Fr. Dwight LongeneckerBecause of artificial contraceptives we have developed a “contraceptive culture” in which sex is not about being a mother or father, so no wonder people are confused about sex and gender. What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a man? We don’t know because being a man and being a woman is tied up with the action and meaning of the sexual act and the sexual act is for making babies, so if the sexual act has no meaning it is not long before being a man or being a woman has no meaning. What is sex for? We don’t know. What is gender? We’re unsure.
6. The Disintegration of Marriage – Co habitation, promiscuity, no fault divorce, re-marriage. polyamory and serial marriage have all eroded the traditional marriage structure and the traditional marriage structure helped to teach clear gender roles. People understood what a woman was because they understood what a wife was. They understood what masculinity because they understood what it meant to be a husband. As marriage disintegrates confusion about just what a husband or wife should be also disintegrates, as those models fail so gender identity becomes unclear. If marriage is not the goal, then how should a girl be a woman and what does it mean for a boy to be a man? We’re uncertain.
7. Education and Peer Pressure – As the extended family helps to support clear sexual identification, so educational institutions and structures and peer groups help to determine sexual identity formation. If an educational system endorses and teaches a multiplicity of sexual roles and identities then we should expect increased gender confusion. There are more choices so more confusion. If the educational system also teaches them in a value free environment then, even if the young person wants to choose, he or she has no idea which choice is better than another.
8. Hormonal and Environmental Factors – We’re pumping ourselves full of prescription drugs. The meat we eat is full of growth hormones. The water we drink has traces of estrogen from all the birth control pills. We’re tinkering with genetics, altering the food chain, polluting the environment. Who knows what the cumulative effect of all this is for our diet, our water, the air we breathe and the world we live in? There are reports of sexual mutation in fish and reptiles because of the estrogen in the water. Are our hormones going haywire? Are there more children who experience gender confusion because there is a biological–not just a cultural cause? Who knows?
9. Pornography and Sexual Behaviors – Our society is awash with pornography, prostitution and promiscuity of all kinds. Any behavior which indulges in sex simply for pleasure causes sexual and gender confusion. As it number 5 above, repeated sexual immorality consolidates the impression that sex is not connected with becoming a mother and father. Sexual behavior is the way gender is expressed. If sexual behaviors are multi form, gender confusion results. Here’s an example: let’s say a boy starts viewing pornography. It could be that he began being attracted to women, but then he might become interested and fascinated by the men he sees on the screen. If he then acts out what he has seen and has conflicting feelings about his attractions and lusts then sexual and gender confusion can result.
10. Breakdown of Religion – Religious rules for marriage and sexual behaviors have always been part of society. Quite apart from the belief that they are given by God, they have always had a practical purpose of containing and disciplining sexual behavior for the good of families, the protection of women and children and the good of society. When religion is forgotten, religious regulations and restrictions are abandoned. This leads to a sexual free for all which causes confusion about sexuality, the reasons for sex, about marriage and parenting. Consequently young people are wounded by sex, hurt by relationships and enter a gender wilderness–not knowing which way to turn.
11. Relativism and Atheism – Sorry to go all philosophical, but what we believe affects how we behave and how we behave affects what we think about ourselves and others. Relativism in belief must go hand in hand with relativism in morality. If there is no such thing as truth, then there is no such thing as right or wrong. If there is no such thing as right or wrong sexually, then anything goes and if anything you choose or desire is okay, then how is anyone supposed to know what might be better or worse, right or wrong, good or bad? If every gender choice is equally valid it is no surprise that people are increasingly confused.
12. Diabolical Influence – My earlier post on this subject noticed that the Baphomet statue unveiled in Detroit was androgynous. It has a phallic symbol protruding from its lap and female breasts. One arm is masculine and one arm is feminine. I am not suggesting that every case of gender confusion is caused by the devil or that transgendered people are demon possessed or that they should be demonized in any way. However, in my pastoral experience there is a spiritual dimension to this issue. Satan is at work all the time, and his influence can be a contributing factor to the problem on both a societal and individual scale. So, for example, if a young person has no faith and therefore is spiritually vulnerable, if they get involved in the sexual practices I’ve outlined above they may open themselves to diabolical influences. Satan always tries to lie. He uses camouflage and subterfuge. His influence will rarely be open and obvious, but it is there nonetheless. His influence is certainly active in society and if an individual has opened themselves to the dark side then poor self esteem, gender confusion, depression, loneliness and emotional illness can all get much worse. If this is the case, then they are victims and are to be assisted with compassion and not blamed.
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