Question & Answer

 
Q: By Karen
 
My oldest child has recently come out as transgender. Not surprisingly, many Christian friends are now pointing to the bible saying that she is a sinner and that God ‘condemns’ her. Does the Bible and God really say that?
 
A: By Rev. Mark Sandlin
 
Dear Karen,

No, the Bible nor God say that. The reality is that the Bible is largely uninterested in same-sex relationships and is completely silent on the question of transgender folks.

If the people saying these things to you are sincere in their desire to be Christians, to follow the teachings of Jesus, I encourage them to think about some of the things Jesus most frequently talked about: loving your neighbor as yourself and standing with those who are marginalized as opposed to taking part in marginalizing them.

As I say in one of my articles on the Bible and Homosexuality (Clobbering “Biblical” Gay Bashing), “Time and time again, Jesus made it clear that we should not put ourselves in the place of playing God and that, unlike far too many humans, God welcomes and loves us all equally. Period.”

The way I see it, if you are being hateful towards a person, it is very clearly not of God. If anything, it’s an attempt to pin hateful beliefs on God, to put words into God’s mouth that run counter to what Jesus taught us about God.

And, that? That’s using God’s name in vain. It’s blasphemy.

When religion isn’t practiced with intelligence and compassion, it can easily be used as an authoritative confirmation of biases. Without critical thinking and the innate valuing of individuals, perverting religious outlooks to suit personal prejudices is far too easy.

Your child is beautiful and loved in the eyes of God. Always has been always will be. And, yes, that’s biblical. If others can’t see that, they aren’t seeing her from God’s perspective. God is love. Condemning a person because of who they are does not come from a place of love, it is not from God.

Give your child a giant hug, remind them of just how much you love them for being exactly who they are and tell them that is the way God sees them as well.
~ Rev. Mark Sandlin
 
About the Author
Rev. Mark Sandlin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) from the South. He currently serves at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. Mark also serves as the President and Co-executive Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org. He is a co-founder of The Christian Left. His blog, has been named as one of the “Top Ten Christian Blogs.”  Mark received The Associated Church Press’ Award of Excellence in 2012. Follow Mark on Facebook and Twitter @marksandlin.