A Review of On Gender and the Soul by Benjamin Cabe - Some Extra Thoughts
Recently I was told of a book by Benjamin Cabe called On Gender and the Soul. As some of you know I have been doing what amounts to research on sex and gender topics. I had done this a bit before when I was a Protestant pastor and youth pastor as I often came across same-sex attracted teenagers and young adults who did still want to live the Christian lifestyle and would often come to me for counsel and support due to finding the Christian life hard to live since Christianity does affirm that while same-sex attraction in and of itself is not a sin - it is a sin to engage in an active homosexual relationship and lifestyle. This conflicts with desires, is often times painful, often times conflicting with the current culture.
It’s been a while since I pastored anybody as I joined the
Orthodox Church years ago. However, I do feel I may be called to the priesthood one day, if God wills it. Because of that, I know that I will have to engage
with the current culture and that will very likely mean that I will have
to engage with difficult dialogues with people like I used to. Even if I'm never a priest or laity I have already engaged with this issue somewhat so it would not shock me When I was a Protestant
still around 2015, I personally never had many transgender (I will refer to it
interchangeably at times as gender dysphoria) youth or transgender adults to
dialogue with or counsel. I honestly can’t think of a single one. I know there
had to be some that existed but I just never came into any contact with one.
Since 2015 however, I have found that the transgender community has grown along with the gay/lesbian
community and so with the changing culture, I think it was time for me to
update my understanding and try and learn and tackle this topic so that I can
be better equipped as a Christian, pastorally or not, to follow Christ and also
be able to engage with the culture and be a witness to those who may want to
become a follower of Christ but do not feel comfortable because they are LGBT+.
I may one day end up being a parent to a child who decides they are homosexual
or experience gender dysphoria as well. I think it is wise for Christians to
try to at the very least be aware and willing to learn about these topics. We
don’t do ourselves any favors by pretending that these aren’t issues very real
people are dealing with and struggling with, in and out of our churches. That
said, this is why I have read Cabe’s book. Here are my thoughts on it.
His
introduction is pretty good. Cabe talks about how today if you ask people you
will get a lot of confusion over what sex and gender are and what we should define
those two terms as. He also brings up a great point that many modern Christians
today have turned the transgender or gender dysphoria issue into a disgusting
and sickening culture war crusade against these people and I absolutely agree
about this. We have people like Matt Walsh making “documentaries” like What Is A Woman who do this all just to
scare ignorant people and try and demonize the LGBT+ community when the reality
is that as Christians, even if we believe these people are living sinful lives,
demonizing them the way he and others are doing does NOT lead them to Christ.
It does not lead them to theosis. They are NOT our enemies. Our enemies are the
spirits of this age. As Paul says in Ephesians 6: “we aren’t fighting against
flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen
world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in
the heavenly places.”
Cabe has
written this book so that we in the Orthodox Church can try to understand the
topic of sex and gender biblically and pastorally so that we can offer up “a
balm for the souls of those suffering from gender dysphoria”[1].
How we act out are faith on this topic and what we believe is key for an
Orthodox Christian is expected to rely on the Church, Scripture, and patristic
witness to shape our worldview (and we must follow where that leads). It must
be noted that many of those who we do now in the present and will interact in
the future on this topic do not and will not have the Church as their
foundation. We cannot and should not believe nor expect those who are outside
the Church to hold to the same standards that we hold to inside the Church. Cabe
points out that the fact is that it is an anatomical and biological fact that
male and female bodies exist and that while sex and gender are distinct they
are interconnected. He makes it clear that a lot of the terms like “biblical
manhood”, “biblical womanhood” and “purity culture” are all just mostly
cultural and patriarchal exploitation of the male-female distinction and are
mostly artificial constructs of pop-theologies and I have to agree with that.
He defines sex as referring to biology and the physical body and says gender is
a social construct but also notes that it also includes both the reality of
biological sex and how it’s manifested in theologically sound embodied action…
and that “it seems undeniable to say that gender, as a social construct,
specifically, does exist. It is deeply embedded in our culture and in our own
unconscious perception. Phrases like ‘men don’t cry’ and ‘women need protection’
are two common stereotypes. Nonetheless, one’s performance of these roles, as
expected within certain circles, can be psychologically (and even physically)
damaging”[2].
