I've been digging Netflix. Why? I love documentaries and Netflix is rocking a truckload of of them. Here is one I suggest you watch. It's called "Prodigal Sons". See the movie trailer below.
After the gender switch and several years away from her home town, the movie begins with Kimberly making a decision to go to her class reunion. Her former classmates accept Kimberly, her girlfriend and the decision she has made.
What if Kimberly came to your church? Would you accept, welcome and love her?
I remember a sad story told to me and others during a Christian retreat. A person changed their gender from a man to a woman. Several years after making the gender change this person became a Christian and was led to find a church community. Why was this a sad story? It was extremely difficult for this person to find a church that would accept someone who has changed their gender. The story ended the same way it started. A person without a church community.
What if Kimberly came to your church? Could she play in the worship band? Could she lead a Bible study? Would she come one Sunday and never come back again?
What if Kimberly came to your church?
Michael, I understand your heart in these questions but it's not a simple answer.
ReplyDelete"What if Kimberly came to your church? Could she play in the worship band? Could she lead a Bible study? Would she come one Sunday and never come back again?"
The problem is that true Christians can't answer yes to the second and third question because that has nothing to do with her gender switch. You don't just let someone walk in off the street and play in the band or lead a study. You don't know that person's theology, their position on Scripture, etc. You could say "yes, she could" if you were only talking the sex change issue but it's a little dishonest to just say "yes" and then turn around and find that for some other reason she might not be qualified to be a teacher.
Then you have the angle of homosexuality. (At least, the impression I have is that she's in a same sex relationship.) You ask if she would never come back again...but that's not necessarily a fair question. Scripture doesn't endorse homosexual activity. If she's looking for a place that's going to tell her everything she does is perfectly acceptable and that her choice of engaging in a sinful behavior is just fine, then is that really the fault of the church?
There's a world of difference between accepting a person and accepting behavior or choices they make in life. Too often...especially in issues like this...people try to meld the person and the behavior because it's easier to condemn the people who don't support their lifestyle choices. They won't allow the debate to separate the person and say it's no sin to be tempted by a same sex relationship but it is sin to engage in the physical behavior.
I know that's probably a longer answer than you wanted here but the situation just isn't as simple as it first appears.
Okay, so I am going a different direction here...but is she a homosexual (as stated above)? I mean she was born a guy and he now she is with a woman.
ReplyDeleteJason -
ReplyDeleteHave you studied the HISTORY of God's people along with reading the Bible? - When homosexuality is mentioned in the Old Testament, it is mentioned 1) at a time when Israel was trying to increase it's population in order to grow a bigger army so they could advance and take the Promised Land. Just as masturbation during that time was condemned, so was homosexuality ONLY because the wasting of a man's seed was considered murdering of potential children (they didn't know a whole lot about biology and sexuality during this time!); 2) it is mentioned in reference to Sodom where the Sodomites were using homosexual acts to dehumanize and assert their power over others. They were NOT in loving homosexual relationships like people are in today. You've got to understand that the laws in the Old Testament were laws specific to THAT time period and THAT group of people. Most of the Old Testament laws were considered out of date by the time of the New Testament, and even more so today.
There are only 6 or 7 references to homosexuality in the Bible (most of them in the Old Testament where even a married couple who had sex during the woman's period were to be executed) and NONE of them refer to the sexual orientation as it is understood today - the Bible is not a book about human sexuality but a book about FAITH. Jesus himself says nothing about homosexuality.
You've also got to understand that though the Bible may be in the infallible Word of God, God wasn't the one who translated and edited and put together the final product, FALLIBLE MEN were. Men who translated and edited to suit their agendas. For hundreds of years, people have been using the Bible to back up their own agendas, taking passages out of context, even if those agendas included hate and violence. Please don't be one of those people, Jason. Keep in mind that being a true Christian means following the way of Christ - showing love and acceptance to all, even if you don't agree with their way of thinking or their actions.
~ A PROUD bisexual Christian
we are called to love...and follow Gods Word. The Holy spirit is called to convict us of our sin
ReplyDeletesomeone living in habitual sin should not be leading anything in church except maybe a recovery group, just sayin.