Religion -

How does religion factor in with being a trans person?  For many it affects how society views the LGBTQ+++ community, they are sinners, they have turned their back on God and the church so many other mis-conceptions.  Why? Let's review, so the bible is based on the word of God and how mankind is suppose to live their lives. Why then, are there so many contradictions in the bible and why are there so many denominations of Christianity?  In reverse order, the denominations are based on the ideology and philosophical based on interpretations of scripture.  That is to say not every biblical scholar can agree on what the bible says, you might subject to interpretation, nothing wrong with this but when it creates a mis-representation of God's word.  The contradictions, a book by Linda Tatro Herzer "The Bible and the Transgender Experience, How scripture supports gender variance" helps to clear a lot of those questions.  Herzer, explains the bible in two sections the Old Testament and the New Testament, before Christ and after Christ.  She goes into great detail about a how scripture supports the trans community and I would highly recommend this book especially if struggle as I have with religion mainly how God views tans people, always wondering but it's not God it is the rest of society that passes judgement because of the mis-interpretations or mis-representations of what the bible does have to say.  This stems from fear and control over the many centuries born out ignorance to force compliance by the Roman Catholic Church because most people could not read or write and their ignorance was preyed upon much like today.  

As I stated before many people do not go to church because they do not want to be condemned for whatever it is they have done throughout their lives, especially those that are of the LGBTQ+++ community.  This perverse ideology and judgmental attitude drives people away from the church, not very Christianly.  When Jesus walked the earth, he walked among the many sinners absolving them of their sins, walked among the lepers and other sick healing them when all those around told him he shouldn't do that.  Jesus accepted and forgave all, doesn't the bible say that through the blood of Christ we shall be redeemed?  Who decides that we are redeemed?  Who decides that Christians have the right to pass judgement when the Bible stated Do Not Judge Lest Ye be Judged?  So do I believe in God, Yes, just incase there was any doubt and I am also trans.  

After many years of struggling with my beliefs and trying to reconcile who I am and what I believe, I have finally found the peace I have been seeking and realized that there is nothing wrong with me, there is everything wrong with the church and those blindly follow what those in authority tell them to believe, no matter how wrong they may be.