I have written often about our need to love our fellow believers and disagree agreeably if we must disagree. I had a chance to practice that the other day with a brother whose mailing list I’m on. He had listed some things he was really concerned about – calling them “crises,” including climate change (not a concern I share). I wrote to ask why he didn’t consider The Equality Act, about which I wrote yesterday, a potential crisis.

He responded first by saying that he was sure that he and I agreed on a lot more things than we disagree on. I said, yes, and what we agree on is more important than what we disagree on. So in the spirit of disagreeing agreeably, here is his take on The Equality Act:

I will say that I know several families with transgender kids, and it was agonizing for the kids and family in every case. It wasn’t something done lightly. It was a real identity crisis that involved suicide and real fear for the kids. There was bullying at school, etc. So I am very careful about transgender issues because of what I’ve seen personally. Perhaps there are some people who are not serious about transgender issues and try to flaunt laws, etc., but more often than not it is a full-blown confusing crisis that often involves fear of suicide because people don’t feel at home in their own bodies. I don’t claim to understand it, but I also don’t see these folks as threats in any way to my freedom or the freedom of others. Every family I know going through this has wanted to just keep their kids safe and to have some basic legal protections for their kids. But I don’t know enough about laws and such to comment beyond that. 

My response to him was:

Thanks for the personal insight on transgender. I also know at least one set of parents, one of whose kids was struggling. Compassion should rule the day, no matter what. As is typical with some government intervention, I believe The Equality Act will cause more problems than it solves.

I went on to say that I have read many of his books and recommend them from time to time. He appreciated that.

With respect to The Equality Act, about which I hope not to write again, I believe that people who don’t feel at home in their own bodies should get help to feel at home. Frankly, I think we should do more teaching on the wide range of personalities and behaviors within genders. Some women are jocks; some men are artists; not all men are big and burly; not all women are small and dainty; etc., etc.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13.34, 35, ESV)

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5.11, ESV)