Lisa Ling Explores Religious Life

[SNJM]

Emma:

Catholic morality is complicated, as most things in life. Not everything is black & white (though that would make things very convenient).

Since Denise was called Denise, looked like a girl and was referred to as a woman/girl, I flowed suit. I don't really believe that's the big issue - how I or anybody else refers to Denise. The IMPORTANT ISSUE is that her soul was saved - and she IS living a chaste, holy life and she does pray. So, I believe Sister Margaret did a great job, filled with the Holy Ghost's input.

I'm wondering what you, as a new convert, or the other members here who complained, would react to this medical story:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-09-10/news/17931933_1_caster-semenya-test-results-photo-spread

She IS BOTH and. choose to live as a woman - but now we know that is not exactly "true." This is a great example of one of those tricky grey areas!

[Antigonos]

From a purely medical point of view, intersex and transgender are not at all the same thing. Especially in the past, intersex [hermaphrodism] was an extremely difficult problem; it is still, although ultrasound can now more accurately identify which internal sexual organs the infant has. Since gender identity is established very early, it is important to get it right at the outset.

The whole transgender thing is different. Here there is no ambiguity about biological sexual identity; it is a mental phenomenon, and it is still very controversial. In some places today, and certainly in the past, a man who had himself surgically altered to resemble a woman was judged mentally ill. A surgeon who performed such mutilations would also be regarded as abnormal.

[emmaberry]

SNJM: I didn't read the article, but the Church does say that there are babies born with mismatched genitals (or none at all), and those can choose what gender they are. That is a very different case than adult men and women, who often have abuse or some trauma in their past, saying they are the opposite gender.

Catholic morality is not complicated-the Church has spoken on most every important moral issue of today. It gets complicated when we choose not to faithfully listen and follow, and end up making our own morality. I am not accusing you of doing this at all-although this is a phenomenon for many of the Catholic faithful today.

I am not responding to this thread anymore because I have stated my point multiple times, and, at this point, the replies are not dealing with the video, but Catholic moral teaching on transgenders, and I don't like arguing about Catholic moral teaching, because the Church has already spoken better than I.

[Lumiere]

I see that people are tired and don't want to hear anymore, but I just wanted to point out one more thing. Mother Teresa didn't require that Hindus or Muslims convert before she helped them. Sometimes the most Christlike thing you can do for somebody is to just help them with no strings attached. You may never know if that little bit of help will change their life, but it is important that that help was at least offered. When you feel as if no one in the world cares, even the smallest kindnesses are welcome.

[size=4]"[font=Arial]There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them."[/font][/size]

[size=4]"[font=Arial]You and I, we are the Church, no? We have to share with our people. Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing. Jesus made it very clear. Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me. Give a glass of water, you give it to me. Receive a little child, you receive me."[/font][/size]

I'm just glad Sr. Margaret is there to receive those kids.