In response to the question of how to address transgendered people, John MacArthur has some pretty absolute things to say. “Simply stated, there is no such thing as transgender. You’re either XX or XY. That’s it.”
God made men and women, MacArthur explains. “That is science. That is reality.”
First things first, one must make sure to understand that transgenderism is an assault on God. MacArthur explains the idea that “you are something other than your biology is a cultural construct intended as an assault on God.”
Additionally, transgenderism “is a kind of personal suicide.” It is cutting oneself off from “the way God designed you.” And it’s not just suicide of identity, but also physical suicide. MacArthur explains a transgender person is 19 times more likely to kill him or herself. He offers a theory as to why the suicide rate is so much higher among transgender people: “You have cut yourself off from reality and normal relationships.” The transgender lifestyle is an “extreme isolation that can be no more extreme.”
MacArthur goes on to condemn a surgery in Australia to change the sex of a 5-year-old. “These kinds of parents ought to be imprisoned,” he states.
Despite his absolute statements, though, MacArthur emphasizes the need to show love as one is addressing a transgendered person. The most important thing to communicate is that “God made you. And God made you exactly the way he wanted you to be.” One should also express that the person is “fighting God in his sovereignty” by choosing to define yourself.
Toward the end of his five-minute answer, MacArthur shows some compassion for transgender people. He explains there are “holes in the heart of someone going in that direction” and that they have likely experienced a lack of feeling loved and accepted. This is precisely why it’s important to show love for the person and not to exaggerate the isolation they feel when you address the issue with them.
