in the king james version of the bible, genesis, book 1, verse 27, it states:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

male and female created he them, in his image. so i take that to mean that god created *both* male and female in his image. both male and female are images of god. and because this was written 5000 years ago, before jesus christ walked the earth, before christian church leaders appropriated the holy jewish 5 books of moses, i imagine that those early jewish rabbis were not as worldly as some would have us believe. and that’s because “male and female” were and are not the only options.

we are all created in his image, every last one of us. remember that when you speak out against my existance. when you speak out against my validity. when you speak out against my sanity. when you speak out against my “lifestyle”. when you judge me. when you speak out against my rights, as a human being, and one who was created in the image of your god.

st. john’s of baltimore city, a reconciling united methodist congregation, is dealing with that very issue.

A woman who has served as minister at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Baltimore for five years has been re-appointed to the position – as a man, according to church officials.
[snip]
The move was not without challenge. Some ministers asked for a “ruling of law,” a move which automatically takes the issue to the church organization’s highest court, the Judicial Council, which will be meeting next in October.
[snip]
The church … has no explicit policy regarding sexual identity changes or sex change operations, officials said. Gordon/Phoenix’ congregation is among those that support what the members call the “reconciling” movement within the church, and campaigns to reject the church’s traditional biblical teachings on marriage and sexual ethics.
[snip]
Mark Tooley, director of the UM Action, a part of the Institution on Religion and Democracy, said gender, however, isn’t a choice but a reality. “The church’s calling is to facilitate healing, not echo the secular culture’s mantras about ‘diversity,’” he said.

gender is a reality? so in scotland, where men wear skirts, is “reality” on vacation? i guess we can’t be troubled about “diversity” and all those silly “mantras” echoing in secular culture.

apparently, “healing” involves beating conformity into the hearts and minds of humanity, whether or not said conformity aligns with god’s image. apparently, some people know the mind of god so well, they judge how others can live their lives, right down to their own self knowledge. apparently, they know not only god’s mind, but the minds of every other human being.

perhaps some people need a reality check.

via the view from (ab)normal heights