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TheDiabolicLogicofTransabelismTheGospelCoalition

Currentvents/JoeCarter

THE DIABOLIC LOGIC OF TRANSABELISM

June5,2015

Johndoesntfeelhisodmatcheshisinternalrealit.Hisouterphsicaloddoesnotre ect
hisinnerodilself-image,andthisdsphoriacauseshimtosu erfromsevereemotional
distress.John,whoconsidershimselftoetrans,elievesreliefwillonlcomewhenhecan
changehisouter(false)appearancetore ecthisinner(true)state.Heelieveshecanonllive
ahappandful lledlifesurgicallremovinghisgenitals.Oncehehasthesurgerandonl
then,heisconvincedwillheealetopresenthistrueselftotheworld.
HereisthequestionIwanttopose:ShouldaChristiansupportJohninhisdecisiontohavethis
surger?
Whilemostofuswouldsaweshouldnot(and
canhardlfathomwhitshouldeconsidereda
seriousquestion),others,especiallLGTallies
wouldanswerthatJohnshouldnotonle
supportedutepraisedforhiscouragein
undertakinghisradicaltransformation.
Tothissecondgroup,Iwanttoaddonepointof
clari cation:Johnisnottransgenderedut
transaled.Doesthatchangeoursupport?

Thedesiretoecomedisaled
Transgenderismisanumrellatermforthestateorconditionofidentifingorexpressinga
genderidentitthatdoesnotmatchaperson'sphsical/geneticsex.Transailitisanumrella
termdevelopedwithinthecommunitofindividualswhoidentifastransaled,peoplewho
haveapersistentdesiretoacquireaphsicaldisailitand/ortoseektheactualelective
transitionoftheodfromaledtodisaled.
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Mostpeoplehaveproalnotheardofthetransailism.utthatslikeltochange.On
Wednesda,CanadasNationalPostreportedonthetransailitmovement:
Whenhecuto hisrightarmwithaversharppowertool,amanwhonowcallshimself
OneHandJasonleteveroneelieveitwasanaccident.
uthehadformonthstrieddi erentmeansofcuttingandcrushingthelimthatnever
quitefeltlikehisown,traininghimselfon rstaidsohewouldntleedtodeath,even
practicingonanimalpartssourcedfromautcher.
Mgoalwastogetthejodonewithnohopeofreconstructionorre-attachment,andI
wantedsomemethodthatIcouldactuallringmselftodo,hetoldtheod
modi cationwesiteModlog.
Hisgoalwastoecomedisaled.
PeoplelikeJasonhaveeenclassi edastransaledfeelinglikeimpostersintheir
odies,theirarmsandlegsinfullworkingorder.
Clivealdwin,aresearcherinCanada,foundthattransaledpeoplehestudieddrawparallels
totheexperiencemantransgenderpeopleexpressofnotfeelinglikethereintherightod.
Itsaprolemforindividualsecauseitsdistressing.utlotsofthingsare.Hesuggests
thisisjustanotherformofoddiversitliketransgenderismandamputationma
helpsomeoneachievesimilargoalsassomeonewho,sa,undergoescosmeticsurger
tolookmorelikewhotheelievetheiridealselvestoe.
aldwinisrightthattherearemanparallelsetweentransgenderismandtransailism.ut
eforewediscusswhatthoseareletsclarifthemainpointofdissimilarit:Apersoncane
transgender,oreventranssexual,andhavenointerestinchangingtheirod,muchless
removingodparts.Whilemuchmorecouldesaidaouttransgenderismingeneral,forthe
purposesofthisarticleIwanttolimitmcritiquetothosewhosupport,encourage,orcondone
extremeodmutilationthroughsexchangeorgenitalreconstructionsurger(GRS).
Letsreturntoanexaminationoftheoriginalquestion.Somepeopleapproveofamputationof
odpartsforpeoplewhoaretransgendered.Yetmanofthosesamepeoplewould,Isuspect,
noteinfavorofthesameorsimilarproceduresfortransaledpeople.Whtheapprovalfor
onegrouputnottheother?Whatistheasisforthisaritrardoulestandard?

