In the not-too-distant past, people used to speak openly about males and females. It was an established fact in the mind of the ordinary citizen that there were men and there were women. This position was supported by academia and was taught as such in the education system. Of course, anatomy also supports this position – we can plainly see at the birth of a child that the child is either male or female. But, above all, let’s not forget that the Bible, being the authority in all matters, plainly says in Genesis 1:27: So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. When you read this portion of Scripture in the original Hebrew, our English word “created” is the Hebrew word “bara” (pronounced baw-raw). In fact, the word “bara” is the second word of the Hebrew rendering of the book of Genesis. It begins: Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve’et ha’arets (In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth). In simple terms, “bara” refers to the creative activity of God and it therefore refers to something only God can do. Therefore, if we refer back to our Genesis 1:27 text, we find that only God is able to create humans as either male or female. Yet, we are now told that anybody can change gender, therefore denying the fact that only God has the creative power to assign gender.
Recently, a Queensland parliamentary committee backed controversial legislation that will make it possible for people to change the gender on their birth certificate in line with their “personal identity” without having to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Under the Bill, gender is defined as “a person’s internal and individual experience of gender, whether or not it corresponds with the sex assigned to the person at birth”. In fact, under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Bill, people as young as 16 will be able to change the sex on their birth certificate with just a statutory declaration and supporting statement. Children under 16 will be permitted to rely on the Bill in order to change their gender but will need consent from both parents and a statement from a professional, such as a social worker or psychologist. If both parents cannot agree on supporting the child’s decision, a Court order may be sought.
It is argued that the laws need to be amended in this way due to the fact that under current laws, people in Queensland can only change their sex on their birth certificates if they have undergone sex reassignment surgery. The conclusion reached is that the legislation reflects the belief that people are born neither male nor female, but instead have an inherent gender identity that does not have anything to do with anatomy. So, under the amended laws, people will be able to nominate a sex descriptor of their choice, including male, female, trans man, trans woman, agender, genderqueer or non-binary, so long as the change is not sought for fraudulent or improper purposes.
An opponent of the legislation, Professor Patrick Parkinson, Emeritus Professor at the University of Queensland, told the committee that the entire premise of the Bill – that it is possible to be born in the wrong body – is not supported by science. In fact, he bluntly stated that “trans” and “non-binary” are social or psychological identities, not medical conditions. Additionally, Rachael Wong from Women’s Forum Australia rightly claimed that the Bill would give biological males access to women’s spaces and therefore would affect the rights of women to feel safe in women’s only spaces. In opposing the legislation, Rachael said, “The rationale for why we have single-sex prisons, bathrooms, changing rooms, sports and so on is based on an understanding of the biological sex differences between men and women and the value placed on protecting and progressing women’s dignity, safety, fairness and equality. It enables any male to self-identify as a woman and access female-only spaces, services, sports, opportunities and even lesbian events, and undermines the very purpose of single-sex spaces.” This, in her view, “opens up loopholes for predatory men to exploit the system and gain unfettered access to vulnerable women and girls.”
Additionally, within the public school system in Queensland, it was recently reported that Queensland teachers are being forced to deceive parents when a student asks the school to help them change their gender, pronouns or name. A leaked email directed all staff to use the child’s preferred pronouns in the classroom, but any communications with their parents must be carried out using their birth name and pronouns.
As one concerned teacher pointed out, if a child wanted to change a subject they are studying in their senior year, there are significant protocols to make sure it is the right decision and “three or four signatures are required”. Yet, if they want to change their name or pronoun, all they do is say the word! It is almost as if these children truly believe they have the power to re-make themselves in a different image – other than the one God created them in.
So herein lies the fundamental problem – a clash of worldviews. God has spoken and man has spoken. God speaks from eternity; man speaks from mortality. God speaks from omniscience; man speaks from flawed science. God speaks from wisdom; man speaks from folly. God speaks from omnipotence; man speaks from weakness. Do you get the picture? As Romans 1:22 aptly proclaims, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”. And what is the result of this? Romans 1:28 states that God gives them over to a debased mind. In the Greek “debased” is “adokimos” which means “disqualified”. Because of their rejection of God, they become an untrustworthy guide in moral choices because they have rejected the knowledge of God. Let me repeat that – they become an untrustworthy guide in moral choices. Yet, these people are now presiding over nations, school boards, local councils, public libraries and sadly, even churches. They may sincerely believe their actions are for the good of humanity, but Proverbs 14:12 proclaims: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
We have heard the endless arguments (supported by a compliant media) of those with a debased mind and it is time that those who have the mind of Christ raise up their voice and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. Let us also pray fervently that these people with a debased mind would come to know the Saviour and discover the beauty of Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.