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Ezekiel 22:30: "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Let's stand in the gap together!

Friday, May 27, 2016

Christian Worldview on Transgender Issues from a Medical Perspective

This is an EXCELLENT resource from the Christian Medical and Dental Association that defines and describes sexuality and transgender issues from a Christian perspective:

https://cmda.org/resources/publication/transgender-identification-ethics-statement

Here it is summarized:

Biblical: God created humanity as male and female, they are morally and spiritually equal, and are created to have roles that are in some respects alike and in other respects wonderfully complementary.  They are all loved by God, struggle with moral failure and fall short of God’s standards, thus they need forgiveness that God provides through Christ alone.  As fallen creatures with a sinful nature, this is expressed in many ways, including sexuality and can result in confusion of gender identity and sexual immorality.  The divine purpose of sex is for procreation and facilitating unity in the lifelong commitment of marriage between one man and one woman, which fosters a secure and nurturing environment for children and reflects the unity of Christ and the church.

Biological: Sex is an objective biological fact determined genetically at conception by the allocation of X and Y chromosomes to one’s genome, immutable throughout one’s lifetime, and cannot be changed at will.  Humans are sexually dimorphic, and the phenotypes are the outworking of sex gene expression which shapes sex anatomy, sex hormone secretion, sex differences in the development of the CNS and other organs. Procreation requires genetic contributions from both a male and a female, and anomalies of human biological sex are an outcome of the fall and do not invalidate God’s design in creation.

Social: Gender identity issues are complex, and removing traditional definitions and boundaries is not a requirement for self-actualization. Finding one’s identity within God’s design is the secret to a more healthy and fulfilled life, and is not decided by choice and desire but by nature. God’s design will always transcend culture.  Transgender ideology should not be imposed on all society or healthcare professionals based on reasonable disagreements on scientific, moral or religious grounds, but are protected by the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.

Medical: It is well documented that transgender individuals who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex reassignment surgery have an increased incidence of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and risky sexual behaviors.  Hormones that block puberty inhibit normal growth and fertility and if taken during adolescence is associated with increased risks, including HTN, blood clots, stroke, and some types of cancer. Some studies suggest that sex altering surgery has uncertain and potentially harmful psychological effects and can mask deeper problems. Transient gender questioning can occur during childhood, is somewhat malleable and influenced by psychosocial experiences. It is exceedingly rare for people to have chromosomal and phenotypic sex characteristics that are in discord, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, ambiguous genitalia, and androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Ethical: Medicine rests on science and should not be held captive to demands or desires that contradict biological reality. Sex reassignment operations are physically harmful because they disregard normal anatomy and function, which are not a disease. Dissatisfaction cannot be remedied medically or surgically. Gender identity disorder should not be discarded on the basis of social activism. Spiritual, psychological, and social support are needed, as hormonal or surgical interventions only lead to further spiritual turmoil and distress.  Parents should not intervene on behalf of the child with hormone or surgical treatments, as children lack the ability to consent and can have lifelong physical, psychological and social consequences.  The purpose of medicine is to heal the sick, not collaborate with psychosocial disorders, and altering normal sexual anatomy to conform to transgender desires disrupts health. The inability of men to bear children is not an illness to be remedied surgically.  Transgender designations may conceal biological sex differences relevant to medical risk factors, so biological sex documentation is necessary in the medical chart, and any alteration of gender characteristics recorded factually.


Christian Community and Healthcare Professionals: Transgender patients should be treated with respect, compassion, love and civility, in a non-judgmental manner consistent with the humility and love Jesus modeled and commanded we show all people.  Those with a biblical or traditional view of human sexuality should not be discriminated against or forced to provide care they believe is morally wrong or harmful to the patient. There should be a genuine effort to understand and respond to the psychological distress, accepting them as a person but not necessarily agreeing with their ideology.  


Here are a couple other great links:

From Focus on the Family:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/socialissues/sexuality/transgenderism/understanding-transgenderism

From the American College of Pediatricians:
http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/gender-ideology-harms-children


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