Istransailismsimilartotransgenderism?
HereareafewunsupportalereasonsGRSsupportersmightgive:
ThetransaledarestatisticaloutliersIfthenumerofpeoplewhoidentifastransgenderis
small(aout0.1percentorlessinAmerica),thenumeroftransaledismicroscopic.utso
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what?Theethicsofodmutilationdonothingeonhowmanpeoplewantsuchsurgeries.If
therearecaseswhetheritcanemorallapproved,itdoesntmatterifthenumerofpeople
desiringtheprocedureisinthesingledigitsorinthemillions.
Transailismisclassi edasamentaldisorderwhiletransgenderismisnotTheprolemwith
thisclaimisthatitssimplnottrue.odintegritdisorderisnotclassi edasadisorderinthe
DiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders(DSM-V)utgenderdsphoriais.None
ofthatreallmatters,though,sincethereisnoojectivestandardfordeterminingwhenod
dsphoriashouldeconstruedasamentaldisorder.DisordersintheDSMareliterallwhatever
getsvotedforinclusiontheAmericanPschiatricAssociation.Whateveronespositiononthe
issue,itcanteresolvedanappealtopschiatricconsensus,evenifoneexisted.
Genitalreassignmentsurgerisanacceptedmedicalpracticewhileamputationfortransailism
isnotWhatconstitutesanacceptedpractice?Thatdependsalmostentirelonaparticular
doctorormedicalcommunit.Manphsicianswouldrejectothasunacceptale.Yetoth
tpesofamputationsofhealthorganshaveeenperformed.
Inthe1960sJohnsHopkinsUniversitecamethe rstAmericanmedicalcentertoo ersexreassignmentsurger.In1997,ScottishdoctorRoertSmithecamethe rstsurgeonto
(pulicladmit)amputatingapatientshealthlegasatreatmentforodDsmorphicDisorder.
Thequestionisnotwhetheritisacceptedutwhetheroucan ndadoctortoacceptit.Much
likepschiatr,howgenderdsphoriaorodintegritdisorderistreatedisdeterminedlargel
ontheethicsoftheattendingphsician.

Followingthediaoliclogic
Wecouldanswerothersuchojections,uttherealitisthereisnosound,logicalrationalefor
claimingthatonegroupofpeoplewithoddsmorphiashouldeallowedtoamputateod
partswhileanothershouldnot.Thetruthisthatthosewhosupportsexreassignmentsurger
utwouldrefuseittothetransaledaremerelrelingonapersonalversionoftheargument
fromdisgust(aka,theickfactor,gagre ex,wisdomofrepugnance).Ofcourse,theare
unlikeltoacknowledgethisoviouspoint.Whenourmindhaseensosearedacceptance
ofevilthatoucondoneamputationofhealthodparts,itsnotsurprisingthatourailitto
thinklogicallhaseenhindered.
utsociethasawaoffollowingdiaoliclogicwhereveritleads.Ifoustartwiththepremise
thatradicalmutilationoftheodisanacceptalepracticewhenourphsicalpresence
doesntmatchourself-image,oushouldntesurprisedto nditappliedinwasthatare
di erent,etequalldisturing.TherealconcernisntnecessarilwithGRSfortransgendersor
amputationsfortransailitists.Whileeveroneofthosecasesisworthofourconcern,
relativelfewpeoplewanttoundergosuchradicaltransformations.Therealthreatismore
road-asedandanal.
AprimeexampleofwherethislogicleadsisthePro-anacommunit.Pro-anareferstothe
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promotionoftheeatingdisorderanorexianervosa.Themovementissometimesreferredto
simplasanaandanorexicspersoni edasagirlnamed'Ana'.Ratherthanseeinganorexiaas
amentaldisorder,pro-anasconsiderittoealegitimatelifestlethatshoulderespected
societ.
Hundreds,ifnotthousands,ofonlineforumsandwesitesarededicatedtothismovement.An
analsispulishedintheAmericanJournalofPulicHealthin2009foundthat84percent
o eredpro-anorexiacontentwhile83percentprovidedovertsuggestionsonhowtoengagein
eating-disorderedehaviors.
Whilethemanotdrawtheconnectionthemselves,theoungpeopleengagedinthepro-ana
communitcertainlunderstandthemessagesentsociet.Thecanfollowtheafortiori
argumentofthetransgenderGRSsupporters:Ifitisacceptaletolopo onesgenitalsto
conformourodtoourinnerself-image,whshouldlessradicalmeasures,suchasinduced
vomiting,eforidden?Thearewillingtofollowthelogicofthemessageofthetransgender
GRSallies:Dowhatthouwiltwithourodtoconformtoourinnerself-image.

