Monday, Sharon Groves answered Moore in the On Faith column ("What transgender people teach us about God, and our humanity") and saved me the trouble of going medieval.
(Actually, I don't mind going medieval. It's the clean up afterwards that I don't care for.)
Just a thought: What if God was trans? That would be the last laugh for a lot of people!
Later.
Kuranosuke cosplay by Feeracie.
Wearing DailyLook.
So God made man like his Maker
ReplyDeleteLike God did God make man;
Man and maid did he make them. Gen 1:27 (Living Bible edition)
It is clear that God is both male and female, so maybe to be true to the image we are made in we do need to express both the male and the female.
I've always known that god made man and woman in gods own image, thus it has to be true that god is male and female. I figured that one out all on my own! lol!
ReplyDelete"Man and man's religion has (in my own humble opinion)corrupted all of creation with it's complete and absolute desire to gain power over others. Religion is nothing more then a management platform for the elite to hold over those in servitude to that elite."
Do I believe in god, yes, just not man's creation of what he believes god is and does. (this from a conservative) ;)
Thank you for drawing this to my attention!
ReplyDeleteI think both columns pose interesting questions. I should point out that I disagree on an indefinable level with Moore's column and agree on that same level with Groves. What I find fascinating, and thus compelling, with Moore is the way he argues it and the conclusions he reaches - it means that any christians who have any TG tendencies have much to consider when discussing them with people of Moore's ilk. Not to pander to them, but to understand enough about where they're going to be coming from to accept them like we hope they will accept TG christians.
Groves poses the same point, albeit more sensitively put, that TG christians (and non-christians too) have much to teach the whole Church.
My own vicar said to me once that "I highly doubt that any TG tendencies will have God shaking his head at you" and it remains one of the most powerful statements anyone has made directly to me about trans issues. Especially by someone whom I respect and knows me very well. Also, Genesis seems to imply some poetic licence in the story of creating both male and female as a cycle and linked. Jesus himself expressed what society would call 'female' responses when he said he wanted to take Jerusalem under his wings like a mother hen. Right there we have the idea that God is neither male nor female, God is both. Also, a corollary, one cannot be fully human until one synthesises the male and female in oneself in order to fully love others.
In short, the message seems to me to be less male- and female- gender roles in the Bible and more relationships. Thus the TG 'question' ought to be: how do we all best improve and use that relationship for God.
Woah. Ranty. Sorry.
Stana,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I don't know where you got the cartoon but it is perfect! If you drew it, double cudos.
I know God accepts me as I am. I really only came to terms with my bi-genderism when I started to go to Mass as Leann. I have found more solace while femulating during church than any other place and I know that it is God's message to me that he accepts me.
Without being too harsh, I also believe that "Christians" who do not love their fellow men and women (no matter their assigned-at-birth gender) are not living the life that Jesus taught us to live. Their "reward" will come latter. What we have to remember is that we must lead by example and love even those that refuse to accept us.
Leann
I absolutely refuse to let these peoples interpretation of a book written by sand people thousands of years ago define who I am.
ReplyDeleteI believe that God is good and that he loves and accepts people regardless of their gender, race, etc. While I find many good guidelines in the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament I think that the words of Jesus in the New Testament made it even simpler. He said to love the Lord and to love thy neighbor as thyself. Two pretty simple rules.
ReplyDeleteI do not live with my head in the sand and understand that people can always find something to gripe about and attacking religious institutions is not too hard to do. On the other hand my experience has been that most religious people do live by some version of the golden rule.
A few years ago I was blessed to attend the ordination into the deaconate of someone close to me. It was a moving and loving ceremony. Each new Deacon chose a special mission as a form of outreach. The person who is close to me, who to my knowledge has no clue about my gender issues, told me that his special interest was to find ways to make LGBT people feel welcome in the Catholic Church and that his special mission was to reach out to LGBT people and organizations to make sure that they were welcome in the Church and that they would be loved and respected as all others.
If you have heard some of the recents comments from Timothy Cardinal Dolan on the subject you will hear a strong message of love. Even the comments from Pope Francis during his trip to Brazil showed a manifestation of love and outreach.
Pat