Engaging with transgenderism: start with love

There has been so much commentary in the past few years about the transgender movement. This has often ended up with Christians and transgender activists lining up on opposite sides from one another shouting opinions at on another. Too often the Christian traditional teaching on gender (which I hold to) comes across so poorly as an intolerant harshness.

To some degree, this cannot be avoided. If you teach that gender is not something you get to choose based on how you feel, that is a different position to the view taught in many places.

I think it is helpful to start somewhere more productive. The Bible teaches that all people are made in the image of God. All people. Just by virtue of being human. That has implications for how we engage with anyone who has a different opinion on issues.

Being so uncomfortable with your own body that you feel that you are in the wrong gender is terribly sad. Feeling confused and isolated and excluded because you are different is awful. Whatever your view on this issue, people matter to God, including those we disagree with, and even those who reject the fact that God even exists. All people are in the image of God, even those who hate this very idea.

When we engage in discussion with those who identify as transgender (or gay, or queer, or whatever title they might use of themselves), we must understand we are dealing with God’s image bearers. We must always show love and dignity in how we engage with those who disagree with us. Of course we need to put across the Christian viewpoint on these things; we should not avoid clear teaching on sex and gender. Yet we need to love them, even as we disagree with them. We are dealing with people, not only an issue.

Many years ago, I had a great conversation with a gay man about his view of Christianity. He commented that he thought Christians hated people like him and he would not ever be welcome in a church. That’s terribly sad, isn’t it? Yes, we need to present the truth, but we need to welcome sinners with love. With all of these sensitive issues, it is not only the opinion we express that matters; it is the stance we take as we express that opinion. Even if people disagree with us, they should see us as reasonable people who listen well and try to love the people God puts in front of us.