this re-posting of The Interview is being done in reverse order. If interested, look back in 'older posts' to see the first 12 questions......
13) How do you feel about God? And do you think this is something that God would 'approve'?
This is an issue many people like me struggle with. It is a difficult issue. Some of us were raised in faiths that condemned actions or lifestyles such as mine as immoral or wrong or sinful. Like the similar pressure we receive from society, it often makes us try to be someone we aren't. The problem with religious pressure is that the stakes are higher. Society's disapproval is nothing compared to jeopardizing one's soul, some feel. Transition is about living more truthfully, but many of us set up a massive deception to hide our feelings from others. Sometimes, we even deceive ourselves. When this deception is caused by religious pressure, it can create an emotionally wrenching and devastating dilemma when one realizes she has to transition.
There are certainly passages in religious writings, such as the Bible, that can be used by some to condemn when taken out of context. The Old Testament is often quoted…….a book like Deuteronomy comes to mind right now. First Corinthians, Chapter 6, is another one. And, there are those who use those words very freely. Many fundamentalist sects here in the United States take a literal interpretation of the Bible and use that to justify hatred of transgender people, among others.
However, there are other examples where there is more tolerance. Several Palestinian pagan sects involved worship where priests would cross dress in sex-changing rituals, eunuchs known as castrati were highly respected singers in European cathedrals. Their full-throated soprano voices were considered an appropriate and inspirational form of praise to God. In many Native-American cultures, those who dressed as the opposite sex were not only tolerated, but highly respected. In some, they were considered spiritual leaders.
So, for me, I eventually distanced myself from religion, organized or otherwise, because I never quite felt that the Almighty would be accepting of someone who had thoughts that I did.. The whole process of self discovery led me to question my faith more than once. Why would God do this (Gender Dysphoria) to anyone? Why God...? is of course the eternal question. The answer of faith is that God has done nothing "to" us only for us. Our roads and journeys are unique and we work out our lives or not depending upon our faith. I have now come to better accept the notion that the “hell” I went through for so many years was an experience I needed in order to become who I am now. I have made peace with my feelings about religion, and in recent years have attended different churches, and even some pagan functions. I am not the most devout believer, but I feel that I do have a good sense of spirituality and use that as a guide to my life today.
13) How do you feel about God? And do you think this is something that God would 'approve'?
This is an issue many people like me struggle with. It is a difficult issue. Some of us were raised in faiths that condemned actions or lifestyles such as mine as immoral or wrong or sinful. Like the similar pressure we receive from society, it often makes us try to be someone we aren't. The problem with religious pressure is that the stakes are higher. Society's disapproval is nothing compared to jeopardizing one's soul, some feel. Transition is about living more truthfully, but many of us set up a massive deception to hide our feelings from others. Sometimes, we even deceive ourselves. When this deception is caused by religious pressure, it can create an emotionally wrenching and devastating dilemma when one realizes she has to transition.
There are certainly passages in religious writings, such as the Bible, that can be used by some to condemn when taken out of context. The Old Testament is often quoted…….a book like Deuteronomy comes to mind right now. First Corinthians, Chapter 6, is another one. And, there are those who use those words very freely. Many fundamentalist sects here in the United States take a literal interpretation of the Bible and use that to justify hatred of transgender people, among others.
However, there are other examples where there is more tolerance. Several Palestinian pagan sects involved worship where priests would cross dress in sex-changing rituals, eunuchs known as castrati were highly respected singers in European cathedrals. Their full-throated soprano voices were considered an appropriate and inspirational form of praise to God. In many Native-American cultures, those who dressed as the opposite sex were not only tolerated, but highly respected. In some, they were considered spiritual leaders.
So, for me, I eventually distanced myself from religion, organized or otherwise, because I never quite felt that the Almighty would be accepting of someone who had thoughts that I did.. The whole process of self discovery led me to question my faith more than once. Why would God do this (Gender Dysphoria) to anyone? Why God...? is of course the eternal question. The answer of faith is that God has done nothing "to" us only for us. Our roads and journeys are unique and we work out our lives or not depending upon our faith. I have now come to better accept the notion that the “hell” I went through for so many years was an experience I needed in order to become who I am now. I have made peace with my feelings about religion, and in recent years have attended different churches, and even some pagan functions. I am not the most devout believer, but I feel that I do have a good sense of spirituality and use that as a guide to my life today.
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