Religion & Transgender : Can They Coincide?
Summary: It may seem like religion and transgender do not mix well together. However, there is a way to make it work. God does not judge, so be your authentic self.
Can religion and transgender coincide? Many people seem to think that someone who is religious is strongly against anyone who is LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender). This can be the case, but not always the case. But, the harder thing is someone who is religious who is transgender. They may think it’s a sin based on what they’ve been taught and deny and reject their feelings. Furthermore, what about a family member or friend who is religious that you feel may be against you because you are trans? That too is a real concern for many people.
First we must discuss what the issues are with religion and transgenderism. Depending on the religion, and we’ll use Christianity as the example, it’s often taught that a man is a man and a woman is a woman, and a man can only love a woman. The fear of God is instilled within the people who follow this religion. It’s also taught that God judges and depending on the life you live and the sins you’ve committed will determine if you go to Heaven or Hell. Since the religion teaches that it’s a sin to be gay or transgender, then the lifestyle is obvious wrong to these people and they view it as a sin.
Let’s drill down into why this is a problem for not just family members or friends that are religious, but also the person who is religious and dealing with these feelings of being transgender. If you are questioning your sexual orientation or gender identity, and are religious, then you know the internal struggle and cognitive dissonance that comes about. On one hand you know who you are, but on the other you deny and reject it because it’s sinful. This causes confusion and frustration as you begin to feel lost. You may try everything in your power to stop feeling the way you do, but nothing works and the feelings keep coming back, stronger than before. You may have even spoken with others around you about how you feel, and they reaffirm your deepest fear that it’s a sin to feel this way and that you need help to stop it. This confusion doesn’t get better, only worse, as you continue to deny the truth.
You’ve let your religious ideology control and manipulate your thoughts and actions, causing confusion. You chose religion over your own happiness and self-worth. Yet, if you really understand the message that God is trying to give you, it is that God loves you just the way you are. God does not judge. Rather, it is solely humans that judge one another, not God. If you believe God loves all his children, then why do you have the thoughts in your mind that God hates you for how you feel you are? God loves all, and I do mean all, the best people and the worst people, and everything in between. If anything, God wants you to live a happy life, free of suffering. So, this inner conflict you are having, this cognitive dissonance, is what you are inflicting on yourself by being at odds with your religion and your gender identity. At this point, you have to begin to unlearn the idea that God will judge you and cast you into Hell for sinning against him if you are gay or trans. God loves all and God loves you for who you truly are. So that means, find your inner happiness and express yourself and you will find inner love and be able to love others in return.
On a related note, use these same principals when it comes to a family member who is religious and doesn’t understand you. Make it apparent that God doesn’t judge and loves all. When you project positivity, you get positivity in return. But, when you have doubt and are forcing yourself to be someone you’re not, even denying the person you are, this is not what God wants to see. You should be thriving and happy, so be your true authentic self. It may be hard to open up to your family and friends that are religious, but remember that God doesn’t judge, humans do. So, the people you tell may judge you, and claim God is doing the judging. So be kind and respectful and give them time. If they truly care and love you, they will come around and accept you for who you are.
Let me know how this works for you. Have a great day!
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Additional Info
I have never been religious. I did believe in the Christian God for a period of time, but it wasn’t anything hardcore. I lost much of my belief when I continued to suffer, asking for a solution, but one never came. That is when I realized that I have to be independent and be happy on my own. I now give thanks to the universe for everything, not specifically God. But, God is all of us and we are God. We are all part of a unified consciousness that is part of God. So, I practice being my true self and happy.
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