I find that important he said this. Too often, in our culture, we have a lot of
toxic ways and behaviors when it comes to how we view gender roles and much of
it is an absolute detriment and negative for American society and people in
general in my opinion.
So for the introduction Cabe has shown us that sex is
biological and refers to our chromosomal pairs and DNA that is biologically
unchangeable regardless of hormone replacement and sex-reassignment surgery
while gender is more than just biology and is social and cultural as well as we
are culturally conditioned to think of certain jobs, clothes, colors, and even
mannerisms as something that is masculine or feminine.
Theologically, Cabe defines gender as: the exercise of human agency in choosing – with all the innumerable choices in life – how to individuate manhood or womanhood in one’s own sexed existence in a way that is concert with the whole Christian faith and when he discusses the soul he is going to use the terms sex and gender interchangeably because as he will point out, when discussing the soul it is neither sexed or gendered[3]. He adds that simply because a biological male acts in a culturally feminine way does not mean that they are really a female even if they feel like one and that it is irrelevant with regards to cultural iterations of gender if men are homemakers or wear dresses and makeup or if women hunt, support the family or go to the beach bare-chested because these are merely cultural stereotypes[4]. I have to say that I do think a lot of times, but certainly not all, people are pressured to think they are gay or transgendered because of the way our society tries really hard to put people into boxes when it comes to masculine and feminine behaviors. I think in general Christians shouldn’t worry so much about things like the man being the homemaker or the woman being the one who hunts or makes the most money. Stuff like that just tends to feed into a negative and toxic way of thinking about sex and gender that doesn’t actually bring us closer to God or theosis. Cabe ends this introduction with a question that I love: How do we encourage human beings to thrive in every domain of life? That absolutely should be our goal when this discourse is brought up all the time.
Cabe begins chapter 1 with some questions. Is the soul gendered? Do men and women have different souls? Are they sexually differentiated? So that there is no confusion, the answer is no. I actually did not know this before I read this book and looked it up to verify for myself but Cabe points out rightly that theologically “human beings are sexed but the soul is sexless and genderless and anyone who proclaims humanity becomes androgynous in heaven is not Orthodox in their position on the resurrection of the flesh”[5] I knew that there were going to be male and females in the resurrection of the dead but I never guess I thought about this in regard to the soul of the human being. He points out that it is in fact a heresy to believe that the soul is sexed or gendered and will lay out why.
In Chapter 2 he discusses the way people have viewed the
soul throughout history. He talks of Homer, Plato, and Aristotle’s philosophical
takes on the soul and, while interesting, I found it more interesting when he
finally got around to talking about the Scripture and what it teaches on the
soul. He says it has some complexity, historically speaking but that in general,
the Old Testament distinguishes a human’s soul and an animal’s soul and
declares that man’s soul is higher in status to God then an animal’s. In the
N.T. Matthew 10:28 shows us that Christ Himself distinguishes the soul and body
of man. “The body and soul are closely united, and created at the same time,
but they aren’t the same”[6].
He shows the New Testament makes it clear through scripture that
“the soul is capable of magnification and exaltation, can be deeply wounded or
pierced by pain, and is capable of hopeful perseverance (Lk. 1:46, 2:35; Mt.
26:38 [cf. John 12:27]; Hebrews 6:19). It is also clear that though man dies
biologically, their soul does not (Acts 2:27; Rev 20:4; Wisdom of Solomon 3:1).
Biological death is a result of sin; hence the unnatural parting of the soul
from the body. However, death is not the end for man (Heb. 9:27; John 11:25;
Lk. 23:42-43). Neither is their temporary existence as a disembodied soul. This
is because of the Resurrection of the dead. Even though the soul exists beyond
the life of the body, there will come a time when everyone is returned with his
body eternally”[7]. I
want you to remember that because it is important.
Chapter 3 begins and Cabe begins to discuss Apelles the
Heretic AKA Marcion (85-160 AD), the 1st Gnostic heretic. Marcion he
notes taught many Christological heresies like that creation is evil and that
there was a good deity and the demiurge “who made his creations badly”. At the
end of the day, Marcion taught heresy that Christ was not fully God and fully
human and Cabe expertly points out that Marcion was the father of the idea of
the gendered or sexed soul in the 2nd CE.
