How To Meet Attacks From Those Trapped In Dogma

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

The main text of this essay is based on an email I sent to someone who identified as a Catholic Lesbian, this in its self is an oxymoron since the Catholic church has called any act of homosexuality a sin.

The church had this to say about Transsexualism in 2003:

"VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After years of study, the Vatican's doctrinal congregation has sent church leaders a confidential document concluding that "sex-change" procedures do not change a person's gender in the eyes of the church."

The document goes on to say:

"The Vatican text defines transsexualism as a psychic disorder of those whose genetic makeup and physical characteristics are unambiguously of one sex but who feel that they belong to the opposite sex. In some cases, the urge is so strong that the person undergoes a "sex-change" operation to acquire the opposite sex's external sexual organs. The new organs have no reproductive function." (sourced from http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/...TSDecision.html)

The main issue seems to be that the organs have no reproductive function, I wonder if the attitude would change if somehow science managed to give us fully functioning reproductive tracts.

How do you handle someone who uses Christian dogma and rhetoric to condemn you even when they are "living in sin themselves"? The answer sounds easy but in reality can be quite hard to do, you need to meet ignorance with information, idiocy with intelligence, blind rhetoric with fact and hate with love. This will not win every one over but it will show that those in our community can debate at more than a grade 2 level. I began with the assumption that this person wanted information, it turned out not to be the case. My reply to this person was:

I will take you comments in the spirit of one who seeks knowledge not one who seeks to condemn, and dam someone because of a condition they cannot help they have. I would doubt that there is a single transgendered person who doesn't wish that things had turned out differently. You see this as something I WANT to do, however it is something I NEED to do, you see current research into my condition is pointing out two possible causes one is a possible hormone mess up in early pregnancy, the other is a possible genetic link. It has been shown that in some MTF transsexuals the gene which encodes as a Testosterone receptor is actually defective. That being said, we know so little about prenatal hormones and how they interact with the human genome that what we see now is likely only a small piece of the puzzle.

Given what we know now, Transsexualism is a birth defect like any other. If we had been born with any other kind of birth defect we wouldn't hear this argument from the Christian community. After all you don't say that about people born with club foot, congenital heart defects, 47XXY or any of those variants. The logic you use is reserved exclusively for transsexuals, it indicates that we have a choice in this matter, we have no more choice than you did about the color of your eyes, how tall you were or the color of your hair. This excerpt from an article I wrote sums up the imperative nicely

"Since many of us transition later in life we know that to do so will fix our psychological and medical issues but it will also put us in a group that society doesn't know what to do with; so society denigrates us, despises us, and discriminates against us. For many of us it comes down to a simple paradigm that is cold in its simplicity and brutal in its reality "transition or die". The suicide rate among pre-op transsexuals exceeds 30% and many have had at least one attempt before age 20. I have said, to many of my transsexual brothers and sisters, that for me it came down to a case of transition or suffer one of two less desirable alternatives those being death or confinement to a mental hospital." (Woman on the sidewalk, ©2009 Joanna Phipps)

Frankly it really doesn't matter whether you and others like you are "fans" of Transsexualism, it is the way we are and we have to live with that. Since there is no way (yet) to realign the feminized mind with the masculine body management of the condition involves slowly bringing the body in line with the mind. This is done through the use of valid and tested psychotherapeutic techniques, the medically supervised administration of cross sex hormones, later (should the patient desire) the final step is reconstructive surgery to finally align the genitals with the rest of the body. This condition is not curable the way we cure a cold or the flu and the timeline for management is not days or weeks but years.

Maybe God doesn't make mistakes, the creator does set trials to test the faithful. Not only that but mankind has made such a mess out of this planet that we are causing untold havoc with the genetic code; the consequences of this for the future of all species on this planet are unknown. If you truly wish to understand us (note I didn't say accept and agree with us) then doing some research outside of the bible might pay off. In the library section of my site are several scholarly works written by doctors with decades of experience dealing with the transgendered. I make no comment about the works I simply let them stand on their own.

Whether or not this letter helps you see who we are is up to you, I was going to leave it unanswered but decided to pass on some information. Transsexuals have a condition that we didn't ask for, and many of us don't want. We have it and there is almost no way to live without transitioning; there are Male to Female transsexuals(like me) also Female to Male Transsexuals.

Unfortunately she was not one who decided to take the information in the spirit it was offered and went blindly on convicting herself with every word in her one paragraph reply which read:

"First of all, I haven't read the bible in over 30 years. I am so not a bible thumper. I never said I didn't accept trans either. I don't agree with it, but I accept it. It's like me being a lesbian, a lot of people don't like it. They just have to accept it. You believe what you do, and I believe what I do. I never said don't do it, it's your choice. Do you really think I believe in the whole bible? If I did, I would be with a man.

All that science stuff is all good and well, but like I said before, you believe"

I did not relpy to this email since it showed me that there was no way I could possibly reach this person with any kind of logical, and factual argument. However I will comment on it here, first off if by their own admission they havent read the bible in 30 years, how does they know what it says about transsexuality? If they are blindly following what some preist has to say then they are as guilty as he is when the interpretation is faulty. If they wish to argue dogman and religious intolerance then it might be wise to make sure that they are beyond reproach. Since they are in a long terme, seemingly committed relationship with another woman, they have as much guilt on their plate as they seem to think I do. The Catholic church has a somewhat schizophrenic attitude to homosexuality, they don't mind you being homosexual just don't do anything homosexual?!? I would challenge anyone who says the bible is against transsexualism to take me into the canon of scripture and show me where it is deliniated that I am living in sin by being what I am. Such a ruling does not exist, nor does the prohibition aganinst lesbianism (Unless you want to stretch that passage from Leviticus). I would even argue that the passage is of no more force and effect since Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament proficies and to bring forth an new law and covenant.

