OPINION: A Christian response to the passage of California’s Gender Recognition Act
When filling out legal documents, such as driver’s license applications, people have always had two options: male or female.
With the recent passing of the Gender Recognition Act Oct. 15, California will be adding a third option: nonbinary. Or, in other words, none of the above.
News like this should be upsetting to Christians, but not because it could be considered a defeat in a culture war. We should be upset for those who are confused or far enough away from God to think that they can redefine how they were created. Then, our hearts should break again for people who feel a need to redefine how they were created in the first place.
Sympathy should not be the extent of our response, though. As Christians, we are called to more than recognize the situations of widows and orphans. We are told to care for them in Jesus’ name.
Similarly, we should care for those who will choose the third option and for those who pushed for a bill like this to be passed.
The first way we show we care is by spending quality time in Scripture, seeking the biblical stance on gender. Before we begin sharing what we believe with others, we should ensure our opinions align with truth as God has revealed it to us. Hopefully, this is a normal practice for all Christians, but in critical issues, such as gender, we need to ensure we are relying on what God has said rather than our preconceptions.
Responding to gender dysphoria requires an understanding that goes beyond knowing God created man and woman. While it is true God created two genders to complement each other, if we cannot explain why he created two distinct genders and how our complementarian roles reflect our relationship with God, then our answer will understandably lack conviction.
If God just wanted us to follow certain guidelines and not be confused, he could have written a systematic theology book explaining the nuances of every dilemma. Instead, God gave us a living book of stories that draws us to not only understand how to live, but how that life is driven by the joy that comes from a relationship with him. As a result, our interactions with others should seek this same end.
Spending time learning about gender from the Bible should reveal to us that the next step is to have friends who identify as a gender that differs from their physical sex. You may already have friends who identify as transgender, which is great! Keep loving them!
When building and having these relationships, it is imperative to not treat these friends as a project. Yes, we should want for everyone who is unsaved to enter into a relationship with God. However, in the life of Jesus, we see him both confronting sin and genuinely loving the outcasts. Truth and love are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other.
The next calling is another one that could have been going on since the start – prayer. Pray that God places people different from you in your life for you to love. Pray for boldness and discernment to develop those friendships in a manner honoring to God. Pray, most importantly, that God tears down any walls that person has built up, so that when the time is right, you can maybe play a role of them accepting him.
When Christians have spent time reading God’s word, loving and praying for those confused about their gender, I think the only natural response will be for the believer to speak truth with gentleness and respect into the lives of those they are now invested in.
It may feel as though the Gender Recognition Act demands an immediate response, and it does. This response, though, should come as a response to how God has saved us and is shaping us. Before we speak boldly into the lives of others, we should make sure we are allowing God to speak into ours.