Gender Theory: A Brief Definition, Analysis, and Relevance to Christian Living

This article’s primary purpose is to inform students about this issue, dispelling common lies associated with attempts to compromise secular views on gender dysphoria and Biblical truths. To Cedarville students who struggle with gender dysphoria, there are people who want to help and support you through this. I highly recommend seeking out Cedarville University’s counselling services.

Introduction

Gender has been loosely defined in the past few decades. Culturally and traditionally, it has been treated as being synonymous with sex. Politically, its definition is flip-flipped often, treated as either being synonymous with sex, or socially constructed roles for men or women. Various political parties and activist movements have been notorious for changing the definition of the word, moving the goalposts or using a bait-and-switch depending on what they are arguing for. So where exactly does the term originate, and what does it actually mean?

Briefly Defining the Gender Movement

Historic Background

The term “gender” was coined in the 1950s by Dr. John Money, a pedophile psychologist that based his findings on the experiments of twin brothers, one of which received a sex-change surgery during infancy after a failed circumcision. Dr. Money experimented on the two younger brothers by forcing them to engage in a variety of sex acts with one another, photographing it on at least one occasion. While Dr. Money considered the experiment a success and published the results of these experiments, the two brothers committed suicide at later points of their lives from the trauma of the experiences. These experiments went on to become the foundation of gender theory we know today, establishing a definition of gender as a social construct, rather than any biological foundation. See Additional Resources at the end of this article for further information.

Other ideologies closely resembling gender theory and the transgender movement have appeared briefly throughout history. However, since they appear briefly before the end of nations/empires such as before the Roman Empire’s collapse or the rise of Nazi Germany, social activists do not discuss these often, as it creates a strong argument for gender ideologies being a symptom of a collapsing society.

Definition

Gender theory treats masculinity and femininity and how they interact with one another in socially as a vast spectrum, basing identities on the individual’s perception of the self. It boils down to a method of self-identification based on preferred gender roles.

The ideology is entirely dependent on creating confusion with word definitions. The original argued “goal” of gender theory was to resolve gender stereotypes between men and women and to teach respect to one another. However, this grew into a social activist movement that continually moved the goalpost, claiming that there is no difference between genders, that gender is merely a social construct. Once the line between men and women was erased, it was unable to be redrawn.

Deconstruction

As mentioned previously, Gender theory is based entirely on personal perception and terminology confusion, rampant with absurdity in creating new ways of self-identification. Transgender individuals make the claim that they are, feel like, or identify with the sex opposite than the one they are born with. Others have gone as far as to claim no identity with either sex or creating new identities that better suit them. While it is certainly possible to believe that one feels like the opposite sex or neither, these beliefs have zero bearing on the unchangeable physical reality of sex.

It is not possible for someone to identify with a reality that they cannot experience. For a biological male to be able to identify as a biological female requires some basis of comparison, which, again, is physically impossible to achieve. It is not a spectrum of feeling such as temperature, sharpness, or luminosity. It is male and female. Sex is a physical reality consisting of numerous internal factors which cannot be changed. God has carefully designed us as males and females, each with extensive physiological and psychological traits, ranging from bone and muscle density differences, reproductive systems, emotional and rational processing, stress reactions, DNA structure, the list goes on and on. Therefore, any feelings that are provoked for being male or female can only be felt by those who experience their own sex. No one can rationally explain which parts of their thinking process, sensation, and feeling can be owed to their sex with any precision, and yet people attempt to convince themselves into doing exactly that for a sex that they will never be able to experience.

Because it is impossible to change the physical reality of sex, all that is possible is changing the outward appearance, such as the usage of makeup, clothing, speaking in a different pitch, and in the extremes, undergoing irreversible cosmetic surgeries. Ironically, this results in the adoption of mannerisms and physical appearances that they perceive are male or female characteristics, enforcing the gender role socialization they are attempting to simultaneously break down. Again, the change of appearance cannot make a man become a woman, or a woman become a man.

