Whether you pay any heed to it or not, the bible comments on homosexuality. I was wondering if there are any specific references to cross dressing in there as well.
There cannot be, I would imagine, any mention of gender reassignment surgery as it probably could not have been envisioned during those early days in the development of our medical kowledge. However crossdressing was, if the literature is to be believed, not unheard of, and seems to have been a feature in many and varied cultures and eras.
Just to broaden the discussion out, have any other of the more mainstream religions made any pronouncements on the subject.
This, my very first post, is not intended to cause any tension at all, rather it is a sincere attempt to gain insight.
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Try This Story
http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/4182/freedomia-rules
It is based on the Bible's comments.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Deuteronomy 22.5
A woman should not put on the apparel of a man; nor should a man wear the clothing of a woman—for whoever does these things—it is a to'evah [completely off-limits behavior] to the Eternal your God
this is the only one I know of but like most things in the bible it is subject to Interpretation
(edit) google search "Interpreation of the bible" About 25,600,000 results in 0.34 seconds
Deuteronomy
There are some bizarre laws in that bit of that book. Take 21:18-21 for example - I'm not aware of any teenagers being subjected to capital punishment for being stubborn and rebellious! Adultery resulted in the deaths of both the adulterer and his mistress. If you found a murder victim and couldn't isolate the perpetrator, you'd work out where the nearest town was, take a heifer to the nearest stream, cut its throat then get all the town elders to wash their hands over it to disclaim responsibility (although it doesn't appear to say where to bury the body!). If you go to war and find a beautiful woman among the captives, you may take her as your wife... except that first you've got to order her to shave her head, put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured, then wait a month while she mourns her parents.
It appears as though ardent believers selectively pick and choose which laws should be kept (they claim the ones concerning morality - but surely the rebellious teenager would fall under that heading? Not to mention they also ditch the punishments, which usually resulted in stoning both parties to death) and which don't so can be safely ditched - even though the original texts don't distinguish between "morality", hygiene, war etiquette, slave etiquette, rites & rituals, or any other laws designed primarily to distinguish the Hebrews from followers of other faiths in the region.
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Lost in translation
Yes, it's certainly open to interpretation, and apparently was imprecisely translated from Hebrew, almost completely losing the original meaning, which appears to have been a ceremonial law against women being soldiers or warriors dressing as women (to avoid service?). See e.g. http://www.actseighteen.com/articles/women-pants.htm .
Doesn't look too bad
That would seem to make it okay for you to wear the garments appropriate to the gender of your true self, so it's not too horrid a rule.
"Joe! Why are you dressed as a woman?"
"Because I am one, and Deuteronomy requires it."
The law is a trap
There are specific prohibitions against men donning women's garments and vice versa. These are the passages most quoted. Interestingly, these passages are in the same place where the kosher laws are (no cheese burgers or shrimp cocktails), and the bits about stoning your children, etc. Parenthetically, it is thought by some that the prohibition against cross-dressing was to keep kids from running back and forth between the bachelors' and bachelorettes' sleeping quarters. (Gee, I wonder why they'd want to do that?)
There are many passages where high praise is given to eunuchs, which is the closest, I guess, to dealing with TG issues.
There are also some Pauline scriptures (New Testament) which speak to male homosexuality, but I am not clear as to which Paul wrote them. (The writings of Paul seem to actually been written by two people. There are parts where the style and content is different. The 'other' author seemed to be a lot more conservative and organized church oriented.)
If you want chapter/verse references, PM me and we can go into specifics.
Where a lot of Christians get confused is the thinking that the Bible is a static picture, rather than showing a process. The old testament shows the history of our relationship with God and how it evolved. The new testament shows us how we are freed from the laws of the past and brought into a new covenant of forgiveness and love.
That is why I am always so distressed when those who profess Christianity show so little understanding for their faith and so little compassion for others. And it is also why I have so little patience for those who use the name of Christ to do so much harm to others.
Janet
Mistress of the Guild of Evil [Strawberry] Blonde Proofreaders
To be or not to be... ask Schrodinger's cat.
I guess some people just live
I guess some people just live to annoy others. If there is a "holy" book, which allows them to "justify" their prejudices with quotes they'll do it happily. It's not like they wouldn't have the same prejudices without it.
Thanks for your replies
I do know a cross dressing Eva (to'evah ), but I bet she never knew she was so beyond the Pale.
I look forward to reading the story that has been suggested. I also understand what you say about the New Testament being subject to revisionism and the whims of editors. Once the zealots get involved the differences seem to become more important than the similarities, sadly.
I can't see why it has become so taboo really what harm has it ever done once it is not shoved under peoples noses nor used to embarass or belittle. Live and let live I say.
Well, it's like this...
You made me think of a wonderful quote from "Men in Black".
People are afraid of things they don't understand, things that are different, outside of their own or their cultural experience.
And when people are afraid, they tend to shoot first and not ask questions later.
Janet
Mistress of the Guild of Evil [Strawberry] Blonde Proofreaders
To be or not to be... ask Schrodinger's cat.
for some reason this post
made me think of this old song from the Pet Shop Boys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7I5UaB7mx4&feature=related
never mind. I guess I'm not
never mind. I guess I'm not allowed an opinion.
I actually like Chick-fil-A
Nevermind. Just realized this was a necrobump. *rolls eyes and sighs*
~Taylor
~Taylor Ryan
My muse suffers from insomnia, and it keeps me up at night.
If God is infallable
And he created us, whom many here are transgendered or homosexual, then is he wrong?
To me this is another trial to overcome in life, but one which we as individuals decide how to overcome it. If that means accepting who we are, changing our genders, or anything else not in accordance to mainstream church views, then so be it. I think God will understand. That's what life is about after all, making decisions and learning from them, and if the decision ultimately is a positive one for you and your livelihood, and it doesn't directly hurt anyone else, then I find no fault in one's actions.
Deuteronomy
I had a minister explain that to me at a TG support group meeting saying that those verses of Deuteronomy were in place, because when the Jews entered Caanan there was still strong sects of Astarte, and it is said that Astarte's priests wore the garments of women, how true this is I don't know but I have always been comfortable with it. The other thing he mentioned was that Deuteronomy, was basically Mosaic law (laws handed down by Moses), and even Jews today don't follow Mosaic law.