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I wanted to share with you guys a message i got on the support group site i am part of:
I read (my screen name's) latest journal and felt that he could make for a good illustration in church. It crossed my mind that we have a guy claiming to be a woman trapped in a mans body. This guy is basing his feelings as reality. I am assuming that his latest dream (his latest journal) where some girl asked him when is he going to tell the truth as meaning when is he going to come out confessing his perversion as his reality when the opposite of that would be the truth.
This struck me about something with many believers. They view what they feel as reality. If they feel guilty then they believe they must be guilty. If they feel alienated from God or distant from Him then they believe it must be true. Instead of believing the reality of Scriptures they instead believe the realities of what they feel and reason to be so.
Here we have a guy that CLEARLY is a man, but he rather believe what his feelings are telling him. He wants to dress like a female. Obviously we have a guy that is not living in reality. Instead of believing what he knows to be true (male body parts), he would rather focus upon the feelings he has within himself. This is exactly what believers do as well. Instead of believing who they are in Christ they would rather believe what they feel and reason to be so.
If (my screen name) is going to be true to his latest dream then telling the truth is not what his feelings says, but the truth would be affirming this: "God created me a man. I am His workmanship so I will glorify God in my body."
It's sad to see people like him. It doesn't appear that this guy is a truth seeker. I will drop him as a friend next week as there is not much I can do for such a person. He is not coming to the light but rather exchanging it for a lie.
this kind of attitude is so common, it makes me cry.
Comments
God is of the spirit not of the body
The body is transitory, the spirit is not. By listening to the spirit, could it not be said instead, "God made this body male but my spirit is female. This is God's test to me in this life, to accept and reconcile the two."
To assume that we as mere mortals can divine the intentions of God is the greatest of hubris. My tests and trials in this life are between me and God and as such are bound to the soul and spirit and therefore cannot be fully understood by anyone else, just as I cannot fully understand anyone else's trials. They are too personal, a communion between the individual and God.
Just a thought from a simple Buddhist.
With love to all, even to those who make us weep,
Connie
I always find it sad
When people feel that spirituality justifies either they or others being unhappy.
I tend to think of myself as a "moral hedonist." While I believe certain things are right and certain things are wrong, I feel it is far more important for people to be happy with themselves and their own life than that they fit my personal ideals of what is right or wrong, so long as it doesn't harm others around them (not including offending their sensibilities.)
Why would someone want to be part of a church/organization/group that tells you it's wrong to seek personal fulfillment and happiness? Such thinking, to me, seems counterintuitive. Spirituality is supposed to make you MORE fulfilled, give you a lifeline in times of trouble and strength in times of need. If all it does is force you to meet someone else's ideals at the espense of one's self, then what is the point?
Melanie E.
This man's words condemn
This man's words condemn himself. It's apparent he's not a truth seeker either.
"I will drop him as a friend next week" -- oh yeah, how very Christian.
"I will drop him as a friend next week because he refuses to reinforce my inflexible dogma." -- THAT"s more like it.
I love to ask
I love to ask these morons "what about hairlips?" I guess your God made them perfect too? I did not realise God was a hairlip (perfect in his image).
Since we are all perfect then I guess there are no birth defects? Hey what about those godlike kids with flippers for limbs from Thalidomide? Yup they were just perfect.
Does he use Rogain, what about his ED? God is surely an impotent fat little bald guy with a tiny dick, right?
Maybe in their next incarnation they will have a perfect defect of their own to treasure?
Hare lips
I used that analogy in my "sermon" in cold feet,and in that I think I said all I need to about spirit, soul and flesh. Dorothy, you know I am not religous, but look at what I wrote again. Look at what Christine has written above. Dig deep into the quotes that Angharad has showered you with.
I am not religous but I can spot hypocrisy. "Support"?
Heart surgery...
...recognized as a life-saving act was in its earliest days condemned as being ungodly (and a few groups still do so, in their foolishness) for daring to alter the "perfection" that god has wrought. One of the doctors who helped to develop the techniques has often pointed out that that same god that the condemners invoked had also given man his mind and skill, and a portion of wisdom that he might learn when and how to use them, that surgeons were able to learn how to repair such defects, and that the sin, then, was not in the repairing surgery, but in refusing to use the talent that the rich man had given to his servants before leaving for a far city...
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
A 'joke'
If man were meant to fly...etc.
A devout Christian was sittng on a roof in flooded N'awlins. A rubber boat went past and asked if he needed rescue.
"I am trusting the Lord, he will provide"
The water rose,and a Coastguard cutter came past,offering rescue.
Same reply. The water kept rising.
A helicopter winched its diver down next,offering pick up.
