In 1965, a botched circumcision left David Reimer severely damaged. His doctor, John Money, advised his parents to raise him as a girl, asserting that gender identity was malleable and that biology was not a determinant. His parents agreed to do so, and the case became widely publicized. Dr. Money considered the transition successful, presenting it as indisputable proof that with surgery and hormonal treatments, one’s gender could be easily changed.
However, it later emerged that Dr. Money lied about David’s upbringing to prove his point. Despite being raised as a girl, David was deeply unhappy with his identity. He displayed traditionally masculine behaviors, attempting to play with his brother’s toys. By age 14, his severe depression led his parents to reveal the truth to him.
As quoted from this article, “Despite his upbringing, Reimer rejected the female identity as a young teenager and began living as a male. He suffered severe depression throughout his life, which culminated in his suicide at thirty-eight years old.”
The premise here is that biology has no meaning whatsoever. Outward gender identities are supposedly merely the result of societal conventions. Yet this creates an ironic problem for transgenderism.
The Pink Box and the Blue Box
Transgender activists allege that biology should not dictate one’s identity. This seems to do away with rigid, conventional gender categories.
However, there’s a contradiction in this argument: to advocate for the dissolution of these categories, there must be an acknowledgment of the absolute categories of boy and girl in the first place.
In other words, to supposedly do away with the assignments of “pink” and “blue,” they are, in fact, dependent on them.
This creates another problem…
Insulting Toward Women?
Not only do many trans men fully adopt these superficial and often sexist societal categories, but they push them even further. An example of this is the often degrading way that trans men behave, in accordance with what they think women are.
When Bruce Jenner transitioned to Caitlyn, the news was broadcast worldwide. In this New York Times article, Elinor Burkett described Jenner’s idea of a woman: “A cleavage-boosting corset, sultry poses, thick mascara, and the prospect of regular “girls’ nights” of banter about hair and makeup… That’s the kind of nonsense that was used to repress women for centuries… People who haven’t lived their whole lives as women… shouldn’t get to define us. That’s something men have been doing for much too long.”
Who Are You Really?
How did we get here? The question of how we find our true identity has changed over time, shaped by cultural, philosophical, and religious influences. Not long ago in Western history, identity was often rooted in biblical definitions that humans were created in God’s image: God created them male and female (Gen 1:27).
However, a significant shift occurred with the advent of modern philosophy, and one influential figure in this transformation was Jean-Paul Sartre, often considered the father of modern existentialism. He famously stated, “There is no human nature because there is no God to have a conception of it… man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself.”
In other words, who you are is who you *feel or decide* you are. The belief is that we are the ones who create ourselves. Identity has become a fluid concept, emphasizing self-perception and self-determination.
There are significant concerns with this shift in thinking. When identity is entirely divorced from biology, it can lead to a devaluation of the body itself.
This has far-reaching consequences.
What Do Transgenerism and Abortion Have In Common?
When humanity is completely divorced and detached from biology, the body no longer matters. The material body becomes disposable whether you’re disposing of parts of it to switch genders or the entire body, as in the case of abortion.
With the advent of modern ultrasound tech, it’s hard to seriously deny anymore that a preborn baby is not human. From a biological standpoint, a preborn baby possesses everything a fully grown adult possesses. Yet killing this baby, another human being, is no longer seen as a problem. Why? Again, because biology – the body itself – no longer matters.
What Does the Bible Say About Our Identity?
The Bible presents a unique and refreshing perspective on identity, marked by two distinctive qualities that set it apart from the prevailing cultural norms we often encounter.
- Unity and Diversity. God created us male and female. Our biology matters, but this does not restrict us to a stereotypical pink box or blue box. Men and women are different, and we are different in significant ways. But that does not mean that we are bound by superficial categories of male and female that the world offers. Not all women are the same as each other, and not all men are the same as each other. But they are still male and female.
Consider the triune nature of God. There are three individual members of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They each have distinctive natures and identities in which splendid diversity is found. Yet they come together in unity and in love for one another.
- Dignity and Worth. Also in Genesis, it says that we are created in God’s image. The moment that a baby is fertilized in its mother’s womb, it has worth, dignity, and value. The Bible shows that every human being – regardless of mental capacity, belief systems, background, skin color, etc. – matters in God’s eyes.
That is why the idea of simply rejecting the body or disposing of it in one way or another is wrong in God’s sight, whether through trans-gender changes or abortion.
Help us Stand For Truth
The far-reaching and adverse effects of these ideological and philosophical shifts are significant. Numerous young people have experienced profound pain and damage due to transgender education and the widespread approval of abortion.
Young women entangled in these controversies long for guidance, empathy, and support. Please consider supporting Choices by donating, praying, or volunteering. The fight is more important than ever.