“Gender theorists espouse this fantastical position because they have taken the uncontroversial observation that some characteristics associated with gender are socially constructed and applied it to biological differences as well. What empirical evidence do they offer that our sex, our identities as male and female, are constructed and not the result of nature? None.”
– Micah Mattach (Ph.D., University of Fribourg)

The gender theory movement is founded on rejecting reality and replacing it with what people want to believe about themselves. It consists of the same sin of anyone else that does what is right in their own eyes. This is a clear-cut violation to how God created us as male and female. Forsaking this reality for personal short-term comfort is blatant defilement of God’s design, violating the 1st Commandment by proclaiming to Him that we know better about ourselves than He does.

How then should followers of Christ address this?

Love the Sinner.

I will emphasize that anyone struggling with anything under this realm of sin should be treated the same as anyone else. Treat one another as human beings and show love and kindness to one another, and be open for dialogue for those that do not follow Christ. Listen to what others have to say about their struggles before responding. Try to understand why the person feels the way that they do. Ask questions. Show love to them at every step along the way. If you understand where they’re coming from and where struggles are prevalent, it is easier to show love and guidance towards the truth and God’s love (Ephesians 4:15). Every person struggles with sin and afflictions that manifest differently from person to person; it is the role of us as Christians to invite others to Christ’s mercy and salvation as we follow The Great Commission.

Hate the Sin.

Do not confuse loving the sinner for accepting someone for who they are, and thus, facilitating sin. Like any other sin, we should neither tolerate nor accept it. Gender ideology casts a shroud of delusion over the most basic of realities: God created us male and female. If we cannot establish and defend this most basic of truths, how can we as followers of Christ expect to properly minister any other aspect of Christ’s Commandments?

This sin is not merely contained to social activists spouting these delusions. They proactively force others to accept whatever made up pronouns they try to go by, constantly push their ideologies in postmodern academia and media, and merely disagreeing with it will label you as hateful and intolerant. They demonstrate a clear desire to control how others live and act, catered to their own comforts. Why should a public push for lawlessness and delusion be accepted, while a push for Christ-centered values be shamed out of fear of making people uncomfortable?

To affirm that a biological male can somehow become a female (or vice versa) is to bear false witness against God and His Design. Men are men. Women are women. These were self-evident truths for decades, and still are. To distort reality is to do a disservice to yourself and everyone around you. Bearing false witness about fundamental biology and God’s Design to bring temporary comfort to others is not love. Consider what it says about your heart if you’re willing to downplay and compromise God’s authority and reality for the temporary comfort of others.

“It may not seem like it, but preaching against great evil, that causes great shame and grief by those guilty of it, is actually grace. Preaching against sin produces godly grief and godly grief produces repentance which leads to life.”
– Andrew Torba (Christian Entrepreneur, CEO and Founder of Gab)

Stand Your Ground.

As Christians, we have many enemies whose interest is only to recruit more people to join their movements. They will shame others who disagree with them, create pity for themselves to get others to support them, and manipulate a vocal minority to support their views. They will use every tool of manipulation possible to target and villainize you. They will call you hateful, transphobic, intolerant, or any similar rhetoric for discouragement. You should fully expect to be targeted and persecuted for your beliefs (John 15:20). Sometimes it’s better not to give your views at all. Sometimes it’s better to avoid conflict. However, when it comes down to confrontation, the healthy and God-fearing Christian will say “no” to tolerating sin. We cannot pretend to agree with evil, let alone tolerate it.

“What about being respectful of preferred pronouns?”

We aren’t called to respect identities that aren’t rooted in reality. We can love people while still acknowledging that they are actively rebelling against God. Pronouns are not for self-identity, they are for describing reality. A man is a he. A woman is a she. Being accused of “misgendering” people is smoke and mirrors for “Affirm what I believe or you’re a bad person”. Any ministry founded on compromising with blatant falsehoods is a ministry of sending people comfortably to Hell. Being tolerant of secular ideologies at any level was the first step of allowing delusion to become widespread in the first place. Tolerance is not virtuous.

“No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.“
Psalm 101:7 (NIV)

Conclusion

To distort reality with emotional justification is exceedingly wrong and filled with lawlessness. Christ does not call us to be tolerant of sin. Christ does not call us to put the world first, Him second. We as followers of Christ must place Him at the forefront of our lives and name sin for what it is.