Have you ever wondered why the transgender movement is such a major “thing” these days? After all, while there may have been transgender individuals at the fringes of society for many years, today, the whole idea that men can actually become women and women can actually become men has taken hold of large swaths of our society. In fact, some people are now insisting that biology is not even a valid basis on which to classify individuals–instead, people are allowed to “self-identify” what sex they are, regardless of how they are physically equipped or composed.
Where does this idea even come from?
Well, believe it or not, it is an outgrowth of a seriously disturbing shift in thought, coupled with scientific know-how that is almost like a science fiction novel: an effort to control life itself, to take our human existence completely outside of the natural order of things. And in that way, transgenderism is intimately tied to the practice of abortion. They are both attempts to deny and destroy what it means to be a woman and to be human. It is not just tragic and sad, it is a truly evil thing for our world.
The Erasure of Women
Some people might argue that the transgender movement goes “both ways”–that is, it is not just a denial of womanhood, but also of manhood. That is true enough. But women have a particular gift that men do not have: women can have babies. It is the single greatest trait that women as a group possess, and the single most important biological trait of humankind. It is also the one trait that transgenderism not only attempts to deny, but actually does deny, by mutilating a woman’s body so that she will no longer be able to have children, and mutilating a man’s body to render him sterile, incapable of seeding new life.
In short, what both abortion and transgenderism do is neuter both sexes, rendering them barren, denying their great and important role in the cycle of life on earth and their ultimate importance in being specially gifted creatures of God. It comes from a mentality that renders our existence pointless, meaningless, and valueless. It is no wonder that so many victims of the transgender culture commit or contemplate suicide; by denying their basic human worth, the transgender mindset provides them with no reason to actually live.
This is not to say that life only has meaning if you can have children. But it does mean that being an integral part of the human experience, seeing life – and, particularly, new life – as a fundamental good must be at the center of our outlook if we are to live life well, to live it with hope rather than despair. We have to see that God created each of us, individually, exactly as we are because our own lives are worth something and because He has great love for us.
And since we are created in God’s image and likeness, harming or destroying this creation – whether through abortion or through gender-transitioning surgery – is essentially saying that we are a “mistake”. This error, unfortunately, fuels the idea of a disposable culture – the idea that we are free to violently reject creation in the name of “women’s rights”.
A Toxic, Disposable Culture
How did we get to this point? Believe it or not, the push for abortion has been an integral part of this cultural journey. The truth is, abortion has really only served certain men, in the sense that it has liberated them from responsibility and the maturity that responsibility demands. It has enabled them to freely engage in sexual activity completely detached from commitment or consequences. Thank heaven for men who reject this mentality, who recognize that a woman’s miraculous ability to bring forth new life means women deserve respect and reverence.
By promoting the idea that sexual promiscuity is a woman’s “right”, abortion-minded women have enabled our society to discount a woman’s worth. Ironically, these same “feminists” who complain about “patriarchy” are the ones who perpetuate a culture that allows men to dominate. It is a culture in which men are permitted to treat women as little more than “eye candy” or recreational distractions. Abortion enables a culture in which men can freely devalue women, as well as their offspring, with little or no downside. Is it any wonder that rape is now common, that pornography is normalized, or that child molestation is rampant? When sex is not seen as a beautiful act of procreation, it is nothing more than a means of self-gratification.
So how does this translate to today’s transgender movement? If you talk to many of the young women who have succumbed to the transgender push, a pattern emerges. Almost universally, they transition as they are entering or just after entering puberty. And when you listen, you find that they have doubts about their bodies, discomfort with the changes they are experiencing, and a lack of confidence in and comfort with who they are. In short, they are encouraged to see themselves through the eyes of a culture that only looks at and defines them by their bodies and their sexual appeal, and not their beautiful souls.
A lot of these feelings are the normal anxiety that accompanies puberty and adolescence. How very sad that no one sits down with these young people and discusses these feelings and validates them as a normal and natural part of growing up. But the acuteness of their anxiety is not normal, and the acuteness derives from a culture that is hypersexualized, one that exalts women merely for their sexual appeal. Young women are made to feel uncomfortable with their bodies. Young girls, some of whom have already been the target of sexual advances they cannot defend against, become scared of what their womanhood means. And that fear sends them running away from it.
For other women, it encourages them to define themselves by their sexual appeal, even from a very young age. They are taught to measure their worth in terms of whether they can attract men. Is it any wonder that young girls end up pregnant?
The end result is a culture that now actually tries to convince people that abortion and transgenderism should be valued. It is a culture that regards women not as treasured souls who possess the priceless gift of bringing forth new life, but as mere worthless flesh: flesh that can be casually consumed and discarded by careless or violent men, their babies as mere flesh – literally, ”clumps of cells” – that that can be callously discarded, and flesh that can be mutilated and converted it into a weak and false imitation of a man.
Find Your True Home
Thankfully, this culture of dehumanizing women is not the only culture that exists. Quietly thriving under the surface of this shallow and destructive culture is a very different culture–a counter culture. It is founded on the understanding that all people, men and women, from the moment of conception to the moment of death, from young and fit to the disabled, elderly, and infirm, are endowed with an immortal soul that has infinite value. And you can become part of this joyful culture.
At Choices, we know that you have not always treated yourself with the respect and love that you deserve, and that others may not have done so either. So we are here to give you that love and respect, and to show you who you really are: the beloved child of a good God.
If you have an unplanned pregnancy and feel scared or alone, and you need understanding and real, practical help and support, we are here for you. If you have experienced an abortion, maybe even many years ago, and need to come to terms with it, we offer you hope and healing.
There is a place where you will be welcomed, no matter who you are or how you got here. Contact Choices today.
