assigned-at-birth sex.

Incidentally, in some parts of the Islamic world, there is less of a stigma against trans people. In Iran, people convicted of homosexuality are given the option of SRA.

[bookworm43]

I figured their view on would suck. thanks for the explanation, guys!

[kiersten]

As far as I'm concerned, & I'm Catholic, if God doesn't understand why I need GRS surgery, the He/She isn't God in the first place & I probably shouldn't worry about it too much anyway...

[bookworm43]

Originally Posted by kiersten

As far as I'm concerned, & I'm Catholic, if God doesn't understand why I need GRS surgery, the He/She isn't God in the first place & I probably shouldn't worry about it too much anyway...

I think god's ok with all of us, or else we wouldn't have been born this way

[Emberstone]

fundiementalist right wing christians do not like anyone. their entire religious dogma is a warping of christ to be a tool of hatred, persecution, and in some parts of the world, genocide.

basically, they only approve of themselves, and no one else... which should answer the question.

[Zontar]

If Ayatollah Khomeni can approve of transsexuality, so can the rest of religion.

[FJ Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Emberstone

fundiementalist right wing christians do not like anyone. their entire religious dogma is a warping of christ to be a tool of hatred, persecution, and in some parts of the world, genocide.

basically, they only approve of themselves, and no one else... which should answer the question.

What experience have you had with them that leads you to paint with such a large, bitter brush?

[SaphireMoon]

Originally Posted by Emberstone

fundiementalist right wing christians do not like anyone. their entire religious dogma is a warping of christ to be a tool of hatred, persecution, and in some parts of the world, genocide.

basically, they only approve of themselves, and no one else... which should answer the question.

sadly i have to agree with the above mentioned statement

[fiddledeedee]

To right-wing Christians, trans people might well just not exist. Other than that, there are passages which are said to forbid cross-dressing, role reversal, etc. and they would probably call SRS cross-dressing in other genitals, followed by other clothes. Role reversal between men and women... well, with that one it is pretty obvious how they would use passages.

[just b urself]

its probally the same for trangenders but i dont see why peopel make a big deal out of this stuff.when alot of people hear someone is gay the say that they r going to hell and that its a sin..it is a sin btu u wont go to hell..alot of other things r sins too but peopel see m to ignore that

[Zontar]

Originally Posted by fiddledeedee

Role reversal between men and women... well, with that one it is pretty obvious how they would use passages.

Why does God always have to make the funnest things forbidden? =p

[maverick]

Originally Posted by Zontar

Why does God always have to make the funnest things forbidden? =p

You can be pretty sure you've created God in your own image when it turns out He hates all the same people you do.

As to the OP's question, sex reassignment surgery is seen as an affront to God's creation. God doesn't make mistakes, in other words - if you were born a woman, you were meant to BE a woman (and vice versa). At least this is the argument my Christian family presented to me when I came out trans.

[J Snow]

My basic understanding having gone to 13 years of Catholic school is... God made you exactly how you are supposed to be. Therefore, the church would pretty much discredit that God would make someone who is a "girl in a boy's body" or vice versa. So basically, transsexuals don't really exist, and if you change your gender then you are changing how God made you and changing his plan for you.

[Chandra]

Originally Posted by maverick

You can be pretty sure you've created God in your own image when it turns out He hates all the same people you do.

LIKE. I'm stealing this for use in future discussions elsewhere.

[Hot Pink]

Originally Posted by FJ Cruiser

What experience have you had with them that leads you to paint with such a large, bitter brush?

History. Seriously, have you even read about the crap that Christians have done? The Crusades were all about genocide. Yes, believe it or not, Christians were the bad guys in the Crusades. As the only thing the Muslims were doing were defending their homes while Europeans attempted to burn them to the ground.

It wasn't only the Crusades. The Jewish Holocaust, remember that little gem? It was endorsed by the Catholic Church at the time. Slavery was also accepted by the church. The catholic church gave their blessing to the Atlantic Slave Trade.

OPINION PORTION
It isn't only Christianity, though, it's religion as a whole that causes more harm than good. People have in the past and will continue to use religion as a weapon. In the wrong hands, religion is much more powerful than most conventional weapons. Religion has been used to control millions in the past and is continuing to be used as a means of control.

Do the top people in Scientology believe in any of the crap with Xenu and the aliens? Nope, but it makes them a lot of money, so they don't care. Scientology is proof that religion is dangerous.

People have the right to believe whatever they want, up until thinking they're justified in killing me or discriminating against me because I'm don't fit with what their dogma says. Make no qualms about it, the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, quite clearly. God is willing to destroy an entire city of people because of it. This is part of the Christian dogma. It also depicts acts of bestiality, genocide, slavery, and portraying women as little more than animals. The Bible says that all of these things are okay. And people wonder why fundamentalist Christians are messed up?

[Mad Man L]

Originally Posted by Emberstone

fundiementalist right wing christians do not like anyone. their entire religious dogma is a warping of christ to be a tool of hatred, persecution, and in some parts of the world, genocide.

basically, they only approve of themselves, and no one else... which should answer the question.

More or less, ^ this.

In fact, fundamentalism in all religions is ironic, in that they say "Our God (or Allah/Yahweh/whatever) is a loving God." yet go around saying how much he hates you. Religion IMHO is losing its place in society these days.

[seeksanctuary]

Originally Posted by FJ Cruiser

What experience have you had with them that leads you to paint with such a large, bitter brush?

I do believe the key words there are "fundamentalist right-wing Christians"... Not all Christians are like that, but as with ALL religions, there tends to be one bunch that leans towards "batshit crazy".

From my experience, that would be the "right-wing fundie group". And I don't mean "Republican Christian", I mean "insane religious and political zealot Christian". When I hear "right-wing", I think of people who are so far right, they are falling off the graph. Not just Republican or conservative. I would share my experiences, but there are too many. One involved being flipped off for just glancing in their direction... one involved getting the pleasure to see Lon Mabon speaking at a nearby church... None of those people were moderate Republicans, or even conservatives. They were extreme right-wing fundamentalists who probably WOULD throw a Bible at my head if they thought it'd rid the world of one more gay person.

Luckily, not all Republicans and not all Christians are like that.