Same reply. The water rose further, and he drowned. At the pearly gates, he complained to St Peter.
"I trusted in the Lord my God to rescue me, but He left me there to drown!"
Peter frowned. "What do you mean? He sent you two boats and a bloody chopper!"
Perfect in his image?
I wonder what thosedeluded christians who spout that garbage think about Treacher-Collins syndrome.
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=treacher%20collins%20...
Who needs enemies?
If this person is in your support group, it doesn't sound very supportive. You ought to start looking for a new one.
More like a troll really
He is there to advance his own agenda, not to offer support. There should be some way to ban people like him once they show their true colors. Complain about him to the admin of your group to have him block. He is gonna cause harm to other folks too.
Kim
I am a Christian! I'm also transgendered!
God loves us. God gives us challenges and trials (He never said there would be no trials or afflictions for Christians). He also never defined those trials or afflictions. What he DID say was that only people who are pure of heart and free from sin would have the right to condemn another. He also said that no one was pure, or free from sin. So in His Word, no one is allowed to condemn another. They that condemn you are guilty of sin. Pretty basic rules, if you ask me. The "Christians" who find someone offensive are being offensive towards God. Yes, there are plenty of self righteous, judgemental people who call themselves Christians, but they are really just sinners commiting blasphemy. Most of them are too dumb to realize it. I try to ignore stupid people, so they generally don't bother me.
Wren
The bible
It seems all too frequently the bible is used as a weapon.
Gender is not biology.
Well, that's the guy's first mistake.
The next is taking it upon himself to be God's agent. God is plenty capable of doing His own work, thank you very much. His user's guide is pretty explicit about people taking it upon themselves to judge others; it says don't.
There is a saying among many of my Christian TG friends. We tell each other that The Army of God's most perfected practice is that of shooting their wounded.
Hugs
Carla Ann
Support Group?!
Wait. Did you say Support Group?? Support for what, exactly? Brain-dead fundamentalists? You're in absolutely the wrong place, dear. Get the holy heck out of there!
Go watch some ItGetsBetterProject.com videos instead.
Christian??
Why, exactly is this called a 'support group, if they let fools in that haven't a clue about gender, religion, theology (those two aren't the same, btw), psychology, or support? This 'person' should not be there is all 'he' can do is pass his judgments and condemn at will?
Why (bigger question) is this person allowed to label himself as a "Christian"? That word has a meaning, and this behavior shows he has no idea what that meaning is. Of course, now days if you say any crap loud and long enough, especially if it is hate and bigotry and intolerance (and reason and logic are bad 'elitist' words), than you must be 'right', and might even get a chair in congress.
Report him; fight him; ignore him. Though I like fantasy sites for some things, for other things, like support, we should limit ourselves to dealing with reality based people.
Support?
Aren't support groups supposed to be supportive? I think you need to find support group, or at least see if this person can be excluded.
Judge not
The Gospel according to
St. Matthew
7
Judging Others
Lk. 6.3738, 4142
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Mk. 4.24
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
6 ¶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Ask, Seek, Knock
Lk. 11.9-13
7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: Lk. 6.31 for this is the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
Lk. 13.24
13 ¶ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
Lk. 6.43, 44
15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Mt. 3.10 · Lk. 3.9
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Mt. 12.33
I Never Knew You
Lk. 13.25-27
21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Ps. 6.8
The Two Foundations
Lk. 6.46-49
24 ¶ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 ¶ And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Mk. 1.22 · Lk. 4.32
Published by The American Bible Society
Angharad
Angharad
I was a devout christian.
Dear Dorothy:
I did not "Know Jesus" until I was 27 years old, and people here know why. Still, raising my two toddlers frightnened me so much that when a chance came along to learn more about how to do that, and how to be a better partner to my wife, I took it hook line and sinker. It took me over 30 years; of attending church; volunteering there; leaving the country on relief missions; tithing and numerous other things for it to finally dawn on me that the true followers of God are an endangered species. I had been preparing to go to Bible College when this transgeder thing suddenly reared her head, after a lifetime of being repressed and demanded to be heard! Along the way, I'd found out from Pastors and the devout, that of the people who attend services, perhaps 10% of them study the Bible, and of those a small percentage actually gave their life to God.
There are those who imagine themselves to be spiritual but rather than address their own lives, they run around "fixing others"; making them miserable.
If people really tried to know me, and few do, they'd realize that within the heart of this very moderate Muslim woman, still lurks a person who is very christian in many ways, for my sect is more like the Eastern Orthodox Church, than many know. Yet, there are still the people, in my faith, who run round supervising the rest of us; seemingly trying to make us miserable.
