Gender variance in spirituality
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==== Views about gender variance in Christianity ====
Christians have tended to have difficult views of [[LGBT]] people. Christians have used certain religious views as motivation behind discrimination and hate crimes against LGBT people. Christian denominations and churches vary in their attitudes toward LGBT people. What views churches do express about LGBT people tend to focus mainly on sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, and bisexual people), and less on gender variance (gender nonconforming, transgender, and nonbinary people). Because this is the nonbinary wiki, this portion of the article will focus wherever possible on Christian views specifically addressing gender variance, rather than sexual orientation.
{{Clear}}
===== Gender variance in the Christian Bible =====
The Christian Bible doesn't specifically mention transgender people, as such.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transgender|work=Hope Remains|url=http://hoperemainsonline.com/Transgender|date=2017|access-date=2019-05-11|archive-date=2023-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508021847/https://hoperemainsonline.com/Transgender|url-status=dead}}</ref> It also doesn't specifically mention nonbinary people, who are one kind of transgender people. Because of this, the Bible doesn't officially condemn transgender or nonbinary people. The absence of such people in the Bible doesn't mean that they were unknown during Biblical times. [[#the six genders in classical Judaism|Classical Judaism itself acknowledged six genders/sexes]] in texts other than the Bible, and [[History of nonbinary gender#Antiquity|several neighboring cultures also acknowledged genders outside the binary]]. Some of the following Bible passages can be seen as relevant to transgender and nonbinary people.
Although seven Bible passages have sometimes been thought of as condemning lesbian, gay, or bisexual people, only ''one'' passage seems to specifically condemn cross-dressing, and, by extension, transgender people.<ref name="TransQueerTheology">Shannon Kearns, "Transgender and Christian?" ''Queer Theology.'' Retrieved April 30, 2019. https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian [https://web.archive.org/web/20230508022114/https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> This is [https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/22-5.htm Deuteronomy 22:5], in one of the Hebrew books of law. Christians do not typically observe Judaic law, because Christians believe one of the important things Christ did when he came was fulfill all those laws, so Christians are no longer bound by them ([https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-17.htm Matthew 5:17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7%3A1-7&version=KJV Romans 7:1-7]; [https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-25.htm Galatians 3:25]).
Nonetheless, this Biblical law has long been used by Christians to condemn those who cross-dress, and as a foundation for writing various national laws against cross-dressing. In the most famous example of this, historical court records show that the Inquisitors of the Catholic Church cited Deuteronomy 22:5 in the only actual specific charge for which the Church burned 19-year-old [[Gender variance in Christianity#Gender variant saints|Saint Joan of Arc]] alive at the stake in 1431.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref>
Biblical passages about [[eunuch]]s are relevant to nonbinary people, because some nonbinary people have a physical transition that resembles that of a eunuch. In the Bible, "eunuch" can mean many different kinds of people, not just a man who was castrated, some of which Jesus lists in a sermon in [https://biblehub.com/matthew/19-12.htm Matthew 19:12]. In many ancient cultures, "eunuch" was often an umbrella term for people who were [[intersex]], sterile, gay, a "[[third gender]]", or otherwise queer. Because of this, any ancient writings about eunuchs can be relevant to LGBT people.
The Bible never condemns anyone for being a eunuch, nor says that becoming a eunuch is a sin, even though being a eunuch made a person subject to Jewish ritual purity laws distinct from those of other men and women. Even though eunuchs were barred from entering the Hebrew congregation and priesthood for ritual purity reasons (Deuteronomy 23:1, Leviticus 21:20), God specifically blesses eunuchs in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+56%3A3-5&version=NLT Isaiah 56:3-5].
[[File:Rembrandt, The Baptism of the Eunuch, 1626, Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht.jpg|thumb|150px|''The Baptism of the Eunuch'', depicting Acts 38. Painting by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626 CE.]]
In [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8%3A26-40&version=NLT Acts 8:26-40], Philip baptizes a eunuch, in in disregard of the aforementioned ritual purity laws from Judaic tradition. This is because Peter had visions in which God told him to eat non-kosher meats ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11-17&version=KJV Acts 11-17]), which meant not to call any person common or unclean ([https://biblehub.com/acts/10-28.htm Acts 10:28]), so Christians started to baptize gentiles ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10%3A45-48&version=KJV Acts 10:45-48]). The story of the baptism of the eunuch represents that Christianity welcomes all who wish to join it, in full participation. It is relevant to nonbinary people, in that it shows that people who have a gender/sex outside of the binary are welcome in Christianity just as they are. Having an unusual gender/sex is not a sin, and is not something that they need to give up in order to be Christian.
A letter from Saint Paul to the Christian Gauls, in [https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-28.htm Galatians 3:28], says that the [[gender binary]] is merely one more system of oppression that doesn't exist in Christianity: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This passage is relevant to nonbinary people, because they identify outside of the gender binary. It's also relevant to all LGBT people, who are treated differently due to how they all relate differently to the gender binary than most, whether by crossing it (in the case of binary transgender people) or loving on the same side of it (in the case of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people).
