As we say goodbye to 2023, I look upon the new year with apprehension. No matter which way the political pendulum swings, I fear that we may experience a season of turmoil. I pray that we will emerge strong and united. However, there are powerful  divisive currents abroad in this land, and it is hard to see how such widely differing points of view can be peacefully reconciled.

In my next few blogs I will attempt to describe some of the issues that divide us. 

First, we have the subject of gender.

 On one side you have those progressive advocates who insist that gender is a matter of the mind.  They say you are male, female, gay, lesbian, or bisexual  based on what you think you are or wish to be, and society must accept and respect your decision.  Thus, a biological male who decides that he is a female should be permitted to access women’s lockers, shower rooms, and participate in women’s athletic events.  They also insist that public institutions, private institutions receiving any form of public funding, and any individual engaged in a publicly licensed business must not be allowed discriminate against any person because of their race, religion, self-determined gender, or sexual orientation.

On the other side you have traditionalists who believe that there are only two genders, male and female, and that heterosexuality is the healthy and normal way to live and build a vibrant society.  They also tend to believe that those who deviate from societal norms must be allowed to express and practice their beliefs freely so long as they do not impinge on the freedoms and rights of others.  Also, society should recognize the worth and role of non-conformists, but no special accommodation need be made to satisfy them, nor should they be allowed to indoctrinate children with their destructive views about gender and sex. As regards to access to public facilities and participation in sports, males and females should be treated on the basis of their biologically determined gender.

The LGBT community is relatively small but extremely active.  Until the latter half of the 20^th Century it had only existed in the shadows of Western society. Now it is in the open.  It has strong support from the entertainment industry and the media, and it is influential in Democratic Party circles.  It has achieved great changes in the past 20 years – legalization of gay marriages, the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” expansion of anti-discrimination legislation to include sexual orientation, etc.  They want more.

Traditionalists have been set back on their heels.  No one wishes to be labeled a bigot. As a member of various Evangelical churches over many decades, I never heard a sermon or serious discussion regarding homosexuality.  Nevertheless, the holy books of Christians and Jews (and even Muslims) teach that homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviance is morally wrong.

For those of a religious bent, the conflict appears almost irresolvable. People of faith are often confused and disturbed by the controversy. They favor fairness and goodwill towards everyone, but they are alarmed by the aggressive push of homosexuals, transsexuals, and their allies to foist a new view of sexual norms on society.

Traditionalists are especially concerned by the LGBT campaign to propagandize our children into this new way of thinking. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books mandating that sexual education be taught in public schools. Communities in the rest of the country have varying degrees of regulations.  Who are the people doing the teaching?  Progressives are using these sexual education programs to wage a well-organized campaign to indoctrinate our children, and they often have the support of teacher unions and Democratic Party leaders. 

There is no room for compromise. How is this difficult issue to be resolved?   

P.S. After previewing my blog, my son Harold made the following astute observation:

I might point out that except for the issue of gender, anyone claiming to be something or having a trait that he or she does not possess would be considered mentally unstable or delusional.  For instance, I can’t call myself a medical doctor just because I aspire to it or “feel” that I am.  I can’t claim that my eyes are brown when they are blue and expect anyone to take me seriously.  Only when it comes to gender identity does our modern society’s respect for the feelings or beliefs of an individual override the obvious facts.  And if gender is a matter of opinion, then our perception of right and wrong is even more so.  

I believe that the ultimate goal is to remove all traditional moral authority, starting with Christian views on sexual behavior and moving into every other aspect of human relationships.  After all, if we presume there is no God, then we are each in the position of ultimate authority to make our own rules.  What a scary world that will be!