I do agree with what Angharad and so many others have said. Inshallah, in the coming days you will be blessed with a few of the really devout in your life, and the others, you'll learn to ignore; developing a thicker skin.
It is posible that your persecutor is exactly like I was until my inner Gwendolyn told me to shut up! Maybe in truth, he is more frightened than anyone can imagine.
Much peace
Gwendolyn
I Have A Friend Who Is A Retired Methodist Minister
I have a friend who is a retired Methodist Minister. I explain to him that I was born with a birth defect. Just because my condition wasn't visable to the naked eye didn't mean that it wasn't there. He said that that was a concept that he could understand because one of his children was born with a hole in his heart. The doctors did surgery and he has grown into a normal adult. He said that God doesn't love us any less because of it just the same as he doesn't love anyone less that is born missing a limb.
True Believers
Around 1974, when I was still identifying as a gay male, a homosexual communist told me with great authority that "these crossdressing queens are the Uncle Toms of the gay world. They're turning themselves into the caricatures of femininity that repressive straight society tells them they are..." This made absolute sense to him, and I couldn't convince him that my wanting to be a girl could be anything else. It was the end of our very brief relationship.
A few years later I read a novel called NOTHING NATURAL by Jenny Diski, about a feminist woman who was a masochist and submissive sexually, who was told by peers that people like her were "internalizing the oppression of sexism"; which made her felt terribly conflicted and guilty, that there must be something fundamentally wrong about who she is, and in the book the character came to a bad end...
These two examples taught me something about people who politicize sexuality and identity issues according to some tidy little theory they have, and go around trying to fit everyone else into their assumptions. So it's not just Christians or religious people who do this, athough when someone has THE REVEALED WORD OF GOD as the source of their views (nevermind that it might be a very subjective and selective interpretation of God's word and will...), they're never going to be convinced otherwise. True Believers like this want to fit everything and everyone into their worldview; and are willing to sacrifice your happiness for the sanctity of their paradigm. To be RIGHT.
People like this, no matter what their views, are dangerous. Take Tom Cruise (please!), going on talk shows trying to convince everyone suffering from depression to throw away their life saving mood-meds, since according to his faith psychiatry is evil, and only the one true way of Scientology has the key to happiness and well being. Or Reparative Therapy, this century's answer to The Inquisition, "converting" gays and transpeople into the kinda normal folks God wants them to be, even if it's all a charade and a massive case of repressing their real selves, and has nothing to do with God and everything to do with these criminal "therapists" own bigotry and phobias.
That's not my God, baby. He/She loves little ol' he-she me just like I am.
And I don't think you can benefit from trying to argue with or explain yourself to the folks from that "support group", which will only support you if you lie about who you are, conform to their notion of God and who you're supposed to be. I know youre a deeply spiritual person Dorothy, who enjoys fellowship with other Christians, but there's got to be other fellowships around, that will believe in you and support you for real. If I were you I wouldn't give this righteous turd his week but would "let him go as a friend" way before that. We can only pray for people like him. And try to forgive them. They know not what they do.
~~much love, Veronica
And remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifLqzLEB3E0
What if you don't have sexuality?
One of the first things that the so called, "Principled" ask me about is if I like men or women. They just don't seem to get that once you get whacked, you can have NO DESIRE. Oh, I would very much like to have a kind, loving, protective Man, but that is an emotional need, not a sexual one. When I tell people like my Son, that, it is as if the think I am a liar. They just do not believe that I do not have sex and it does not drive me crazy. A few of these sort of folk even think I have menses. LOL, as if! Even if I was a GG, at 65 there would be no menses; have they never heard of menopause?
It just gets sillier and sillier.
Gwendolyn
This is not...
This is not an uncommon belief or even teaching in many groups. They refuse to accept that there might be a problem. They also tend to deny the existence of intersex people, people who are androgen insensitive, etc. Some can come to understand, and be tolerant. Others not. Some of those that "almost" accept, decide to publicly continue to espouse the teachings of their sect/denomination/whatever and be accepting in private. *sighs*
It's something we have to live with/through. There are likely to always be people that cannot accept. Go back 100 years and people were forced to learn to do things right handed...
Best wishes and good luck.
Anne
The world is filled...
...with clever people and idiots, in a ratio impossible to determine, except that it averages out.
It does no good to regret encountering an idiot, because that's one less idiot you'll have to encounter and identify before you stumble across someone clever and compassionate.
There are a lot of idiots in the world; they're thick on the ground no matter where you look, but the corollary to the essential truth that these things obey a Gaussian distribution is that they don't take up all the room. It only seems that way sometimes.
Most people are right there in the middle, and they mostly just want to get along with everyone else.
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style