In Chapter 4 we see him explain what the Church Fathers
say/teach about sex/gender and the soul. We learn that ALL the Fathers but one agree
that the soul is sexless and genderless. Besides Marcion, the only one was
Tertullian who is not a saint and ultimately left the Church as he joined the
Montantist cult. We get a quote by St. Athenagoras talking about the
resurrection of the dead that I found very interesting: “Whether one loses a
limb… or if one is born without parts – they will be made whole at the
resurrection”. Cabe brings it up and adds that this would apply to those who
have had a sex reconstruction surgery to remove certain organs[8].
We see that St. Jerome also basically argues this point that:
if the woman shall not rise again as a woman nor the man a man, there will be
no resurrection of the dead” so it is clear that for St. Jerome, denying the
reality that there will be men and women in heaven is equivalent to denying the
resurrection of the body entirely”[9].
It is an undeniable fact that whatever you were assigned at birth by God,
biblically speaking, theologically speaking, you will be raised male or female
in the resurrection. Even if the male eunuch had his sexual organs removed, he
was still a human being and still a male. We have two examples in the Bible
that explicitly point this out to us: Daniel the prophet and the eunuch St. Simeon
the Ethiopian who St. Phillip baptized in Acts 8.
Cabe brings up a tough thing for someone with gender
dysphoria that wants to be a Christian to hear. He says a truth: “Christians
must live eschatologically. We are called to live and participate in the
resurrection today… [Also that] “all who come to the Lord in repentance are
welcome at his table…”[10].
Cabe brings up theologically that “The cessation of the
divisions caused by these realities in the fallen world, however, doesn’t
necessarily mean the cessation of the realities themselves, but rather their
fulfillment. From this we might draw a parallel to those who are suffering with
divisions within themselves (namely, those who experience a conflict between
their biological body and their inner self). In the eschaton, this division,
together with the tears shed over it will be wiped away; the soul and the body
will exist as distinct realities but will no longer be in conflict. Now in
union, with themselves, the person is resurrected to wholeness of soul and body
with their God-given sex, which will be neither the cause of anxiety nor the
focus of identity. With respect to this, those who have already undergone
gender reassignment surgery but come to the Lord in repentance can live out
their Christian life eschatologically, as all Christians are called to do. But
for them, it will have especial meaning: the hope of restoration to physical
wholeness, prefigured in this life by their restoration to spiritual wholeness.
Thus, whether married or chaste, whole or amputated, every living human being
is able to progress toward God in theosis through repentance”[11].
He also points out something very specific that needs to be said as well: the
soul is sinless when it enters the world. Souls do not pre-exist.
Logically, Cabe must and does conclude that our “sex is
fixed for eternity, as every human soul will be reunited with its body in the
resurrection; these bodies will be made up of the same parts, including sex
organs… Regardless of what a human being does to their body on earth, whether
they castrate themselves [like a eunuch] or take hormone supplements, they will
be resurrected with their original parts… Furthermore, what a person actually
is will be revealed in heaven. This applies to men who believe themselves to be
women and those who have had gender reassignment surgeries so they physically
look like a woman and so on”[12].
He brings up “what a person actually is will be revealed”
because, not just for gender reassignment surgeries but also that he will be
bringing up people who are intersex later in chapter 5. We have to make note
that Scripture says we do put off any corruptions that came as a result of the
Fall (1 Cor. 15).
In Chapter 5 Cabe affirms with the Apostle [Paul] that there
is ‘one kind of flesh’ that belongs to every human being and uses an example of
a man born without legs or a child that did not fully develop inside the womb.
These two he declares rightfully are both human beings and part of the human
race. This is biblically accurate and agrees with the patristic consensus. They
are both humans even though they will both never possess the physical
attributes that are normal for the human body. I agree that they are human and
they have a sexless and genderless soul. This must be so for the sake of
Christology because Christ is male but cannot have a male soul, otherwise, one
could argue that Christ only came to save males and didn’t come to save
females. He then raises a point about people born intersex.
He says that usually, “there is one set of fully developed
organs while the other is an addition, underdeveloped part; neither is it
mentioned that when biologically tested, the results demonstrate a clear
consensus of male or female (usually in concert with the developed organs)”[13]
and raises the fact that intersexuality is a biological irregularity[14]
and that there are many cases where a human being is born with hormonal and/or
chromosomal variations. He is right that the Church in general does condemn unnecessary
removal of body parts. However, he asks how we should view it when a child’s
sex must be determined in intersex cases? He leaves this question open ended and
leaves it up to parental and medical decisions - perhaps in addition to being
under pastoral advice as well on what is best to do for said child. He even
brings up a scenario where the intersex child may get parts removed and later
develop gender dysphoria and brings up a case where this did in fact happen.
