I hope you find unconditional love, freedom to think and believe as an adult, and most of all, ability to be your AUTHENTIC SELF, without judgement from your associates. IMO, that is the key to happiness and will lead to confidence, and success in life.
Being Transgendered
by mariemcg 28 Replies latest jw friends
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cantleave
Hi Marie,
Very interesting circumstances.
JW's are so judgemental even to the point where we were told our son, who is Autistic, probably would not be able meet the requirement ( WTF?). It isn't really until you wake up that you realise the bible can be used to endorse any kind of prejudice you want and this cult is very good at reinforcing such prejudice.
Anyway I have responded to your PM, hopefully we may see you at a meet-up sometime.
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Fernando
Welcome Marie. Hugs and love.
Praise Jah that keeping your faith is important to you.
Did you know that in the Watchtower library Jesus is described as our "older brother"? I have grown much closer to him through a careful study of the "good news" about him. He is the most inclusive, open-minded, liberal and healing person and Psychologist you will ever meet. He has ALL the answers to even the most complex problems. No judgment, criticism, ignorance, prejudice or harsh words...
Jesus is also much more than MY/OUR "older brother". He is also MY/OUR Lord, Saviour, Deliverer/Liberator, Atoner/Reconciler, Restorer, Healer and more. He is the same for any believer that CONFESSES a RELATIONSHIP with him (Matt 10:32; 1 Cor 12:3). How many religionists use David and Paul's words in reference to Jesus: "MY Lord" or "OUR Lord"???!!!
Humans on the other hand are most often very unlike Jesus and can and will disappoint. Religionists are the very worst. Their job is to steal, kill and destroy our faith and salvation - something they do very well.
Just ask any religionist to explain the "good news according to Paul" to you... blank...
Now when you consider that more than half the Bible's ±152 references to the "good news" or MESSAGE ABOUT JESUS are by Paul you get the picture...
Faith emanates from God. Belief emanates from man. Religionists are lying when they say they are the same - to hide the fact that they have stolen our faith!
Faith, being a wide opening of our spiritual eyes, gives us a lot of clarity, power, strength and insight. We can see, grasp and understand very puzzling problems that totally befuddle physical, carnal, temporal religionists.
Greetings and blessings on your journey
Love
Fernando
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Fernando
Marie, just a quick word on baptism.
It has two components. An inner spiritual reality, and an outward physical SYMBOL of that reality.
When a religionist gets physically baptised it is pointless in the absence of the inner spiritual reality.
A spiritual person of faith gets baptised spiritually when they grasp the full unabridged "good news" ABOUT JESUS.
Going under the water is a SYMBOL of the spiritual conviction a believer receives from the holy spirit by faith, that s/he has died with Jesus (his/her sins past, present and future have been legally IMPUTED to Jesus and consequently paid for in full, as a priceless but free gift that cannot be earned, deserved or paid for).
Coming up from under the water is a SYMBOL of the spiritual conviction a believer receives from the holy spirit by faith, that s/he has been resurrected with Jesus (Jesus' earned and proven righteousness, holiness/cleanness, sinlessness and sonship has been legally IMPUTED to him/her, as a priceless but free gift that cannot be earned, deserved or paid for).
One can read about this (admittedly deep topic) in Romans 6:2-11. Reading from few different Bible translations and commentaries at www.bible.cc and www.biblegateway.com can help clarify. Patience too is helpful, as one prays and waits for revelation, clarity and confirmation from the holy spirit.
God makes no distinction based on the level and type of dysfunction or aberrance in a particular person since he has paid for it in full via Jesus' death and ransom. He does however make only one distinction - the response of our spiritual heart toward these truths. Religionists (goats, weeds, wicked, evil) reject these truths and this priceless "good news" by means of their supremacist efforts at self-righteousness (by vainly trying to follow the supposedly and ever changing "right" rules, morals, doctrines, and knowledge). This is largely what Jesus condemns in Matthew 23.
This article on “legalism” (efforts at self-righteousness by means of following the “right” rules) is a real eye-opener: g79 6/8 pp. 27-28.
How about reading this scripture again:
"For ALL [are dysfunctional or aberrant] and fall short of the glory of God, and it is as a FREE GIFT that they are being declared righteous by [IMPUTATION and by] his undeserved kindness [or UNMERITED FAVOUR] through the release by the RANSOM [paid] by Christ Jesus (paraphrase of Romans 3:23-24).
