“Anti-trans laws hurt children. Jesus had plenty to say about that.” – (link to the article is below)
Anti-trans laws hurt children. Jesus had plenty to say about that. (msn.com)
This article was written and published by Religion News Service (RNS) which presents itself as a religious news agency. In April 2015, the Catholic News Agency published an article disclosing that RNS had received a grant of $120,000 from the Arcus Foundation with the stated intent “to recruit and equip LGBT supportive leaders and advocates to counter rejection and antagonism within traditionally conservative Christian churches”, also questioning if the grant had biased RNS’s coverage of traditional religion.
The article makes the argument that all of the 44 states with “anti-trans” legislation involving controls on medical treatments for young children are morally wrong and they go against the teachings from Jesus. They say that those laws are not keeping the children safe, and they give Matthew 18 as the source for their assertion of his message.
“How do Christians, in good conscience, create structures that isolate children — the very ones their savior said would inherit the kingdom of God in Matthew 18?”
Before I get into what is said in Matthew 18, let me provide some scriptures that help explain God’s views on homosexual activities and cross-dressing. We know this issue is important to God by the many times throughout the Bible it is discussed. We also can see that God’s view never changes and always provides a clear message that it goes against God. Here are a few of those verses that you can read in the Bible. It is always important to read the entire message and not select a few words that fit what you want them to mean!
Leviticus 18:22-30, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:18-32, Romans 12:1-2, Mark 10:6-9, 1 Kings 14:24, 1 Kings 15:12, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Timothy 1:8-11, Hebrews 13:1-5, Jude 1:5-8, 1 Corinthians 7:2, Romans 13:8-10, 1 Corinthians 6:17-20, Deuteronomy 22:5, Genesis 5:2, Genesis 4:7, Matthew 19:4-6, Colossians 1:16, Galatians 1:4.
Also, the link below is for an article about Transgenderism that explains what the Bible says about it.
What the Bible Says about Being Transgender? (biblestudytools.com)
Now let us look at what Matthew actually wrote in chapter 18. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. It was written between A.D. 50 and 70 by Matthew. Matthew was a Jewish tax collector that Jesus selected to become one of the twelve apostles. It was written to the Jews and to Gentiles who have become Christians. There are 28 chapters in the book, and they cover many stories about Jesus and His messages. Everyone should read the entire book of Matthew which does not take a long time.
Matthew begins chapter 18 talking about the disciples asking Jesus “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then in verse 2, Jesus answers by calling a child to come to Him and explaining that we all must come to Jesus as a small child – learning to become a different person, setting aside the sins we have acquired in our former life. Jesus makes it clear that anyone that interferes with a child coming to Jesus and His message will be judged according. The article has twisted the meaning to provide a false message. In the article, they are saying that surgeries on children to change their bodies to look like the opposite sex was or would have been approved by Jesus. There are many verses in the Bible about “inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven”; however, Matthew 18 by itself clearly proves their statements are total lies from Satan.
Verses in the Bible about “Inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven”:
Matthew 7:21 ESV “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Revelation 21:8 ESV But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Galatians 5:19-21 ESV Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 5:11 ESV But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
Revelation 20:10 ESV And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Matthew 18 New International Version
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a] 12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven. 19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g] 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
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