Personally,
around the end due to his discussion about intersex I have to raise a question
here because while he says gender dysphoria should not be treated with
surgeries, he does raise that it is okay for someone born intersex to do so. My
question that I raise internally is that if we can do that with someone born
intersex, why could someone not be experiencing gender dysphoria for a
biologically abnormal reason? And what if we find in some cases that this is
the only real way to help treat this person and help them find theosis and
heal? Cabe says rightfully that we should seek to help these people find theosis
and heal but if I am brutally honest, from what little I have spoken with
people with gender dysphoria, (and I admittedly have not had a lot of those
conversations), I do not think it is at all that simple nor black and white.
I would completely agree that in general, a Christian with
gender dysphoria does have to ultimately affirm there is a distinction between
the body and soul, lest we become materialists and in heresy. We also must
affirm properly the unity of the soul and body lest we become Neo-Platonists
and be in heresy. I also agree with Cabe when he says that we must crucify our
minds and confess and live the Christian way as it is the path to healing: to
deny oneself.
I think in general it is true that we cannot and should not always
do what we want or desire in this life. Sometimes what we desire or want is a
path that will not help us in our goal as Christians to follow God and theosis.
I completely empathize with the entire LGBT+ community but to live a Christian
life requires us all to make a sacrifice. For them, the sacrifice is going to
be a heavy burden and they should never walk that path alone. We as a
community, we the Church, should walk with them and try to help them continue
the path towards theosis. No choice is neutral.
Cabe’s last chapter is about pastoral care for people with
gender dysphoria. Personally, I think this is the best part of the book. He
says “it is important for us to acknowledge gender dysphoria exists and it can
be confusing and painful for those who suffer from it. The best thing he says
pastors can do for the person is to “listen and acknowledge their struggle and
pain” and calls out some of the hateful rhetoric that is preached today by the
culture about gender dysphoric people. Personally, as I said before about
people like Matt Walsh… I have to say that outlets like Daily Wire, Fox News,
and other right-wing news outlets’ pundits like him and Tucker Carlson’s hatred
of LGBT+ people absolutely disgusts me. I think these people are made in the
image of God and should not be hated and demonized for feeling the way they do.
Cabe brings up a quote by St. Isaac the Solitary that “in storms and squalls we
need a pilot and in this present life we need prayer; for we’re susceptible to
the provocations of our thoughts, both good and bad… be attentive to your heart”
and rightfully points out that it is not a sin to have evil thoughts. It is a
sin to act out on those evil thoughts and give consent to the thoughts that is
the issue for we are not our thoughts or desires; many times these are suggested
to us from outside influences. Furthermore, we do not have to act on our
thoughts or our desires in order to be ‘true to ourselves’[15].
I do agree that we find our true identity in Christ and do
our best to submit all our thoughts and desires to Him. Cabe suggests a transgender
person (for his example he lists a man named John with gender dysphoria) should
try not to focus his thoughts or feelings that he is actually is a woman. Nor
should he worry about his desire to be a woman and should instead focus on
Christ. I agree that taking our thoughts captive to Christ is what the goal
should be pastorally (2 Cor. 10:5). I’m also positive that Cabe has all the
best intentions in this attempt for pastoral care for one with gender
dysphoria.
My Concluding Thoughts
I’m open to correction from priests if I am wrong here.
However, my concluding thoughts are that this book is theologically correct and
does try to be pastoral with regards to gender dysphoria. I agree with Cabe
completely about the soul and the resurrection of the dead. Theologically
speaking, I find him correct for the most part on this topic. I also agree that
we should live eschatologically as if we are already in the resurrection.
However, I am not sure that I fully agree with his premise about the body
though and I say that because of the intersexuality issue and chromosomal and
hormonal issues that he himself brought up. There is a definite right way to
think on it all and I agree that we should hold our thoughts captive but I do
have to wonder what happens if we do one day find out that male and female
brains are different and I wonder what happens if we do learn that we can born
biologically male or female but be born with a brain that is more male or
female (to clarify: a male being born with a female brain and vice versa). I
believe in general we should avoid surgery whenever possible but I do not know
that it is always possible to do that for some individuals. I also do not know
that, theosis-wise, we do some people any favors by asking them to not
transition sometimes. Sometimes it seems for these people it is so psychologically
frustrating and traumatizing that I think an economia may actually be
completely necessary so that they have a chance at living a Christian life.
