Christianity more inclusive than Street asserts in letter

TO THE EDITOR:

Perhaps Grayson Street should have taken his own advice before criticizing a community of people and done a bit of research on how the Bible represents transgender people. “In the beginning” … God created the first human in God’s image, Genesis 1:27. To be created in God’s image means embodying the complementary character aspects, including both the masculine and feminine energies, of the divine.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus also acknowledges the existence of gender-variant individuals, “For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 19:12. This is not the only affirmation of transgender individuals in the New Testament. Indeed, in Acts 8, an Ethiopian eunuch feels unworthy upon encountering Philip.

When they came to water the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, then you may.” The eunuch said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” and they went down into the water and Philip baptized the eunuch, Acts 8:36-38. The eunuch believed in Jesus and yearned for a personal relationship with him and thus was received into the body of Christ.

So I do have to agree with Grayson, “The Bible and a personal relationship with Christ is what Christianity is based around” and remind you as a sibling in the family of Christ that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” Galatians 3:28.


Angel Collie
Senior
Religious Studies