Gender and Identity

Good evening, tonight we are taking a week, before we begin our series on the 10 Commandments, to talk about one of the most hot topics in society today. I am not an expert in this field, as none of my current or past studies have focused on it…other than some abnormal psychology courses that taught about gender dysphoria. That said, I’ve been researching and studying it, as a large part of my post-grad studies will center around topics like this. For those of you who do not know, I’ve decided to pursue a post-grad degree. It’s called a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling. There were a number of reasons I am not pursuing a Bible related master degree…to be honest, Laura is going to retiring in a few years…so, if we want to stay here in Ottawa as your pastor, I will need to open up some new ways for me to earn money. Becoming a clinical psychologist will allow me to earn money part time, but still stay on as Ottawa First’s pastor.

Anyway, all that to say, while I’m far from an expert in this area, I’ve done my fair share of research and study, from both sides of the argument. Let’s pray, then I’ll do a short intro, then we will watch Dr. Seiler.

I just finished up a class on the book of Genesis…yesterday. Because the book of Genesis talks about the creation of man and woman, the professor ventured into the gender debate. Every week, we were assigned a “discussion post” in which we had to reply to the posted question (with an essay). Then, we had to pick 2 of our classmates and respond to their replies. Here was the question:

Is masculinity and femininity biological or cultural constructs or both?  Are biological differences the same as gender differences? Ground your response in scripture.

According to the Stanford website Gendered Innovations: " "Femininities" and "masculinities" describe gender identities. They describe socio-cultural categories in everyday language; these terms are used differently in biology (see below). Because femininities and masculinities are gender identities, they are shaped by socio-cultural processes, not biology (and should not be essentialized). Femininities and masculinities are plural and dynamic; they change with culture and with individuals." A linked article on gender, by the same website goes on to say... "Gender is distinct from sex." All of these articles are well cited, meaning the authors did research on the subject to come to their conclusions.

This thinking is the norm today and is being taught, at a very basic level, even in elementary school. For example, Sesame Street has "gender-neutral"  or transgender puppets. A 2021 article on CNN read... "Nonbinary characters like ‘Gonzo-rella’ are lighting up children’s TV and encouraging self-acceptance"2 To say that young kids, teenagers, and adults are being encouraged to separate their biological sex and their gender would be a massive understatement.

This has become a major source of tension between the church and society. Unfortunately, even many "progressive" Christians have fully accepted the idea that gender is completely separate from biological sex.  While Scripture does not address the topic of gender identity or how that manifests in either masculinity or femininity, beginning in the book of Genesis and all the way through the N.T., the Bible makes it clear that gender and sex are inseparable. Just one example is found in Matthew... "4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?(Matthew 19: 4-6).  Just because a man may have a few feminine traits does not mean he is not a man; the same goes for women. While this issue has always been around (to a certain degree), once our society decided that marriage is not between a man and a woman, that opened the floodgate. Many well-meaning believers have even rationalized gay marriage as a "civil rights" issue, rather than a spiritual issue.

In certain ways, the gender issue is separate from the issue of homosexuality....although not entirely. For some gay men and women, they do not agree with the whole “gender” thing. This is because being “gay” means that you are sexually attracted to one sex and not the other…except, the gender identity crowd says that there is no such thing as biological sex…that being born with a penis has nothing to do with being a man…that society is what determines our gender, not our DNA or biology.

Regarding the whole gender identity debate, people normally fall into two types of thinking.

Our biological sex (how we are born and what our DNA says) determines our gender…whether male or female.

Men are unable to get pregnant

Men who dress like a woman and claim to be a woman are (despite their confusion) still a man.

Women who dress like a man and claim to be a man are (despite their confusion) still a woman.

A non-insignificant portion of gay men and women are in this category, as they openly recognise the difference between men and women and believe that difference is important.

2. Our biological sex (how we are born and what our DNA says) is separate from our gender.

Our gender is how we choose to represent ourselves, both privately and publicly

Gender is a “spectrum,” rather than a defined role

There are dozens or even hundreds of genders

Women do not become pregnant, persons capable of pregnancy become pregnant, including men

If a man claims to be a woman, then he is a woman

If a woman claims to be a man, then she if a man

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