The word Christian can spark heated debate on how the church has treated the LGBT community. To mention that I am transgender in the church has lit a few fires of disagreement. When you put the two together, you have napalm. If not handled correctly and without proper education, the firestorm can rage out of control, damaging all with in its path. But as a wildfire is known to do, it can burn away the old and make room for new life, so heated, healthy debate is not always a bad thing.
In my inaugural post here on ChicagoNow, one of the individuals that left comments made a few statements I believe I need to take time to discuss. Before correcting some common misconceptions about being transgender, I want to take a minute to agree with one of his statements.
I agree that many in society today believe that the Bible, the Word of God, is full of bigotry and prejudice. There have been many church leaders in the news recently that have done nothing but condemn the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender community. Charles L. Worley of Maiden, N. C. preached a sermon that went viral on YouTube. He preached that he thought gays should be fenced off from the rest of the population so they would “die off”. With rhetoric like this, how is any non-believer ever going to think that God, above all things, is a loving God? How is anyone going to think anything other than God is a God of punishment when he really came to die on the cross and forgive our sins? I praise people like Andrew Marin and The Marin Foundation for their work in Chicago connecting with the LGBT community and spreading God’s love to those that have felt rejected by the church. We need more people like that working to build someone up in God, instead of tearing him or her down.
-full post (the first of two) at Trans Girl at the Cross, Chicago Now
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- Oxford: Transgender priest gives sermon in Hertford Chapel (queeringthechurch.com)