It is not the same as gender dysphoria obviously but I think
on my own experiences being a person born with a severe leg disability where I
was born with pieces of kidney that were not in the right places and a leg that
was 3 inches shorter and a hip and knee that were deformed. I was able to get
surgeries as a baby to have those pieces of kidney removed and throughout my
life have had multiple surgeries to correct my leg and “fix” what is wrong with
my body. When I had my leg drastically changed due to surgeries to correct my
leg, I, at first felt like my leg was completely wrong and still sometimes feel
that way. I have had a friend who has talked to me before at length about their
struggle with being a Christian with gender dysphoria and their desire as a
male to want to be a woman and often wonder to myself if that is not, in some
small way what gender dysphoria feels like to some degree (I definitely know
that what I’ve experienced is a small taste of body dysmorphia).
The Resurrection affirms for us that the body is a good
thing to God. We don’t bless elective sterilizations and that certainly means
that a gender reassignment surgery is not going to be considered worthy to
bless by the Orthodox Church but we know that if the woman is at risk of death
or has cancer that she is allowed to get surgical procedures like a mastectomy and
a hysterectomy. The same is true if a guy has cancers where he is allowed to
get an orchiectomy.
If a person with gender dysphoria is suicidal and therapy
does not help them find relief, I have a huge difficulty in believing that a
gender reassignment surgery would be a mortal sin in that case. I think it
would be the lesser evil than the person taking their own life. I will also
note that suicide is not always going to happen and is often largely a
generalization that people and news media outlets make about people with gender
dysphoria that they are all in general suicidal. This is not to diminish the
fact that people with gender dysphoria do have a higher rate of suicides but it
is often used to make an excuse to reject any critique or criticisms of
transgenderism or to entertain thoughts and ideologies about transgenderism that
might go against the current “mainstream” narrative.
Thoughts on Pronoun Hospitality
I have seen it argued that we should affirm pronouns that
reflect the expressed gender identity of transgender peoples regardless of our
views about gender identity ethics. Another side will say we shouldn't respect
this because they will say God intended gender and biological sex to be
inextricable and that Christians can only speak truthfully if they use pronouns
which match a person's birth sex.
My thought is honestly that things are so politicized and
divisive that most people are going to, from the onset, have their opinions and
be hostile to the latter so the fact is we're likely as Christians not going to
be able to reach someone and evangelize to them without respecting their
preferred pronouns and should just aim for the same hospitality that we would
be called to do for someone who's a pagan for example because at the end of the
day God does love them and He did create them in His image.
I’d say that in general that if you know this is a person
with gender dysphoria and is not open to Christianity, you should just show
respect and be hospitable. I don’t think this is concession of your beliefs to
do so. I think that having respect and hospitality towards someone like that does
not always equal agreement with that person. I'm willing to be corrected on
this issue if I can be given a decent argument on this but I am in favor of
pronoun hospitality for transgender people who are outside of the Church. If
they are inside of the Church and agree with the Church, I will try and call
that person to the Christian life and standard by their biological sex that
they were born as. If they are open to Christianity I would give them the basic
facts and share with them that God created them in His image and that whatever
sex God gave them at birth is what they will be at the Resurrection. They are a
biological male or female and regardless of their gender dysphoria, they are
still a biological male or female. I would only do this if they were willing
and open to becoming a Christian.
I think also that, with regards to those outside of the
Church, because of the way some have done the culture war like Matt Walsh and
other disgusting people in the right wing side of politics like Marjorie Taylor
Greene or Tucker Carlson who demonize people with gender dysphoria that I think
it can and does actually, to our detriment, ruin and hurt our Christian witness
and cause more harm in many cases than it helps by not being hospitable with
regards to the person’s preferred pronouns. We have a position on sex, gender,
and sexual ethics in Christianity. However, the Church has always been taught
to be respectful and hospitable to the world because that's how we draw them to
Christ. We can also not hold those outside the Church to the same standard that
we hold those inside the Church. I also think someone dealing with gender
dysphoria that doesn't know Jesus will be led and drawn to the Lord by our
respect for them and our hospitality. I think of Acts 17 among other passages
and the way Paul interacted with the Gentile world.
