Ecclesiastes is a book of the Hebrew Bible which is in the form of an autobiography of a sage named Koheleth. Koheleth introduces himself as a son of David, the King in Jerusalem, and this book is essentially his thoughts on the meaning of life and the best way in which one should live life.

Within Ecclesiastes is a passage which is taken by some as a clear indication that God intended only to create men and women.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. (King James Version)

The passage essentially says that we can never truly know the secrets of life itself, and the powers and abilities of God cannot ever be understood by humanity. The implication being that we must accept God’s creation and the genders and sexes which God created. (Ishak) Note that I say this is an implication – no plain-text reading of this tells me anything other than we need to respect the fact that we do not know everything, and must accept that which simply is.

The response to this is simple – of course transsexuals respect God’s creation – and that is why we must transition! And why would others think that they know God never intended to create transgender persons?

Let me illustrate by a detailing an online conversation I once had.

Them:                   “God created you male, and you sinned by throwing away his plan for you and changing your sex.”

Me:                       “God did create me, they created me as I am, transgender. God gave me additional challenges in life, with a male body and female brain, or soul if you will. The body means little, as the soul endures.”

Them:                   “God doesn’t create transgender people.”

Me:                       “Oh really? You know God’s plan for me? How? Aren’t you presuming to know the unknowable?”

Them:                   “God didn’t make you transgender.”

Me:                       “I for one think God knows more about me than you do. God clearly created me transgender because I am transgender.”

Them:                   “No, you made yourself transgender. You have a mental illness.”

Me:                       “If I do, it was provided by the Creator, God.”

Them:                   “Well a person who thinks they’re Napoleon clearly isn’t. It’s the same with you being transgender.”

Me:                       “Let’s look at the net cause and effect here. A person who believes they are Napoleon, even if they are allowed to act as and be treated as Napoleon, does not better the world nor come closer to God. Before I transitioned, my heart was closed to God. After I transitioned and I was happy, my heart was opened to God. Wouldn’t it make sense that God would put the challenge of transition in my path of life so that upon my completing it, I would be found and be a spiritual person? Why wouldn’t God have wanted me to find them?”

Them:                   “You could have found God without transition.”

Me:                       “So you say. The fact is I hadn’t for more than 40 years, and now my heart is opened. Do you dispute the good of the result? What harm was done to anyone? Why does my personal relationship with a creator concern you so much that you would tell me that having a relationship with God now is wrong, simply because you think you know better than God?”

Them:               “Go read the Bible.”

Me:                   “I have. Have you?”

Return to Religion, Faith, and the Transgender Person

References

Ishak, Mohd Shuhaimi Bin Haji, and Sayed, Sikandar Shah Haneef. “Sex Reassignment Technology: The Dilemma of Transsexuals in Islam and Christianity.” Journal of Religion and Health (2012): 1-18.