At a party last summer I met an old acquaintance. His re-introductory statement, (after years apart) informing me that he masturbates, has opened my mind to a much deeper understanding of where our culture is, how it is changing, and why we must turn in another direction.
At other parties, in other times, many of us have used various introductory statements, to both get a conversation started and to get to know more about one another. In some circles, the first question is usually, “What do you do?” This opens the conversation to the subjects of careers, jobs, and other topics of interest. That opening was always acceptable to me, but in recent times it has fallen into disfavor. Some object to the way it seems to confine our identities to whatever our function is in the economy; rendering us into nothing but economic units.
Being from Colorado, (filled with out of staters) until recent times the conversation starter was always, “Where are you from?” I always liked and used it. It let me find out some basic biographical information about the other person, and share some of my own. It often led to light hearted chiding, and by that determining something about the emotional/ intellectual makeup of the other person. In these latter times, sadly, I have learned that such a conversation starter is offensive to many. Their objection is that information about geographical origins plays into stereotypical and prejudiced thinking.
Having been confronted about and absorbing these changes in social mores , while not agreeing with them, and stubbornly holding on to the old ways, ( I now follow with,”Where does that accent come from?”) I do understand them. So I instantly understood what my old acquaintance was really saying. (He must have been drunk that evening because he gave me that greeting twice, once at first and then again later after we had drifted into other conversation circles earlier in the party) He was asserting that in this enlightened era, the most important part of a person, the essence of their identity, is their sexual identity.
Turns out he has become somewhat of an activist in the Democrat Party, so I am sure his bold introductory statement is considered honest and refreshing when in company with folks who offer their preferred pronouns as their introductory greeting. “Oh really, well I am fluid sexual, and my pronouns are ze/zer, so very good to meet you.” is how the conversation starts. That is all well and good, I guess, but I don't care to participate in that mindset. The encounter left me to reflect on the deep and profound cultural issues it revealed.
It all comes down to the issue of identity. The question of “Who am I, and what is my meaning in life?” is at the heart of this question. For my old acquaintance, and his fellow travelers, the essence of human identity seems to be that humans are first and foremost sexual beings. For others that identity statement, that foundational belief about what life means, could be that we are economic beings, defined by how much we have acquired and how we acquired it. Or it might be that we are political beings, defined by the causes we embrace and how effective we have been in supporting them.
Some would define themselves in terms of family and community, or geography, or in terms of which religion they practice. Or which ethnic group, or racial group they are a part of. There are many and varied forms of identity. Much of this issue can be boiled down to two choices: are we bodies with some kind of magical, spirit moving in them? A ghost in a machine? Or are we, as asserted by C.S. Lewis, living souls which have temporary custody of material bodies? That is the big, classical way of framing the issue of identity, and our modern identity markers are just variations on those themes.
My personal conclusion of this issue is to define myself as a child of God (more on this in a bit). To temporarily change the subject, and weave in another controversy,
let me say that while growing into my identity as a child of God, I was pushed into developing a new definition of “freedom”, one which encompasses both political and spiritual freedom. I came up with this definition; “Freedom is being unfettered from becoming the person, the child of God, you were created to be.”
This definition works well because it accounts for political, economic and other forms of material oppression which diminishes the victims chances for full realization of personhood. It also accounts for the personal sins and vices which so easily enslave us, and likewise diminish our chances of full realization of our created potential.
To weave this discussion back to the original subject, this definition must be contrasted with what LGBTQ? advocates push as their agenda to make all vulnerable and marginalized people, especially children, “Safe.” Safe is a word used heavily by them that seems to mean that anything which might cast doubts on the identity of any sexually marginalized person must never be said, or talked about, ever again. Any words which cast doubt on those identities causes the marginalized to feel “unsafe.” Thus, anyone who does cast doubt on the LGBTQ? agenda must be silenced, socially canceled and or even imprisoned.
This is asserted as a rationale to continue the practice of indoctrinating and grooming children into adopting LGBTQ? thinking. The big problem I have with this is I see it not as merely indoctrinating the young into deviant lifestyle choices. Far worse, since I see us as living in a spiritual reality within a material matrix, I see this as indoctrinating the young into crippling vice, sin and possibly demonic possession.
Moreover, these deformed young people are then set loose in the world, expecting everyone to validate their thinking, and becoming infuriated when some folks don't. This is an intolerable situation.
It is roughly akin to releasing people who have been clinically diagnosed as severely paranoid to live among us, and then holding us criminally liable if we say anything that makes them feel paranoid. We would have to walk on eggshells around such mentally ill people, and would fear to even discuss our feelings among friends in their absence, for fear word might get back to them. It is conscripting the general population into being defenseless mental health workers.
This LGBTQ? insanity is much the same, only worse. At the proverbial modern party, or in some public space, when people introduce themselves with pronouns, some of which are very rare and innovative, one is expected to memorize and approve of every syllable they utter. Anything less could trigger them, and get you (if you are not somewhere higher on the intersectional totem pole) dismissed, humiliated and even physically assaulted with no legal recourse. There has, in other words, been a new religion concocted, and the authorities are forcing us to conform to the new religious jargon. One is compelled to conclude that the Woke agenda, inclusive of LGBTQ? and intersectionality, is an attack on personal freedom, especially as defined earlier.
We are, however, supposed to be okay with that because they have the moral high ground. All this trans ideology has been scientifically proven, hasn't it?
Actually, no it hasn't. Even though this information has not made it into the American mainstream (in ways we are the most beguiled and deceived people on earth, due to our corrupt mass media), much of Trans ideology has come under withering fire in other parts of the world. This is due to the publication of what is called the Cass review. In the aftermath of this report, the UK, and other European nations, have banned sexual transitioning for those under 18 years of age. This includes surgical, hormonal, and even social transitioning.
The largest revelation of the Cass review is that previous “scientific” studies of gender dysphoria were sadly lacking in scientific rigor. Too small of sample sizes to reach such definite, widely applicable conclusions; few or no control groups; and of most concern, no follow up on the outcomes in the lives of the subjects. This last item is what has caused the Trans ideologists to lose the moral high ground in this controversy.
The most compelling argument they have, and they made it relentlessly for years to parents of gender confused children, is the one that asserted gender confusion, if not treated by transitioning, often leads to suicide for the trouble youth. Many parents were scared into accepting their children's indoctrination induced delusions by being told they “can have a live daughter or a dead son.” The Cass review found that while suicide is a problem for gender dysphoric youth, the rate of suicide in that group increases after they have undergone transition, whether that is surgical, hormonal, or social. Consequently, in conformity with the ancient medical obligation to “first, do no harm,” prudence has called the UK to suspend such procedures.
All of this follows from what many see as a new, oppressive religion being foisted on an unaware, astonished world. Consequently, for my part, the next time I go to a party, I will continue to start conversations by asking, “where are you from?' or “what do you do?” If someone responds that they “masturbate” or with some random set of pronouns, I will inform them I am a growing child of God.
If they insist on going into the particulars of their deviance, I will further inform them that, “I am a born again, bible guided, Christ saved, bound for eternal glory child of God.” If they feel free to expound on the jargon and dogma of their religion, I will feel free to go into mine.
While there are many Christians, followers of Christ is my preferred term, who might fill out their statement of faith in a different way than I do, as long as faith in Christ is affirmed, along with attempting to live in the manner he modeled and espoused, I consider us to be allies. Since we are obviously engaged in yet another form of spiritual war, let us join forces and learn to fight this cultural and spiritual war together, shoulder to shoulder. We must overcome this latest doctrine of demons by firmly upholding the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.