The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Sensitive Issue

(If the monitors want delete this, I will understand)

Here is an issue that I am not sure how to respond to.

How do you respond to a situation where a person is born with both male and female genitals?
I was recently asked this very question, but I didn't feel qualified to answer this question in a knowledgeable manner.

Tom

1. What do you mean by "respond to a situation..."?

2. I suspect a hidden agenda behind this; not implying that YOU are the one with the agenda. See my comment #5 below.

3. In such rare cases, only one of the genitalia is "functional", e.g., all the female organs are present, fallopian tubes, ovaries, etc., but the male reproductive organs are absent. Thus, in this example, the individual would be female.

4. Additionally, hormone testing can also be considered to determine the actual sex; testosterone levels vs. estrogen levels.

5. The "agenda" I am suggesting which is most likely behind this scenario is related to the current push to accepting transgenderism and/or the most recent push to recognize that if an individual thinks they are the opposite sex from which they are physically, they should be allowed to function in society as that gender. This issue is generally brought up in regard to minor children who desire to be the opposite sex and thus be given access to that opposite sex's exclusive domain, such as restrooms, locker rooms, sports, etc.

Pilgrim
Like you said, I am sure there are a lot of people who have a hidden agenda when it come to this issue.
However in this particular case that is not the issue.
The person asking this is a commited Christian who is just puzzled about that particular aspect.
As far as I can tell, your answer sufficiently answers the question.
Thank you
Tom

Interesting that Genesis is explicit"-male and female He created them."

As far as I am concerned even before I started this thread, I saw the issue basically the same way as you do. I thank you for giving me more information concerning the medical side of the issue. It was quite helpful.
I have since talked with this person and from that discussion, a few other questions came out that I was not able to answer. Though I suspect that this person’s questions came from her hearing people with an agenda and she didn’t know how to answer them.
She was told that most of the world doesn’t have access to hormone testing; so in those cases it can’t apply. Wouldn’t the parents choosing the gender cause problems, especially when the child will eventually choose their own gender? Why did God create them that way, there has to be a reason?
As you can see, I think I am going to have to do some more research if I am to know how best to help her. I know God is sovereign even where a child might be born with male and female genitalia.
Although I believe the bottom line is that the Bible is clear that God created humans both male and female and it definitely doesn’t leave any room in between. My knowledge of the medical side of the issue is a little too limited to know how to answer her on that particular issue. Telling her more on the medical side without further research would be at best speculation.
I have to admit though, that I am not sure where to start that research from a reliable source.
Something tells me however, that she has been fed some misinformation that made her think about her position. I am reminded about Proverbs 18:7 “The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him.”
Understand, she is in no way doubting the Bible, in fact quite the opposite is true.
Tom