Wh(some)Christiansaretolame
Idonotcondemnthosewhosu erfromoddsmorphia,whethertransgenderism,
transaelism,oranorxia.Thearesu eringandinneedofcompassionatesolutions,oth
medicalandpschological,andthealleviationandhealingthatcanonlcomefromChrist.
Ialsodonotlamenon-elievers.WecantexpectthosewhoareinreellionagainstGodtonot
alsoeinreellionagainsthiscreationalnorms.Pointingoutthelogicandasurditoftheir
positionmerelfallsondeafears.AsAmHallsas,Wecannolongerappealtoasurditin
ordertochallengeourculturesconsistentconclusions,ecauseinaworldwecreate,nothingis
inherentlasurd.
No,Iplacethelameonthoseself-professedChristianswhoendorsetheseformsofself-harm
andmakeself-mutilationaplausileandpalatalesolutionforthevulnerale.Thecloaktheir
supportinthelanguageofcompassionandtolerancewhileencouragingpeopletoengage
ingraveevil.
Ifoufeltanurgetosurgicallremoveoursexualorgansorinducevomitinguntilourris
showedthroughourskin,wouldouassumeitwasthewillofGod?No,ofcoursenotatleast
notifouareinarightstateofmind.SowhdowepretendthatitisGodswillforotherpeople
tomutilatethemselves?
AprimarojectiveofeverelieveristoseeothersjointheodofChrist.Whenthedo,their
ownodiesecomememersofChrist(1Cor6:9).AsPaulsas,ourodiesarefortheLord(v.
13).Headds,
[D]oounotknowthatourodisatempleoftheHolSpiritwithinou,whomou
havefromGod?Youarenotourown,forouwereoughtwithaprice.SoglorifGodin
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ourod.(vv.19-20)
Godisnotglori edwhenwetearhealthlimsandorgansforourodiesinanattemptto
conformtoadistorted,innerself-image.Whenweencouragesuchself-mutilationwearenot
followingthewillofChristutdoingtheworkofSatan.
Jesus,speakingmetaphoricall,saiditwouldeettertocuto onepartofourodthanfor
ourwholeodtogointohell.Satan,speakingliterall,sasthatcuttingo aodpartwill
releasepeoplefromtheirownpersonalhell.WhwouldthosewhoprofesstoaideinChrist
jointhedevilschorusinchanting,Yes,takeuptheknife,cutawatheodpartsthattroule
ouso?
Weneedtogetoverourfearofeingcalledigots,intolerant,ortransphoicandmakeit
perfectlcleartoothchurchandsocietthatnoChristiancantrulfollowChristandendorse
theseformsofextremeself-harm.Wecannotshowagodlloveforourneighorifwere
cheeringtheirdecisiontofollowSatansojectiveofdestroingGodstemple.

JoeCarterisaneditorforTheGospelCoalitionandtheco-authorofHowtoArgueLikeJesus:
LearningPersuasionfromHistorsGreatestCommunicator.YoucanfollowhimonTwitter.

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