13. Does the Bible Approve of Sex Changes?
Does the Bible Approve of Sex Changes?
Traditionally, if a man felt like a woman yet inhabited a male body, his feelings, not his body, were viewed as the problem. They were considered something to be resisted, modified if possible, and contrary to what was. Currently, what one is, is being determined by what one feels—an ominous trend when one considers its implications. It is, in essence, an attempt to define reality by desire, knowledge by intuition.
JOE DALLAS
A common complaint for someone struggling from gender identity disorder is that they feel trapped inside the wrong body. This is certainly what Bruce Jenner experienced, now referred to as Caitlyn. I can’t imagine what one must feel like to have such thoughts. It truly does sound agonizing, and my heart hurts for the person experiencing such confusion. But is getting a sex change the solution? And does the Bible offer us any wisdom on the matter? Starting with the latter question, the Bible doesn’t directly address this issue in the same context we understand it today, but there are some principles we can glean from Scripture.
First, gender isn’t an accident—it’s assigned. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” What God did with Adam and Eve in assigning their gender, He’s repeated with all of humanity ever since. Now you might say, “What about those born with an intersex condition whereby a person has a mixture of both male and female body parts?” This is tricky, no doubt. And a good question! I’d liken it to some of the other malfunctions that can go awry in a fallen world. Sometimes babies are born blind, without limbs, attached to their twin siblings, etc. These are all horrible and painful events that I don’t want to make light of, so much so that in the event that a child is born with an intersex condition I can understand a surgery to sync up one’s procreative anatomical body parts with their actual genetically revealed gender. That being said, this is a decision to approach with a lot of thought, prayer, and counsel. I also think if we are being honest, that’s not really the issue in our culture today, is it? The bigger issue is people wanting to change who God made them to be.
Second, gender goes beyond our reproductive organs as our gender is expressed through the XX or XY chromosome that is inscribed through our entire cell structure. This means that even though someone may take hormonal pills or undergo a surgery for a sex change, the gender code is still evident on a cellular level, making it impossible to actually reverse one’s inherent gender through pills and sex reassignment surgery. Consider Psalm 139:13: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” While this verse says nothing about chromosomes, it certainly reveals that God is our Architect—knitting us together, even from the womb. He is the one who knit together our chromosomal structure!
Now, let’s go back to the former question and ask, “Is getting a sex change the solution?” I don’t think so. Not only that, getting a sex change is no guarantee that one will automatically be happy. While some may feel better, it’s common knowledge that many don’t and some continue to struggle with depression, identity issues, and even suicidal thoughts. It can bring on the ultimate misery when one thinks that a sex change is the end-all-be-all to self-discovery, only to realize after the surgery that life still seems beyond hopeless.
If you know some people struggling with gender identity issues, let me encourage you to struggle with them through prayer, be a sympathetic friend, help them ground their identity in Christ, encourage them to get extended counseling, and let them know that they aren’t alone.
Thought to Ponder
The “self” that is rejected by a person obtaining a sex change is the very self that God loves and will readily receive through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Memory Verse
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
Question to Consider
How can Christians communicate a tone of compassion for people struggling with such gender confusion without compromising their biblical convictions?
One-Minute Apologist Video
Bobby Conway, “Does the Bible Approve of Sex Changes?”