Given the way that Jesus showed mercy on the adulteress, that mercy is translatable to us should we but accept him. The object of this is not for me to be an appologist for Christianity but to show how to meet attacks such as this. It is best not to lock horns with them since they are so full of themselves and think they know everything that you cannot win. Meet them with information, love, kindess and try to show them where they are mistaken.

[Guest AlexanderG]

Joanna, again my respect.

I have this utter conviction that most people are stupid and ignorant bigots. I mean, watch the news. So I tend to give up on education before I even start, knowing (or thinking) they won't listen anyway. There's so few people willing to change their minds, I think. Not if their starting point is "you suck," so to speak.

Your approach is much braver and far superior to mine & I applaud it. I feel a bit inspired to better my ways, haha.

[MaryEllen]

Well done, Joanna. It just goes to show that it is useless to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

MaryEllen

[Guest AshleyRF]

I just tell them that their religion does not dictate my life. I will do whatever I want to do with my life.

[Guest Leah1026]

I just tell them that their religion does not dictate my life. I will do whatever I want to do with my life.

When dealing with phobes online sometimes I go one step further and say:

Religion is a personal lifestyle choice, being born LGBT is not.

[Guest yvonne]

Joanna,

I learned the greatest way to deal with anyone desiring to argue with me using irrational terms.

A very simple, one-word answer:

So?

It works very well and can be used repeatedly in conversation with these idiots. Just don't expound on it or improve it--it's perfect the way it is.

Yvonne

[Guest viv]

Hi Joanna,

I hope you are well. Thanks re bringing us your post. Well, I was unfortunately "reared " within a catholic structure.

I have no allegiance to any church now nor will I ever , I am too busy trying to be human/humane. So , the catholic church

says our sexual organs dont work do they ??? well I know this for sure , THE ONES THEIR PRIESTS USED TO RAPE OUR

CHILDREN WORKED , OH YES , THEY WORKED SO WELL THEY MADE OUR CHILDREN SCREAM TO JESUS FOR HELP. viv.

( sorry mods, if this is too extreme , dump same , but they are my honest opinion, viv)

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

Hi Joanna,

I hope you are well. Thanks re bringing us your post. Well, I was unfortunately "reared " within a catholic structure.

I have no allegiance to any church now nor will I ever , I am too busy trying to be human/humane. So , the catholic church

says our sexual organs dont work do they ??? well I know this for sure , THE ONES THEIR PRIESTS USED TO RAPE OUR

CHILDREN WORKED , OH YES , THEY WORKED SO WELL THEY MADE OUR CHILDREN SCREAM TO JESUS FOR HELP. viv.

( sorry mods, if this is too extreme , dump same , but they are my honest opinion, viv)

Hi Viv, I think the document was refering to those organs given in GRS. Since post of we cannot either conceive children nor carry them

[Guest viv]

OK,thanks re correction Joanna. And Im sorry but, I feel the church should get its own house in order before

it deems itself Godly enough to pass judgement on us . If you lived here in Ireland and witnessed what was

coming out of the wood work NOW you would be sickened . I wont go any further as this makes me so angry.

I am proud to have the strength and the conviction to face up to my life , I am privillaged to know the folk on

this sight. My rant is now done , hope it did not hurt your head too much. Luv, viv

[Guest Sherry7620]

While I do not actively subsribe to religion, I find the Reformation very inspiring on a human level. Giving the Church back to the people. The idea is only God has any divine power, not a Pope or Bishop, & especially not a Monarcy or any higherarcy. A Church is it's people, not a building.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

While I do not actively subsribe to religion, I find the Reformation very inspiring on a human level. Giving the Church back to the people. The idea is only God has any divine power, not a Pope or Bishop, & especially not a Monarcy or any higherarcy. A Church is it's people, not a building.

This is my opinion only

The problem, in my books, is that most of the established western churches have a heirarcical system that makes the Ancient Chinese Bureaucracy look simple. Many of them have lost their way and pay only lipservice to the message they preach, I maintain that on the day when Christ does return there will be an awfull lot of suprised people.

[Guest julia_d]

This is my opinion only

The problem, in my books, is that most of the established western churches have a heirarcical system that makes the Ancient Chinese Bureaucracy look simple. Many of them have lost their way and pay only lipservice to the message they preach, I maintain that on the day when Christ does return there will be an awfull lot of suprised people.

who will no doubt nail him/her up to a tree or stick him in concrete boots to keep hold of their power and position... sounds all too familiar to me.

(nowhere does it say in the book that next time round this conceptual being will be either male or female)

[Guest Sherry7620]

who will no doubt nail him/her up to a tree or stick him in concrete boots to keep hold of their power and position... sounds all too familiar to me.

(nowhere does it say in the book that next time round this conceptual being will be either male or female)

Your tags clearly state that you are of Germanium heretige, & I will be careful not to show disrespect. However, Marten Luther is also of Germanium descent, risked his life to clearly state you will not be sent to hell by the breaking of man's laws. In fact it was suggested heaven must be a very small place if man was the gatekeeper. I do not have any relious answers other than if there is a higher power, it does not answer to us.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

Your tags clearly state that you are of Germanium heretige, & I will be careful not to show disrespect. However, Marten Luther is also of Germanium descent, risked his life to clearly state you will not be sent to hell by the breaking of man's laws. In fact it was suggested heaven must be a very small place if man was the gatekeeper. I do not have any relious answers other than if there is a higher power, it does not answer to us.

Germanium is a user level not a demarcation of someone's ancestral heritage