{{Clear}}
==== Views about gender variance in Christianity ====Christians have tended to have difficult views of [[LGBT]] people. Christians have used certain religious views as motivation behind discrimination and hate crimes against LGBT people. Christian denominations and churches vary in their attitudes toward LGBT people. What views churches do express about LGBT people tend to focus mainly on sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, and bisexual people), and less on gender variance (gender nonconforming, transgender, and nonbinary people). Because this is the nonbinary wiki, this portion of the article will focus wherever possible on Christian views specifically addressing gender variance, rather than sexual orientation.{{Clear}}===== Gender variance in the Christian Bible =====The Christian Bible doesn't specifically mention transgender people, as such.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transgender|work=Hope Remains|url=http://hoperemainsonline.com/Transgender|date=2017|access-date=2019-05-11|archive-date=2023-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508021847/https://hoperemainsonline.com/Transgender|url-status=dead}}</ref> It also doesn't specifically mention nonbinary people, who are one kind of transgender people. Because of this, the Bible doesn't officially condemn transgender or nonbinary people. The absence of such people in the Bible doesn't mean that they were unknown during Biblical times. [[#the six genders in classical Judaism|Classical Judaism itself acknowledged six genders/sexes]] in texts other than the Bible, and [[History of nonbinary gender#Antiquity|several neighboring cultures also acknowledged genders outside the binary]]. Some of the following Bible passages can be seen as relevant to transgender and nonbinary people. Although seven Bible passages have sometimes been thought of as condemning lesbian, gay, or bisexual people, only ''one'' passage seems to specifically condemn cross-dressing, and, by extension, transgender people.<ref name="TransQueerTheology">Shannon Kearns, "Transgender and Christian?" ''Queer Theology.'' Retrieved April 30, 2019. https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian [https://web.archive.org/web/20230508022114/https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> This is [https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/22-5.htm Deuteronomy 22:5], in one of the Hebrew books of law. Christians do not typically observe Judaic law, because Christians believe one of the important things Christ did when he came was fulfill all those laws, so Christians are no longer bound by them ([https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-17.htm Matthew 5:17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7%3A1-7&version=KJV Romans 7:1-7]; [https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-25.htm Galatians 3:25]). Nonetheless, this Biblical law has long been used by Christians to condemn those who cross-dress, and as a foundation for writing various national laws against cross-dressing. In the most famous example of this, historical court records show that the Inquisitors of the Catholic Church cited Deuteronomy 22:5 in the only actual specific charge for which the Church burned 19-year-old [[Gender variance in Christianity#Gender variant saints|Saint Joan of Arc]] alive at the stake in 1431.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Biblical passages about [[eunuch]]s are relevant to nonbinary people, because some nonbinary people have a physical transition that resembles that of a eunuch. In the Bible, "eunuch" can mean many different kinds of people, not just a man who was castrated, some of which Jesus lists in a sermon in [https://biblehub.com/matthew/19-12.htm Matthew 19:12]. In many ancient cultures, "eunuch" was often an umbrella term for people who were [[intersex]], sterile, gay, a "[[third gender]]", or otherwise queer. Because of this, any ancient writings about eunuchs can be relevant to LGBT people. The Bible never condemns anyone for being a eunuch, nor says that becoming a eunuch is a sin, even though being a eunuch made a person subject to Jewish ritual purity laws distinct from those of other men and women. Even though eunuchs were barred from entering the Hebrew congregation and priesthood for ritual purity reasons (Deuteronomy 23:1, Leviticus 21:20), God specifically blesses eunuchs in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+56%3A3-5&version=NLT Isaiah 56:3-5]. [[File:Rembrandt, The Baptism of the Eunuch, 1626, Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht.jpg|thumb|150px|''The Baptism of the Eunuch'', depicting Acts 38. Painting by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626 CE.]]In [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8%3A26-40&version=NLT Acts 8:26-40], Philip baptizes a eunuch, in in disregard of the aforementioned ritual purity laws from Judaic tradition. This is because Peter had visions in which God told him to eat non-kosher meats ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11-17&version=KJV Acts 11-17]), which meant not to call any person common or unclean ([https://biblehub.com/acts/10-28.htm Acts 10:28]), so Christians started to baptize gentiles ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10%3A45-48&version=KJV Acts 10:45-48]). The story of the baptism of the eunuch represents that Christianity welcomes all who wish to join it, in full participation. It is relevant to nonbinary people, in that it shows that people who have a gender/sex outside of the binary are welcome in Christianity just as they are. Having an unusual gender/sex is not a sin, and is not something that they need to give up in order to be Christian. A letter from Saint Paul to the Christian Gauls, in [https://biblehub.com/galatians/3-28.htm Galatians 3:28], says that the [[gender binary]] is merely one more system of oppression that doesn't exist in Christianity: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This passage is relevant to nonbinary people, because they identify outside of the gender binary. It's also relevant to all LGBT people, who are treated differently due to how they all relate differently to the gender binary than most, whether by crossing it (in the case of binary transgender people) or loving on the same side of it (in the case of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people). {{Clear}}