Posted on 04/06/2023 8:03:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It’s one thing for us to recognize that it is impossible for a man to become a woman or vice versa. But is it ever right to call a trans-identified person by their preferred gender pronouns (PGPs)? Could this be the compassionate, Christlike approach? And what happens when you’re required to give your own PGP? Is it better to conform rather than to rock the boat?
Let’s tackle the second question first.
Recently a Christian father wrote to me, “My daughter has an internship with college newspaper. They are filming a little commercial/ad thing for students, and they asked all of the people on the team including interns to introduce themselves and list their pronouns. So my daughter would say, “I’m Sally Smith, and my pronouns are she/her.” My daughter is asking me if this is the time to put her foot down, or does she just go along with it because those are her pronouns? Or is listing the pronouns a nod to believing in lies? I tend she should not list her pronouns, but curious your thoughts.”
I immediately wrote back, “I would not list mine for sure,” adding in jest, “or else I'd say my pronouns are He is Lord. They either accept this, or they don’t.”
I continued, “I would not comply, and the school has no right to require it.”
The father fully agreed, being reinforced in his own convictions.
Really now, on what legal basis can any school or business or organization put you under pressure or penalize you for refusing to collaborate with social madness?
Recently, I was filling out a medical questionnaire before my annual physical.
One question asked if my sexual partner (in my case, only my wife of 47 years) was: “Female; Male; Transgender Female/Male-to-Female; Transgender Male/Female-to-Male; Other; Choose not to disclose.”
What is this doing on a medical form? Why even ask such a question, let alone give such a ridiculous set of choices?
This is cultural madness.
What, then, should a young person at school or an older person do if asked to give their name and PGP? I say they should just give their name and leave it there. And they should be prepared to take a stand — with national, Christian legal support if needed — if penalized for their actions.
What about using someone else’s PGPs?
The reality is that, for the most part, when speaking directly to someone, it’s rare that you have to use their pronouns.
But what if the need arose, especially with someone you met for the first time? Wouldn’t it be Christian to meet that person where they are and then help them find true wholeness from the inside out?
Many Christian leaders today would answer this in the affirmative, including former lesbian feminist professor Rosaria Butterfield — that is, for Butterfield, until recently. But now she has had a dramatic change of heart, writing an article titled, “Why I no longer use Transgender Pronouns — and Why You shouldn’t, either.”
In the article she states, “My use of transgendered pronouns was not a mistake; it was sin.
“Public sin requires public repentance, not course correction.
“I have publicly sinned on the issue of transgender pronouns, which I have carelessly used in books and articles.
“I have publicly sinned by advocating for the use of transgender pronouns in interviews and public Q&As.”
What motivated her to make these poor choices in the past?
Among “a bunch” of lame excuses she could give, she lists: “It was a carry-over from my gay activist days. I wanted to meet everyone where they were and do nothing to provoke insult.”
And why does she say that it is a sin for her to use such pronouns today?
She lists eight reasons, including: to use these pronouns is violation of the 9th commandment (not to bear false witness against your neighbor, and referring to them as something they are not is false witness); it’s an encouragement for them to violate the 10th commandment (not to covet, here, meaning coveting an identity that is not theirs); it violates the order of creation and the calling on both male and female to bear God’s image; it discourages the ongoing sanctification of trans-identified Christians; it cheapens the reality of redemption through the cross; it fails to love our neighbor as ourself; it fails to offer genuine Christian hospitality, replacing it instead with “liberal communitarianism, identity politics, and ‘human flourishing’”; to use PGP’s has always been sinful and remains so even though times have changed.
After citing the testimony of ex-trans-person Laura Perry Smalts and addressing the considered viewpoints of Christian leaders like Preston Sprinkle and Mark Yarhouse, she concludes with: “We who have promoted this sin need to stand up and repent.
“I’ll start.
“I repent.
“May God forgive me.
“Would anyone like to join me.”
Having interacted extensively in the past with trans-identified Christians (in particular), and having dealt with the question on a more personal level with a trans-identified, non-Christian relative, I do understand the extreme sensitivities involved in this discussion.
I can honestly say, without judgment or condescension, that I fully understand why some Christians would argue for the use of PGP’s for the sake of compassionate outreach. I really do get it. Why risk hurting someone who has already been hurt many times? Why risk driving someone away who might be very fragile emotionally?
But at the end of the day, reality is reality and truth is truth, and to collaborate with someone’s deep, heartfelt confusion is to hurt them more than to help them.
Do you agree?
Dr. Michael Brown(www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Revival Or We Die: A Great Awakening Is Our Only Hope
It is at least ignorant capitulation.
When a proverbial pot is telling the Potter off, saying He made a mistake in how He made it, the place of other pots isn’t to support the pot.
If I am ever asked what my ‘preferred pronouns’ are I will say “I have no idea what that means so figure it out for yourself”
I don’t know about it being a sin, but it is intellectually dishonest, and demeaning to the mental illness suffered.
No it is not.
Remember the Golden Rule and quit condemning people.
He who has the Gold makes the Rules.
They can call themselves anything they want...and I can call them anything I want, too.
Yes.
Only if known. I’m sure majority of people accidentally called a person by their pronouns if they didn’t know that person was transgender.
We are called to speak the truth, not to deceive.
Pronouns as re deceit and I will not.participate in knowingly deceiving God’s children, no matter how mentally ill they are.
When I was young everyone introduced themselves as Mr/Mrs/Miss. Very useful if you get a letter from a Leslie or a Jessie to know their gender.
Pronouns are simply the left reinventing something they got rid of, but is actually essential to society.
I don’t know if it’s a sin, but it’s idiotic and I refuse to do it.
I dont take orders/demands from mentally ill freaks!
RE: They can call themselves anything they want...and I can call them anything I want, too.
But if you don’t call them what they want, they take it as an insult, what do you do then?
But Jesus didn't tell them that harlotry and tax collecting (in a dishonest manner) was good for them to do. In fact, while forgiving the harlot He told her to sin no more. Thus, Jesus was an example of encouraging righteousness and discouraging sin.
We can tolerate sinners without condoning the sin. Anyone who demands we conflate tolerating with condoning is the bigot.
RE: I’m sure majority of people accidentally called a person by their pronouns if they didn’t know that person was transgender.
I gather from this statement that you would use their preferred pro union if you knew they were transgender, i.e., she for a biological male, and he for a biological female?
I have been asked. And I always respond “your honor”.
Always hoping to be asked “Are you a judge?”
To which I simply respond “No.”
RE: Anyone who demands we conflate tolerating with condoning is the bigot.
Ok, so, what does using a preferred pronoun for a transgender mean, tolerating or condoning?
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