What is the Christian view of intersexuality?

Question

What is the Biblical position on those born with an intersex condition, who genetically are neither male or female. (This includes, but is not limited to hermaphrodites.) I think it would be a bit rude, to say the least, for the church to condemn them because of a proven biological condition.
This was originally posted as an answer to another question, but I have been asked to post it again.

Answer 1

I think it is inaccurate to refer to "the" Christian view on anything, and even more inaccurate to refer to "the" Biblical view.

Whether my more fundamentalist brethren and sistren like it or not, the Bible is a collection of writing done by many people over a long history, from many different cultural periods, with different human motivations and biases for Divine Inspiration to work through; and the religions that claim the Bible as their foundation, both Judaism and Christianity, have developed in human cultures, changing over the years as social needs changed.

I think that the intersexed condition is so rare that Biblical writers had no reason to address it. They were concerned about how to understand their group's relationship with the Divine, about What is Right for Us to Do (as a group), about the survival of their group. They had reason to address the practices of surrounding groups that threatened their physical or cultural survival, like temple prostitution. The occasional oddly-formed child would not have a major impact on the life of the tribe, and therefore would not be specifically addressed in the records of religious wisdom.

Our culture today is different. In much of Christian thought, individual relationship with God and individual "salvation" has become of more concern than the well-being of the gorup, or how the group relates to God. The sexuality of the individual, and whether some sexual forms are "closer to God" or "rejected by God," can be a question to some people.

It is not a question to me. It is covered by basic principles: God loves all of us, equally and beyond all limit. Physical form and sexuality varies, far beyond the categories of "male" and "female." What is universal is our obligation to "love one another" -- to treat each other with care, respect, and consideration. Who does what and with what and to whom is less important than whether it is done with care and respect for the other, and responsibility for the consequences.

That is what I think. I speak only for myself, not for "the church." I regard every other human being as speaking only for themselves. I do not regard any church as having any authority over whether God condemns anyone, and I would advise any intersexed person to not pay any attention to any condemnation by "the church" or by anyone else. Your relationship with God is between you and God, and your life is what you make of it.

Answer 2

Not quite an answer, however, I find it EXTREMELY humorous that when someone combines the words christians and sex in a topic format, everyone dives into homosexuality. Just sayin'. As far as my opinion goes, though I'm a Baha'ist, I really find it wrong for the person whom the surgery affects to not have a say in which way it goes, if it goes at all. So long as they can function biologically, I don't personally see the need for such a surgery at all, even in an aesthetic sense. One's sex is unchangeable. HOWEVER, one's GENDER is their own to choose; therefore, if one should wish to undergo a gender reassignment when they're OLDER, and it's THEIR decision to make, then I find that to be completely fine. Also, for one of the posters' above: women can still transmit STDs. Sooooo yeah, no. Also, gay men don't pretend other gay men are women; they very much so realize and enjoy that their partner has a penis. It goes back to the whole gender thing and stereotyping. Whereas some would believe that all gay men believe their gender to be female, it's not necessarily the case (I know PLENTLY of butches that are both sexes). Love you honey bunny! :D

Answer 3

Hi Doc.K.I.A.,here I go again,spouting off about things I have no idea about.BUTT!! what the hey! I need to answer some questions & get my quota for the day filled,so I can meet up with all you brainiacs on a "Higher Level",if ya know what I mean. Okay Doc,I think I saw something on cable TV about those people you're meawing about. So I'll give you my Christain view. So what! What really chaps my hide is this dude H.H.Sri Sri Ravoli Shanka. What is up with him? Who IS he? If he's supposed to be some great humanitarian why won't he answer any of MY questions? And that other woman (can't recall her name), BUTT!! she has a question posted from like 2 months ago. The question was......what can bring individuals together while maintaining their individuality. My answer was the only true answer as far as I am concerned. Which is...... A costume party. am I not correct? Of course she'll never pick mine as best. Probably worse. I hate her and I don't even know who or what she is. Okay,thanks Doc. Felt good to vent. I love you,Fuzzy Face. Give your people a nice dead mouse on me for having such good taste in kitty cats.

Answer 4

The possession of both sets of organs does not make them one sex or both. It is whether they have an XY or Y chromosome. To not be genetically male or female would mean not haing either chromosome, or having XXYY chromosomes. Having both sex organs could also mean they are a chimera. This happens when a fraternal twin dies in early gestation and is absorbed into the body of the other twin. The resulting individual carries the genetic material from two different persons.

As for the Bible, this is a genetic abnormality that will cease after Armageddon, like all genetic abnormalities.

Answer 5

Damn, that's a good question. From what I've read, this happens in about 2% of live births, and then it's covered up and kept a secret. Most of us know intersexed individuals and just don't know it.

It really gets at the guts of your attitudes towards the LBGT community -- whether or not you're a bigot. I would imagine there are bigots and non-bigots among each of the Christian, Muslim, and atheist factions in this forum. One person I remember as particularly non-bigoted is Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels. He doesn't gaybash. (The Bible does, I'll grant you, but Jesus Himself never does. I'm no Biblical literalist; I pay attention to the words of Jesus but consider much of the rest of the Bible to be the work of man.) He helped the woman who was about to be stoned for adultery. All the bigotry in the Bible comes before or after Jesus.

Answer 6

This is actually a good question. On the one hand, it's a version of "God hates amputees," except I don't think you're being facetious. But you'll get the same kinds of answers: "They've been born with extra challenges to overcome, but God still loves them," etc. Of course it's probably generally agreed by "Christian" types that such people should never try to have a sexual or romantic relationship, because they fall outside the jurisdiction of biblical marriage and all that.

I wrote this without seeing other answers, but yeah, there it is. "Get therapy and stay hetero." I'm sure that's how St. Paul would've put it.

At best, these compassionate "Christians" will condescend to pity "intersexed" people as they would retarded kids. At worst, you get the standard gut reaction of disgust that the Christian feigns for anything sexual, but especially anything sexually "deviant." Their "God" is obsessed with everybody's sex lives because they are.

Answer 7

Since when did the church use 'rudeness' or 'biologgy' as a reason not to condemn something. The Christian Church exists outside of normal moral or scientific grounds and so should have no say in anything within them.

That hypocritical system thinks that homosexuality is unnatural and that old testament writ is more important than the lives of the thousands of people who could be spared death from AIDS were condoms available. Screw them.

Answer 8

Look the Bible has nothing to say against genetic conditions. It just says do not be sexually immoral. We have surgery today that can correct this problem but before they would Probably be eunuchs or single. Sleeping with around, or homosexuality or any sexual activity outside of marriage is sexually immoral. It not like anyone is forced to go sleeping around because of some medical problem. Actions and your heart is what matters/
"For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage [ Or have made themselves eunuchs] because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." Matthew 19:12

Answer 9

The only Biblical position is "Thou shalt not commit adultery" regarding gender sexuality issues.

Paul says some are born eunuchs and others are made eunuchs. The extremes of gender identification all fit into the 10 Commandments.
Isaiah, below reveals that God welcomes them into the Kingdom, and they will be judged on the same basis as the "norm."

Answer 10

They are special. Just like all the people who are born
with disabilities. There are some people born with
no legs, no arms, deformed face, fragile bones, celebral
palsey, mental retardation, deaf, blind, or something else.

Even conjoined twins. Or a baby borned with mermaid legs.
There are some babies born with no heart or 2 hearts or heart outside their chest.

Even some babies born with autism. Everybody is special.