Religious role of parental opposition to their transgendered children
The attached article highlights the case of a 16 year old trans boy whose parents have responded to his identity with hefty doses of Bible preaching, threats of sending him to conversion "therapy" (now banned for minors in 10 states) and, when all else failed, telling him he is damned to hell so might as well kill his worthless self.
Your thoughts on these loving Christian beacons of light and hope? ...these ambassadors of Christ? ...these role models of grace and forgiveness and love that Jesus reportedly taught was absolutely central to Christianity? I'm just curious.
1
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.When your devotion to an invisible sky fairy is greater than your devotion to your own children, you need to seriously evaluate your priorities.
Situations like this, I hope the child gets taken away and found a decent home.
NicoleCadmium
Level 7
Mar 6, 2018
3
That is so tragic! My United Methodist missionary parents were liberal, and treated my aunt and her probably transmale lover as they would anyone else, so I was lucky.
I once asked her if my grandmother ever reacted to my aunt being "gay" and living with a transmale and she said that her mom always invited both of them for family holiday meals, knowing that my aunt wouldn't come without him/her.
I now realize I'm partially transmale myself, and possibly my daughter as well, although both of us live as androgynous females.
birdingnut
Level 8
Mar 1, 2018
1
My mom figured out my sexuality before we had a chance to talk about it. She asked me if that was my choice, which made me explain that I hadn't chosen anything. My folks told me they loved me and were cool with it, but it was something we never talked about after that.
Parents reacting badly is unfortunately pretty normal. Kids get kicked out all the time.
1Observer2
Level 5
Mar 1, 2018
3
Your parents never talking about it is pretty much like my father. It is certainly better than saying hateful things, but it is still sad realization that they cannot do any more that t perhaps merely tolerate our sexuality, and never really accept it. 
@MikeInBatonRouge I'm sure this was shocking to them, and they didn't know how to deal with these issues...but its your kid...go out and educate yourself so you just might have an idea of what their life experience is like, right?
My thoughts on people who could do that to someone they claim to love are better left unsaid as they're quite volatile. Living by ancient, contradictory rules in some book is absurd and useless. We only have this one life, why waste it trying to change someone who doesn't need any sort of stupid conversion or "saving" when they could be out enjoying nature, meeting new people who might expand their narrow views of the world, or just, I don't know, loving their son for who he is? I agree with the commenter who said this is child abuse. It absolutely is and his parents are monsters.
I'm glad he has grandparents he can depend at the very least. I hope they can help to protect him from further harm.
Gravija
Level 5
Mar 1, 2018
2
My entire Roman Catholic Family was awesome when my niece came out.
Which pretty much amazed me?
It's not common. And might have to do with level of education? (All educated to college level)?
I live for the day when religions don't torment people because of being "different".
RavenCT
Level 9
Mar 1, 2018
2
His parents certainly are not handling this situation very well. Bible thumpers rarely have a good or logical reaction to this sort of situation. I do not know how I would react. I know that I would not abuse him but I would not help him on his path to be something he is not.
mockingbird
Level 4
Mar 1, 2018
0
This is, without a shadow of a doubt, child abuse.
As a parent you are supposed to love your child UNCONDITIONALLY and if you can't do that you have failed as a parent.
LadyAlyxandrea
Level 8
Mar 1, 2018
4
@MrLizard my brother is excruciatingly difficult, and yet I still love him unconditionally. There are times that he fills me with rage and disappointment and I just can't deal with him, but I have never for a moment not loved him.
He could just play the hand he was dealt until he is old enough to have a mature adult brain. At 16yrs I doubt that he can make a rational decision about his sexuality.
mockingbird
Level 4
Mar 1, 2018
0
Actually, it is not even so much a matter of rational decision-making as it is of intuitive understanding of who one is, and at age 16 and even younger, no one is better positioned to have a genuine sense of gender identity than the individual him or herself. If anyone else ignores that, they are telling that individual they don't respect their personhood. That is anathema to a parent's fundamental responsibility to affirm the self-esteem of their child. This was only underscored in this case by the father's cruel admonition to his child to kill himself, that basically his life was a waste. That is unconscionable. That a parent struggles to comprehend their child's gender idendity struggle is understandable. That they openly attack that child's self-worth is NOT. That is not parenting.
16 year olds are well aware of gender and dysphoria. Also, gender and sexuality are not synonymous.
You may be using the correct pronoun but you still have no idea what you are talking about.
And Christian based therapy is bullshit.
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