Yesterday, two parishoners asked two very interesting questions.
The first question was: “How should a Christian respond to a Cross-dressing man attending church?”
The second question was: “Can one be a Trans-gender Christian?”
Both questions require both some soul searching as well as discerning what the Holy Bible might say.
The more and more one thinks about both questions, the more one begins to wonder, so lets combine both questions,making a scriptural/moral teaching out of them.
Lets look at how Jesus or one of the early Christian Apostles might have responded to such questions.
Lets look at John: 3: 16-18 where Jesus spoke to His Apostles the key words in this quote are “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,” Also lets look at John: 3: 3, where Jesus speaks again saying “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
There is yet another Quote by Jesus, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Yet another scripture comes to mind John:5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son.”
We might also recall Jesus drawing in the earth, as he questioned the towns-people who sought to stone the woman caught in adultery, after all of the towns-people had dispersed without throwing even one stone, Jesus asks the woman, where are those who accuse you and she reponds that none remain then Jesus tells her “Neither do I accuse you. Go and sin no more.” My mind raced from scripture to scripture addressing how I feel Jesus might have responded.
The conclusion is that Jesus said it best though in MATTHEW: 28: 19-20 Where Jesus instructed The Apostles to: “Go ye therefore, and teach, all nations baptizing them in the name of The Father, and of The Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
Jesus did not say to only deal with the righteous, especially as He Himself did not come to save the righteous, but He came for the sinner, so that He might call them unto Himself.
Therefore in both cases, that of the cross-dresser as well as the trans-gender who seek to become Christian, who seek to know God and to know Jesus and to know The Holy Spirit, in my personal opinion it would be UnChristian like and wrong to turn these people away from the church.
As Christians one must believe that in time, The Holy Spirit would deal with the cross-dresser, and as long as the trans-gender person did little or nothing to draw unnecessary and undesirable attention to themselves, they both should be welcomed. It may be a little bit shocking in the beginning, but as time goes on, the uncomfortableness will or should disipate and eventually go away.
To turn our backs on people to deny them the opportunity to learn about and to know both God and Jesus, just as we know them would be infact standing in judgement of them and of course Jesus Cautioned us against that again and again, especially when he reminds us to first remove the beam in our own eye, before we concern ourselves with the sliver in our neighbours eye.
If a woman comes to church, dressed in a man’s suit, complete with tie, which pastor, which parishoner is going to look down upon them, or would we compliment them on the way they are dressed. We cannot practice a double standard permitting a woman to dress as a man, and then turn around and tell a man he has no right to wear a dress to church, as long as it is not revealing and is in good taste. Almighty God will work things out in His perfect timing, and His perfect way, to His Glory. Think about this. If a man entered the church wearing a Kilt, should he be denied the right of association or the right to learn about and praise God?
As for as the trans-gender person, the deed has been done. The person was uncomfortable with the way they were, so they flipped from one gender to another. God still sees a person seeking to know Him and love Him. God sees a person from the inside out seeing their heart first. God would not turn away even one child of His, so long as the person genuinely loved Him and accepted Jesus as their saviour and redeemer. This is what Christianity is based upon. This is why Atheist, Jew, Gentile, all are welcomed to worship Almighty God and Jesus.