I’ve heard it said that it feels like the transgender person
is lying and trying to trick someone but I think my response to that is that
someone with gender dysphoria should always be open and honest about that with
anyone that they trust and know that they’re going to have a friendship or
relationship with. That’s important. That’s good advice in general for
everyone.
I think not being hospitable can do way more damage to our
witness. I get it. We want to defend God. But I don’t think God needs defending
in all situations. That all said, it’s a discernment call and you have to go
with what you feel led with.
I will also say that I have noticed in some cases that with transgender
people that at least with some cases it can be coming because kids and teens are
having a mental health crisis. Sometimes it can also stem from some abuse taking
place (not from their parents necessarily) and can also be stemming from the social
pressure from society and, specifically for females, some are transgender
socially because of a response from the deep rooted misogyny in our culture that
is happening. Some recent studies have shown that this may be somewhat the case
as females are coming out transgender more than men. That all said, none of
what I’ve said here is set in stone and all people are different and there are
multiple various reasons one may be transgender.
Thoughts on Culture War against Transgender People
As I said before a few times, I find the culture war ideas
being paraded around by many like Matt Walsh extremely stupid. Christians
should not be demonizing transgender people. It is evil, stupid, and wrong. I
also find the idea that unless Christian conservatives pass righteous laws that
the Church will be corrupted is insanely stupid to me. The gates of Hell shall
not prevail. What part of that did these people not comprehend? As far as
hormones being given to transgender youths, I think that is definitely a
discussion and debate worth having as there are a lot of reasons religiously
and non-religiously to keep kids off them who are experiencing gender
dysphoria. I think all other things such as therapy must and should be
exhausted first before that is put for consideration as an option. There’s a
lot to unpack with that decision for a child and I think if that can be avoided
it should be as it is a very life-changing thing to do.
The Early Church dealt with polygamy from most Jewish
communities (polygamy was the norm for Judaism until around the 10th CE) and
the pagans allowed just about everything from pedophilia, polygamy, polyamory,
homosexuality too... I find it funny how the Church still managed to have
people become saints and maintain a Christian sexual ethic but now in modern
day American Christians think they have to isolate and insulate their children
from everything because they are too scared and absolutely terrified to even
acknowledge these people exist and that their kid might actually grow up
different from them and become someone in the LGBT community. I don’t know all
the answers to everything but some stuff needs to be worked out and changed.
Paul says to equip yourself and he means to be able to tackle the cultural
issues while also still living the Christian life. We need to aim for that goal
of theosis and many are.
The goal is always theosis. Like I’ve told many LGBT youth
and young adults when I was a Protestant pastor and still do as an Orthodox
Christian, it is a hard word that to follow Christ may end up with you not
being able to do what you want and desire. We’re moving toward a time in
history where it will be increasingly hard to commit yourself to a certain
sexual ethic and for so many who want to follow Christ it already is. But the
answer is not your opinion or feelings. It’s God’s opinion and His design. His
purpose. We don’t accomplish anything by trying to change what God founded in
the Orthodox Church (2000+ years of church history on marriage) but by
redeeming and renovating our hearts so that He may dwell within us and guide
us.
I’ll close this with saying that we must also try to put ourselves in the shoes of parents with transgender kids. Often they are dealing with many issues going on with their child and are often terrified that their child is going to kill themselves. The culture war that our politicians and namely conservatives and op-ed columnist do is not a game. It is children’s lives at stake here. I’ve seen a lot of posts aiming to demonize LGBT and transgender people. If these people were really Christian and educated, they wouldn’t be demonizing these people… yes we can talk theologically about how they’re made in the image of God and should strive to love themselves the way God created them… however, the Fall also happened and that’s undeniable… we don’t even talk about intersex issues in the discourse most of the time! Uneducated Christians on this issue who may mean well also don’t realize the suicide rate and that these people need a support system instead of the demonization. We are called as Christians to tell truths God has given us but as St. Paisios once said, you can have a large nugget of gold to give someone but it is useless if you chunk it at their head and give them a concussion. I hope some who’ve shared those posts will consider this stuff I’m saying and try to be more charitable to anyone who is transgender or having struggles with gender dysmorphia issues. May God be as charitable to us on the Last Day and may we all find and achieve theosis.
