One final thought on this issue that wasn’t expressed very well in my last blog, was referenced in my Blueberry Donuts blog, and expressed early on in my blog about this issue. At what age can a child “know” that they are a boy or a girl. In this case it seems that it’s very much the parents pushing, and ultimately the parents are the ones who need to be directing their children in what is appropriate and not. I find it hard to believe that a child at the age of 18 months would identify themselves as a girl without and prodding from their parents. So my answer to this issue remains the same-Coy should not be using the girls bathroom, but the parents are the ones who need to be held responsible for it. Sexuality in our culture is becoming a very grey issue, yet thanks to Scripture, Christians can and should treat it as a much more black and white issue than our culture allows.
All posts tagged sexuality
Coy Mathis – Continued
Posted by mikethestrand on March 8, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/03/08/coy-mathis-continued/
EFCA Theology Conference – Session 8
What Can Medical Science Tell Us About Sexual Orientation? – Daniel Beals, MD
Medical Definition of Gender:
Male and Female He created them – Genesis 1:27
Fundamental to self-identity: first question when a child is born, it permeates all of our thinking: blue/pink, different goals in life
Who decides?
How do they decide?
Is a medical definition different from other definitions?
How well has Medicine defined sexual identity in the past?
What can we infer from Sexual Identity to Sexual Orientation?
Medical Definition
Good at defining what is wrong, but not what is normal
Specialist have a narrow perspective on definition
Medical knowledge changes
Gender identity as a definition: first used by Dr. John Money, psychological perspective
Ambiguous Genitalia: Dr. Ladd, Boston Children’s Hospital, Surgical Perspective
Disorders of Sexual Differentiation (> 2000): All inclusive definition of anatomically definable genital disorders
Gender Identity Disorder (Gender Dysphoria): All inclusive definition of distress and discomfort one feels between one’s physical sex and one’s gender
Sexual Orientation: Opposite Sex, Same Sex, Not simple with DSD
What Makes Up Gender Identity?
Genetic: X and Y Chromosomes, the SRY gene
Endocrine: testosterone, estrogen
Phenotype: What do things look like? How do things work?
Environment: Parental role models, assumed gender roles, peer pressure
Spiritual?
What do we Know?
No known genetic link to GD or SO
No known endocrine link to GD but known correlation with SO
No known phenotypic link to SO but known secondary correlation with GD
Known correlation between environmental factors and GD and SO
What do we really NOT know?
Do not have a full understanding of genetics
Do not have a full understanding of endocrine influences
Do not have a good long term follow up of attempted therapies
What does Medicine tell us about Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation?
In cases of DSD, it may be very difficult to have a clear answer
Sexual orientation issues can sometimes be explained by endocrine abnormalities
There is no medical explanation to problems with GD
Environment plays an important role in gender, both normal and abnormal
We must be cautious as medical knowledge is far from complete
Posted by mikethestrand on February 4, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/02/04/efca-theology-conference-session-8/
EFCA Theology Conference Session 7
The Theology of Sexuality Applied: Teaching/Training of Youth in the Home and the Church – Stan Jones
What are our Objectives in Sex Education and in Parenting?
To prevent immorality?
To equip and empower our children to enter adulthood capable of living godly, wholesome lives
Don’t focus too narrowly and negatively, such as focusing on only preventing sexual immorality and the ravages that illicit and irresponsible sex; this goal is too small, too limited, too narrow. Our most important goal in sex education should be to equip and empower our children to enter adulthood capable of living godly, wholesome, and fulfilled lives as Christen men and women, Christian singles, wives and husbands.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
A Summary of Key Points in the Theology of Sexuality
We are embodied, we are gendered sexual beings, we are relational, we are made in God’s image, we are broken and twisted, we encounter objective reality when we have sex, we are souls under construction
We are souls under construction
Given/Discovered Constructed?
Given: Evolutionary Psychology Reproduction as an evolutionary impulse in the context of a meaningless universe; sex, like life, is meaningless
Atheist Delusions (David Hart)
The Five-Factor Model of Sexual Character:
Needs – Relatedness and Significance
Values
Beliefs
Skills
Supports
Twelve Principles of Christian Sex Education in the Family and Church
Principle 1: Sex education is the shaping of character
Principle 2: Parents are the principle sex educators
Principle 3: First messages are the most important
Principle 4: Seize those “teachable moments;” become an “askable” parent
Principle 5: Stories are powerful teaching tools
Principle 6: Accurate and explicit messages are best
Principle 7: Positive messages are powerful
Principle 8: “Inoculate” your children against negative beliefs
Principle 9: Repetition is critical; repetition is really, really important
Principle 10: Close, positive parent-child relationships are crucial
Principle 11: Sexuality is not everything; keep your perspective
Principle 12: Our God can forgive, heal, and redeem anything
Posted by mikethestrand on February 4, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/02/04/efca-theology-conference-session-7/
EFCA Theology Conference 2013
Today I will be traveling down to Denver for the 2013 EFCA Theology Conference on the topic of Human Sexuality. The denomination always tries to do hot topic issues that are going on in the culture and this year is sexuality. I’ll be doing my best to live blog the speakers as they finish for those who are not able to go to the conference themselves. I’m very much looking forward to hearing all these issues and as always, I love being able to connect with other pastors in the free church. Be praying as it begins today at 1:10 Mountain Time – a couple of the speakers have already had to cancel their trip out to Denver with health issues, thankfully they’ll be able to Skype in.
Posted by mikethestrand on January 30, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/01/30/efca-theology-conference-2013/
This is Me
Pastor Mike's Musings 