GENDER IDEOLOGY: WHAT DO CHRISTIANS NEED TO KNOW?, by Sharon James

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

by Kirsten Birkett

 

About the Author

Sharon James studied history at Cambridge University, theology at Toronto Baptist Seminary, and has a doctorate from the University of Wales. She is married to Bill, who is Principal of London Seminary. Sharon works as Social Policy Analyst for The Christian Institute, UK, and has traveled to many countries as a onference speaker.

 

Contents

Introduction: Behind the ‘Good News’ stories – And why it matters to you

1. The Global Sexual Revolution
2. ‘Can we Really Change Sex?’ and other FAQs
3. What is ‘Gender Theory’?
4. Where did ‘Gender Theory’ come from?
5. Male and Female – by Design
6. The ‘Transgendering’ of Children
7. How Should we Respond? A Call to Respect

 

General Summary:

A short and clear discussion of transgender, with helpful ways of understanding the issue, and what to do about it. Further resources are listed for all chapters.

 

Introduction: Behind the ‘Good News’ stories – and why it matters to you

The media presents us with stories of people who happily changed gender, but there are other stories of people who deeply regret it.

• Gender confusion involves deep unhappiness, so respond with compassion, not hostility
• Real kindness means believing and telling the truth
• We need to understand the ideas behind the claim that we can “change sex”
• This matters, because such “gender theory” is being promoted to children and is untrue.

 

Chapter 1: The Global Sexual Revolution

Many nations allow “sex change,” with or without physical alteration. International organizations push for “comprehensive sexuality education” for children. Man-woman marriage has always been the bedrock of society and provides the best care for children, but to hold this is opposed as heteronormative and homophobic; even the male-female distinction is rejected as oppressive. Yet this gender ideology rejects reality and harms children.

 

Chapter 2: “Can we really change sex?” and other FAQs

• “Gender” until recently could be used as a synonym of “sex,” meaning male or female. Gender Theory dissolves such distinction.
• “Transgender” refers to people who are dissatisfied with their biological sex; also to cross-dressers. Transsexuals, “trans” people, wish to live as members of the opposite sex.
• “Gender dysphoria,” applying to people unhappy with their biological sex, was until 2013 understood as a psychological disorder; now after much political activism, it is classified as a sexual health issue.
• The treatment used to be to help the mind accept the body; now the person’s self-diagnosis of sexual identity is accepted, and treatment is to help the person live as the opposite sex, possibly through hormone treatment or surgery. Attempts to counsel otherwise are labeled harmful “conversion therapy” (which on occasion has indeed been harmful).
• Arguably there are three distinct groups: children, and adolescents, who present with gender dysphoria; and “autogynephilia,” where males are aroused by the thought of themselves as female. The causes are unknown. Gender dysphoria is rare (<.01%) but figures are rising rapidly.
• “Intersex” refers to people born with ambiguous genitalia, but does not in itself prove gender is nonbinary.
• Some people deny they are of any sex (“genderqueer,” “gender fluid” etc.). This defies reality.
• It is impossible to change sex; only appearance can be changed. . . .

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