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nugget
Marie it has been interesting to hear your perspective on things. You are right that not all witnesses are intolerant and judgemental but sadly a lot are and they allow their own discomfort to make them behave badly. However any religion wants you to follow a specific set of codes and rules that require a level of personal sacrifice. What you need to determine is whether the religion has the right to make demands on you and whether they are worthy of such devotion. It is not whether you can make yourself good enough for them that counts but whether they have the moral right to demand that you follow their rules. As you are studying you have the opportunity to gain both perspectives, on the one hand what the witnesses teach and on the other how those beliefs have been challenged.
Christianity was never meant to be a passive accepting faith after all the early Christians all came from other religious persuasions meaning massive upheaval in their lives. They questioned everything because so much rested on the decision they made. Witnesses request submissive acceptance but this is unhealthy and does you a disservice.
What ever you decide and whatever form your journey takes there are many here who can offer a listening ear and a wealth of knowledge about scriptural matters and life experience. Welcome to the forum.
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GromitSK
I don't think it's just witnesses who can be intolerant. It seems to be a common failing in most religious organisations (and not just religious ones). Being a JW or a member of any religious organisation is a lot easier if it is natural for one to conform to what is seen as 'the norm'. Being different almost always marks a person out starkly. If that difference seems to conflict with whatever 'holy writings' the organisation relies on, this appears to give the green light to some folk to make judgements about the worthiness of the one who is different.
On the positive side, such differences occasionally force others to reconsider the inconsistencies in their own beliefs and can in addition eventually lead to freedom from religious captivity for the one who is different. A person who is unable to comform to the strictures of the religion into which they were born may have no alternative but to think seriously about whether it is correct or not (or become resigned to feeling unworthy). A person who isn't forced into such a situation may waste their entire life as a JW, never needing to challenge their comfortable certainty.
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Heaven
So do you think that they're putting their own ideology into peoples head then??
Definitely Yes. Their blood policy is one example of this.
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Nambo
Hi Marie, found this old thread so hope you are still following it.
I remember at Crystal Palace being introduced to a "Brother" who the introducee informed me had been born male, but the Mother so wanted a girl that she dressed and brought up this person to think he was a girl to the extent that he had a sex change.
As a grown, "Woman", this person was called on and studied to become a JW, but was told that as "She" was actually a "he" in Gods eyes, she would have to revert back. So this Woman had to dress as a man, learn to walk and talk like a man, etc to be a JW.
A year or so later, at Crystal Palace, I was in the company of some younger born-ins, who, on one of them spottting this now "Brother", proceeded to bring to the attention of the rest the shocking (to a sheltered born-in), the full details of this person, I kindly informed the Brother of the damage this could do by revealing to all something "he" was trying so hard to hide, and how such knowledge could sulley others view of "him".
Sadly enough, I heard some years later that "he" had indeed experienced so much predudice that he had left and reverted back to being a woman.
Now, the things you are reading from the Old Testament do influence Christians view that you have to be some sort of perfect Human Being for God to accept you, this is especially true in the JWs.
They forget that the whole purpose of the Mosaic Law being a "Tutor to the Christ", was to show it is not posssible for broken and sinfull flesh to ever be good enough for salvation on its own merits, the lesson to learn therefore is that salvation is 100% dependant on Jesus.
Jesus himself said, a doctor doesnt go to the well, but he goes to the sick, that he is the doctor who didnt come to save righteous people who have no need of repentance, but to call sinners.
No broken reed will he crush is a lovely prophesy about him.
According to the Mosiac law, I myself as a Bastard, am disqualified from the Kingdom of God, but we are not under the Mosiac Law now, Jesus will take anybody who wants him too, knowing that the more seemingly unworthy someone considers themselves, the more Love and appretiation they are going to give back to God and Jesus when they realise they are Loved by them.
If you continue your studies, and being Spiritual can be quite difficult without association, never let their air of discouragement or claim that you have to be perfect in the flesh, discourage you from God, for God does not look at your flesh or its ways, all he considers is your good heart and spirit, the Love you have for him.
I actually work with two transgendered people where I work.
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TeaBiscuit
Hello Marie,
thank you for your honest story. Though not a transgender myself, the issue really concerns me in many ways. I just posted about this. Your experience might be of big help for me, so if you'd like to see what I've wrote see this: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5084435691077632/help-needed-transgender-people-other-unclear-topics