A return to reason for God’s gender manifestations
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
A response is essential to clarify surgeon Harris’s response “Return to Reason” to my letter to the editor “God’s Creation of Gender Diversity.”
It is obvious surgeon Harris sought to befuddle the reader with his unreasonable diatribe on hermaphroditism, which he states Phillips used “to make his case” for gender diversity. This is untrue. Hermaphroditism was presented only to illustrate one example of gender diversity in humans and other species which was among other manifestations in the article which he did not mention.
Phillips’s major thesis is God as Holy Spirit possesses all possible manifestations of males and females and uses them to create a diversity of genders. One needs to remember God is not static and is ongoing with His creation of humankind and the universe. Humans do not have access to the fullness of God’s knowledge. Humans can even make claims and act in ways which may be inconsistent with His goals of a diverse universe of living things.
Gender diversity is God-given where a person does not choose his or her gender. Humans have no knowledge of what is hidden in God’s Holy Spirit and how it relates to gender. One can even speculate God may be testing the faith of human beings in His ongoing creation of the universe.
The images of what is a human being have changed over the centuries and will continue to change in diversity. Nonbinary gender was hidden for many centuries. It is important to realize gender diversity is more than physiological and has a spiritual dimension, as for all human beings. God’s love for humankind includes persons with gender diversity. There is increasing enlightenment of the darkness which was created by society about gender. Surveys indicate there is an increasing number of youth who classify themselves as gender diverse.
Sometimes people’s biases and hatred are so well hidden in their psyche that they have no inkling they possess them. Is this present in healthcare where some persons who are caring for clients see only the prominent presenting issues and do not realize it is related to discrimination of gender diversity? They may even berate clients for what happened to them, laying the blame on them. Are health issues related to gender diversity taught in our various types of schools such as medicine, nursing, and education? If not, more competent caring is needed to assure that all persons receive what is necessary for their wellbecoming.
May God bless those who uphold the rights of gender diverse individuals and a compassionate warning to those who do not support His creation of gender diversity.
John R. Phillips, RN; PhD
Retired Professor, Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University
Dr. Phillips is a current resident of Radford.
