Bible and gender

On Nov. 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, Richard Hollerman ended a letter to the editor (“Gender identity”) with this sentence: “Transgenderism offends society, the world and especially God.”

Hollerman has a right to his opinion on transgender people, but he has no right to misrepresent God. The Bible contains three passages that Hollerman should read.

In Isaiah 56, God tells eunuchs: “I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters.”

In Matthew 19, Jesus explains transsexualism to his disciples, knowing there would be people like Hollerman: “For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

In Acts 8:26-40, Philip and the Ethiopian, God commands a Philip to travel to Gaza where along the way he encounters a eunuch who had been turned away by conservative churches in Jerusalem. Philip learned that this was a worthy man and gladly baptized him, fulfilling God’s commandment.

Mr. Hollerman, misrepresenting the Bible is offensive to society, the world and especially to God.

— Kelli Anne Busey, Arlington

This story was originally published November 25, 2013 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Bible and gender."