The Moral Dimensions of Transsexualism and S.R.S.

Written by Tamera Sheehan

Religion and Gender

Has Religion a right to an opinion on Transgender?

It is the goal of religion to find meaning in life, express ideas of afterlife, keep faith, inspire people to serve, promote virtue and worship God. Because religion is concerned with wholeness of life, it is also interested in everything having to do with Transgender.

What causes religion to accept or reject Transgender?

Religion’s attitude towards Transgender depends upon the foundational source of the given religion. This automatically separates the various faith communities into two camps. Thus, Orthodox Judaism, strict Islam and Conservative Christianity reject Transgenderism. All the rest, Protestant, Jewish and Christianity (including Catholic) give affirmation to the Gender Gifted (Transgendered) in varying degrees. To the extent that any of these denominations fail in their minitry, to that same extent some Gender Gifted will turn toward Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age or Wicca for empowerment.

How important is a church’s stance on Transgender?

A Church’s teaching on Transgender is very important to Transgender believers. For them, the stance of a church can bring either hope or despair. It can either encourage wholeness or death.

Creating a Counterfeit Morality Out of Cultural Taboos.

Why cultural taboos get wrapped in moral trappings.

Unfortunately, misinformation about the Transgender lifestyle stirs up fears and anxieties in many people who claim to be religious. In order to give their objections more power, they wrap their misinformation in the pious claims of morality. Thus, they forcefully say, “God made you the way you are and you have no right to change that.”

How does one respond to such misinformation?

It helps to point out the faulty logic of such statements. Thus, if this declaration were applied to some other situations, it would mean that the disabled should be denied artificial limbs. Babies with serious genetic defects could not be operated upon. Everyone would be denied the benefits of modern medicine, such as insuline and plastic surgery. All of us, in our present imperfect earthly state would be denied the right to strive for health and life, that is, for wholeness.

How can some opponents of Transgender be so absolutely certain that they are correct?

As noted above, some of those who disagree with Transgender often speak with great certaintyon the subject. They proclaim, ‘God said, “Transsexualism or Sexual Reassignment Surgery is wrong!” This action arises from a fundamental legalism which has infected many modern people. It is built upon literal misunderstanding of misunderstood moral teachings. This code of belief sees only ‘black & white’. It demands that everything be judged in these stark terms, no greys allowed. Further, no disagreement is permitted because the objection is understood as coming from God.

How does one respond to such misinformation?

It is often impossible to deal with closed minds. However, one might point out that ‘Transsexualism’ and ‘S.R.S.’ are not mentioned in the bible. One could also appeal to the need for wholeness.

More Pseudo-moral arguments

Is being Transsexual a moral choice?

Some opponents of Transgenderism insist that the Transsexual condition is due to one’s free choice. Thus, it is a moral fault for which the Transgender person is responsible. He/she can correct it by true conversation to God and self discipline. Furthermore, they point out, ‘Sexual Reassignment Surgery must be avoided because it is contrary to the natural order of things”. However, scientific experiments have shown that being born a Transsexual is much like being born a Siamese twin. The fault lies in a faulty, less than whole, biological development, not in free choice.

Are there any choices available to the Transsexual?

The only choice available to the Transsexual is deciding what to do about his/her Transgenderism. Many spend every day of their lives trying to live with, control or defeat the problem. Nothing works. This often leads to a decision to seek ‘Sexual Reconstruction Surgery’ (S.R.S.). Just as an operation to separate healthy Siamese twins solves their problem, so too Sexual Reassignment Surgery helps the Transsexual gain a sense of wholeness.

What is the hidden, deeper reasons for many of the faulty arguments against Transgender?

It is not in the content of the questions or statements that the pious challengers are interested. Rather they fear discovering something about themselves. They fear to face their own failings and then have to admit that they do not totally fit society’s  ‘normal’ image. Furthermore, they fear that they might discover some new information about the world that would force them to think and build new understandings. This always hard work and is filled with risk. Finally, they fear they might discover that Transgender people are really gender gifted and want no more or less then the average person. They are only different in that they thirst for wholeness.

A Moral Teaching on Sexual Reassignment Surgery

What influences Religion’s opinion on S.R.S.?

Some of those who object to the surgical solution for Transsexualism are much closer to the mark when they argue that, ‘Sexual Reassignment Surgery would destroy the body that God created’. In other words, they are concerned about mutilation of the body. Many faiths, Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish base teachings about S.R.S. on moral principles on mutilation found in the Bible. It notes that Genesis1-2 teaches that, from the beginning, the human body was made in the image of God, that is, was made whole.

St. Paul adds in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that you body is a temple of the holy Spirit, for you are not your own.” Thus, it would be wrong to kill or harm (make less whole) the body. One also concludes that it is the duty of each person to care for the body, fix it and make it whole. For this reason we are encouraged by the church to take medicine and use eyeglasses. We must help the body overcome illness and strive for wellness and wholeness. It is only for a serious reason that a part of the body may be sacrificed for the good of the whole. This justifies chemotherapy and amputation/alteration of ill or seriously damaged organs or limbs. For the same reason an Intersexual (Hermaphrodite) can have either his/her healthy male or female sexual organs surgically removed in order to gain wholeness and more ‘normal’ functioning. Thus, when it is understood that a Transsexual is a really a ‘Brain intersexxual’ and the brain cannot fixed, then it becomes possible to justify surgery on the gonads to help the person gain some wholeness.

Where are the ultimate moral answers to be found?

Did you notice how the word, ‘whole/wholeness’ keeps surfacing. It is the key to all moral discussions about the gender gifted.

Resources For This Article

Bullough, Bonnie/Verne, Ph.D, R.N., Gender Blending, Prometheus Books, Amherst, New York, Ó 1997. it contains two articles: “Religion and Cross Gender Behavior: Wellspring of Hope or Swamp of Despair? Pp. 398-404, by Katheryn J. Helms, and “Transsexuality and Religion: A personal Journey”, pp.490-494, by Karen F. Kroll.