Resolving the transgender question in my thought

Today we hear and read a lot about issues to do with gender and transgender. These are sensitive and challenging questions, but at the same time important to resolve in one’s thought and not to run away from. 

  

I am active in politics and when attending my party’s conferences the agenda has included policies related to transgender. The debates around this topic have opened my eyes to how we must ensure that anyone who deals with these issues in their personal lives must be justly and lovingly treated. 

 

What’s more, in these conferences there have often been a fair number of party members who have ‘crossed the floor’ as it were in gender terms. Many of these party members are intellectually brilliant and totally committed to the principles of fairness and equality. I have enormous respect for them on several accounts.

 

This has made me want to think through the question of gender and transgender in a manner that removes any prejudice from my thought and allows everybody to express their individuality and uniqueness freely. 

 

Christian Science has provided all-important keys to this journey in thought, liberating me from the material conformities of this world in considering these questions.

 

The Bible says that God created man in his own image and likeness, hence as purely and perfectly spiritual, as the reflection of Life, Truth and Love. And as we read in our textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, man is ‘the compound idea of infinite Spirit or the full representation of Mind’. Being ‘compound and full’ means complete, nothing missing.

 

As I have prayed to lift my thought above the material concept of man to the spiritual realm of God’s creation, I let go of masculine, feminine or neuter gender. Instead, I am witnessing both male and female qualities of Mind which we all express uniquely. This defies any material categorisation or identification of our fellow man. It reveals their precious spiritual nature and higher individuality. And then goes on to celebrate it.

 

It follows that it’s not for me to marvel or speculate about anybody’s material gender, but instead discern and appreciate their spiritual qualities. If my fellow God’s idea has been led to evolve the expression of their God-given nature in terms of material gender, it’s not for me to judge or justify their choice. It’s my privilege and duty as a Christian to take the question to a higher plane, and to know that God works in wonderful ways in people’s lives because God is Love and always good.

 

In my political activities I have also encountered situations, whilst doing door-to-door canvassing, when I’ve been challenged about our party’s gender-related policies. Not being an expert in them, and with my political focus elsewhere, I have sought to lift the discussion to a more spiritual level about gender. This has often resulted in fruitful and fresh avenues of thought both ways.

 

I am enormously grateful that the study of Christian Science has helped me to resolve such challenging questions of our time. Based on Christ Jesus’ profound teachings and demonstrations it allows me to seek and find spiritually inspired answers, and live its clarion call ‘Citizens of the world, be free.’   


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