Hermaphrodites

[fregas]

Just curious. How do you fundamentalist christians view hermaphrodites?

Thanks,
Fregas

 

[Brimshack]

Well as I recall, several Conservative Congressman once made quite a fuss over the fact that such people were actually discussed in biology texts. I remember Jesse Helms complaining about liberal intellectuals indoctrinating kids with PC tripe about there being more than 5 genders. The fact that there was a biological basis for the claim didn't enter into it, the mere mention of such things in a textbook was a good rallying cry calculated to raise the ire of conservative Christians.

 

[Rochir]

5 genders? Hmmmmm...

Male
Female
Hermaphrodite

What would be the other two?

 

[Brimshack]

False Hermaphrodites of both the male and female variety (both external organs, but only one set of internal organs).

Edited to add: I think the technical term is "Pseudo-Hermaphrodites." The language seems to have gotten a little more folksy in my mind over the years.

 

[Lynden1000]

Just curious. How do you fundamentalist christians view hermaphrodites?

Thanks,
Fregas

My guess at the "stock answer":Nature is in a "fallen" state due to the disobedience of the first man and woman and the consequent entry of sin into the world. Physiological aberrations are a reflection of that fallen state.

How did I do?

 

[Rochir]

Aaah, ok. Thanks!

 

[Helo]

This I gotta hear

 

[Trainingforministry2]

What I've heard it is a very rare thing.

 

[Helo]

What I've heard it is a very rare thing.

Hun, have you ever been to Hollywood?

 

[Ananel]

Exceedingly rare, even in the cases that are 'false' after a fashion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphrodite has some very basic information. From that, we have this quote,

"Gonadal dysgenesis, a type of intersexuality formerly known as "True Hermaphroditism", occurs in about one percent of mammals (including humans), but it is extremely rare for both sets of sexual organs to be functional, usually neither set is functional. In many cases, these manifestations are altered, sometimes only cosmetically, to resemble standard male or female anatomy shortly after birth."

There are far more academic treatments of the subject, some of which have more detailed titles for specific variations. However, that's the basic meat and bread of it. Wikipedia's citations are at their website.

 

[ChristianCenturion]

Just curious. How do you fundamentalist christians view hermaphrodites?

Thanks,
Fregas

*Fundie hat on*

They are a person given life as we all have been.
That same God is capable of preparing a man, woman, or hermaphrodite that can accept them for how they are OR He can give them the strength to live a life that doesn't have a sexual content.

How they were born into this life has little bearing with the Grace being available to anyone who will receive it:

John 3:16-18
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

 

[Aimee30]

Not a fundie--don't know what to say.
Are we suggesting they seek out other hemaphrodites for marriage or they can marry a male or a female?

 

[fregas]

*Fundie hat on*

They are a person given life as we all have been.
That same God is capable of preparing a man, woman, or hermaphrodite that can accept them for how they are OR He can give them the strength to live a life that doesn't have a sexual content.

So are you saying that hermaphrodites should not have sex according to the Conservative Christisan viewpoint or the Bible?

 

[Ananel]

So are you saying that hermaphrodites should not have sex according to the Conservative Christisan viewpoint or the Bible?

Actually, no, that does not appear to be what CC said. He said that God would either provide someone for them who can deal well with their ambiguous gender, or he would give them the strength to handle their (possibly undesired) celibacy. How did you get the idea that he had said that they should not have sex when he said "God is capable of preparing a man, woman, or hermaphrodite that can accept them for how they are?"

 

[Angel4Truth]

Just curious. How do you fundamentalist christians view hermaphrodites?

Thanks,
Fregas

I veiw it as an unfortunate birth defect.

 

[fregas]

Actually, no, that does not appear to be what CC said. He said that God would either provide someone for them who can deal well with their ambiguous gender, or he would give them the strength to handle their (possibly undesired) celibacy. How did you get the idea that he had said that they should not have sex when he said "God is capable of preparing a man, woman, or hermaphrodite that can accept them for how they are?"

oh, my bad. I misunderstood what he was saying.

 

[ChristianCenturion]

Not a fundie--don't know what to say.
Are we suggesting they seek out other hemaphrodites for marriage or they can marry a male or a female?

Ananel gave a good clarification to what I was attempting to say.
http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=21101294&postcount=14

 

[fregas]

So my next question is, if the hermaphrodite had parts of both genders, doesn't that imply that their sexuality could lean either way? if so, does that violate the biblical ban on homosexuality? I have heard that most hermaphrodites lean one way or the other, but it could likely that they are bisexual, in which case it is hard to tell them they are doing something wrong, since they have both sets of organs anyway.

 

[Angel4Truth]

So my next question is, if the hermaphrodite had parts of both genders, doesn't that imply that their sexuality could lean either way? if so, does that violate the biblical ban on homosexuality?

No , not anymore than not being born with a functioning womb makes a woman any less than a woman . Something not operating as it was designed , doesnt detract from the purpose of the design .

By your reasoning , should we assume that because some people are born without legs , that legs were not really designed for walking ?

Birth defects dont imply morality or lack of in the individual in question. They are simply birth defects , trying to use a birth defect to allow for a moral issue is reprehensible if you ask me and nothing more than a desperation tactic.

I have heard that most hermaphrodites lean one way or the other, but it could likely that they are bisexual, in which case it is hard to tell them they are doing something wrong, since they have both sets of organs anyway.

Please provide substantiation that hermaphrodites are bisexual by birth . This is like calling a woman without a correctly functioning womb gay because of a birth defect .

Maybe you are saying being gay is a birth defect?

 

[Lynden1000]

If God exists and designed an individual with both a penis and a vagina, it seems reasonable to assume that He intends for the individual to use both organs - otherwise, why design them?

Unless, of course, he didn't design the individual this way, which opens up a can of worms.