Perpetuating a False Narrative

We live in a culture where there is a persistent state of denial, even among people who will admit to having some sort of faith - yet, faith should be put into action in order that lives can be changed. Paul writes in 2nd Timothy chapter 3:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

When a person is struggling with his or her gender identity, it stands to reason that could cause a host of mental health issues.  A new study out of Canada seems to support that notion.  Higher Ground Times relates:

Mental illness and suicidal tendencies are significantly more common among transgender and gender-fluid people than those who feel comfortable with their sex assigned at birth, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.

Of the 9,861 people who responded to a national mental health survey in Canada, only 52 identified as something other than their biological sex.

Researchers found they were up to three times more likely than cisgender people to fit the clinical diagnosis for depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and social phobia over the past year and throughout their lifetimes.

The article also notes: "Transgender and gender-fluid people were also three times more likely to report thoughts of suicide and six times more likely to have attempted it, according to the study’s findings." One of the study's authors, Ian Crabtree from the University of Ottawa says that, “Research has shown that transgender and gender diverse people are more likely to experience discrimination, bullying, and stigma, and to suffer from policies of exclusion...This is likely to be a strong contributor to higher rates of mental disorder and suicidality.”

But, Gregory Angelo of the New Tolerance Campaign paints a different picture, saying, “Some of the largest LGBTQ organizations in the United States are telling transgender people they are oppressed, the world is out to get them and they will never truly be happy if they don’t get medical intervention and the validation of others,” adding, “It seems like a perfect recipe for depression.”

The Daily Citizen published an article last year about another study, this time conducted by the Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine (SEGM).  The article says:

SEGM has published an important new research summary on this topic. Their focus is on a new Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) research article on trans identity and suicidality in Denmark, but they address the larger, international body of research on this topic. Their commentary is most insightful.

First, they explain that affirming someone’s gender confusion or providing medical intervention via drugs or removing healthy body parts has had no substantial effect on reducing suicide rates.

The Daily Citizen article also says: 

Second, the actual suicide rates for gender- and sexually-experimental individuals are consistently elevated, but are in actuality, remarkably low over all. 

And...

Third, the JAMA study supports other data showing a dramatic and unprecedented increase in trans identification of late, driven primarily by young people. This speaks more to the role of social contagion than anything natural in human development.

The Daily Citizen then notes:

No one should be bullied by manipulative assertions that parents, teachers and extended family members not affirming gender-confused youth and adults will be responsible for their death. It is manipulative and untrue. It also shows that all this increasing, wide-spread affirmation is not preventing suicide and mental illness in any appreciable manner. It may even be making it worse.

The article states:

As SEGM concludes,

To date, every systematic evidence review has concluded that the evidence of psychological benefit of “gender-affirming” puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery for youth is of very low certainty. In contrast, the harms of hormonal interventions, including infertility, sterility, and adverse effects on bone and cardiovascular health are much better established.

According to The Daily Citizen: "Gender affirmation is a false love. What gender confused people need is compassionate help in coming to terms with the fact that God does not make mistakes by putting us in the wrong body. Our natural bodies are a gift. And mutilating what God gave us will not heal the mind."

In just looking at some of these statements, it really does occur to me that there are people struggling - with real struggles over their sexuality - but are being regarded as experiments.  These are not matters with which society should be experimenting.  These are issues that require the power of the gospel and the certainty of Biblical truth. 

Yet, you have officials who are attempting to ban counseling for those struggling with their sexuality - that is, those who have unwanted same-sex attraction and are being prevented from obtaining the Christ-centered help they need.  It's another instance of silencing the truth, muting the power of the gospel.  Some have become so convinced of worldly solutions, which are not grounded in Biblical truth, that they deny the power of it.  We can continue to be convinced that the Scriptures contain the answers to life's greatest challenges.