Is The CMDA’s Dr. David Stevens A Liar Or Just A Ignoramus?
July 4th, 2008 by Autumn Sandeen
OneNewsNow quotes Dr. David Stevens, the Chief Executive Officer of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) in their piece Transgenderism — purely psychological?, where he makes a patently false statement about what the Bible says about altering the shape of one’s genitalia. He makes his false statement in a call for not treating transgender people with “immoral” treatments:
“Well, the Bible does tell us very clearly that mutilation of the body is wrong, and it’s sad that these people have this psychological disorder — but it should be treated from a psychological perspective,” Stevens contends.
The “psychological perspective” that Dr. Stevens is referring to is obviously conversion therapy, because he’s rejects the American Medical Association’s house of delegates approval of a resolution in June that supports removing barriers to treat and care for transgender people,
as apparently he also rejects the Harry Benjamin Standard Of Care (HBSOC) [of which the purpose of the HBSOC is to articulate WPATH’s consensus about the psychiatric, psychological, medical, and surgical management of gender identity disorders (GID)].
Here’s what Dr. Stevens does say about treatment for trans people in the OneNewsNow:
The CMDA spokesman has taken a look at the recent [AMA] resolution. “They’re calling on insurance companies to provide treatment for gender-identity disorder, which actually is a sex-change operation. Those are very expensive and obviously treat something in a way that really isn’t going to solve the problem, just perpetuate it. [It is] sad that this has happened, but we’re increasingly seeing this happen at the American Medical Association and other professional organizations across the country,” Stevens explains
Lovely.
But hey, back to the headline: The real difficulty I have with Dr. Stevens comments on “mutilation” is that he’s either ignorant of what the Bible says — specifically in a quote attributed to Jesus — regarding changing the shape of one’s genitalia, or he’s lying about it. The quote from Jesus that Dr. Stevens should have been aware of:
For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.
The Geneva Study Bible states this about that verse quoted above — Matthew 19:12 — on how one becomes a eunuch:
A man can become a eunuch in one of two ways: the first is by castration or emasculation, and the other by natural causes, such as a rupture.
There were no genital reassignment surgeries besides castration available at the time the New Testament was written.
For Dr. Stevens to indicate he knows what the Christ and the Bible says about genital mutilation when he obviously doesn’t — well, it takes the underpinning out from his and his organization’s stated beliefs. He’s either intentionally lying about what the Bible says about changing one’s genitalia, or he’s completely ignorant about what Jesus said about changing one’s genitalia.
Either way, Dr. Stevens looks a lot more like an ignoramus than a man with such an advanced medical degree should probably look. It certainly speaks loudly to how little knowledge the Christian Medical & Dental Associations must have even on basic scriptural references to changing one’s genitalia if their spokesperson is Dr. Stevens.
And hey, if some peewee, conservative Christian, medical association — with “Christian” boldy included in its name — doesn’t even know what the Bible states about an issue their commenting on, one can only wonder what this peewee, conservative Christian, association — with “Medical” boldy included in its name — doesn’t know about the medical side of issues it comments on.
~~~~~
Further Reading:
* John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes, Isaiah 56:3-8
Posted in American Family Association, Christianity, deception, gender, healthcare, prejudice: racism-sexism-homophobia-transphobia-etc, religion, religious right organizations, transgender |
July 5th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I am a post-op M2F TS who has been a member of CMDS back since I was in medical school. When I transitioned 5 years ago, I wrote CMDS and told them of my transitioning and “offered” to terminate my membership if they had any problem with this. I explained what a TS was and that Gender Identity Disorder is a BIRTH DEFECT where one’s “gender centers” in the brain were laid down opposite to their outward sexual characteristics and therefore was not the result of a psychological problem or a(n immoral) choice.
CMDS told me back then (this was well before Dr Stevens was CEO) that they had “No problem” with me continuing my membership.
I will be writing to Dr Stevens and presenting him with my objections to his stand/opinions and referring him to my website, drjenspage.com with is devoted to the issues of Christianity and GID.
Jennifer Burnett, MD
Asst. Prof. Community Med
UCSF-Fresno
Faculty, Fresno Family Practice Residency Program