OPINION:
President Joe Biden faced widespread criticism for proclaiming March 31, Easter Sunday, as the “Transgender Day of Visibility.” And rightly so. Although Americans with gender dysphoria may certainly identify as the opposite sex if they so choose, their choice to do so is no cause for national applause or a presidential proclamation.
Former President Donald Trump was right to call for an immediate apology to Christians, and his national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described Mr. Biden’s declaration as an example of the Biden administration’s “years-long assault on the Christian faith.”
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noted the telling coincidence of Mr. Biden’s proclamation with the president’s decision to ban religious egg designs from its Easter Art Event.
“The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter — which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Mr. Johnson posted on X. “Banning sacred truth and tradition — while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as ’Transgender Day’ — is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note.”
The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter — which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 30, 2024
Banning sacred truth and tradition—while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day”—is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note. pic.twitter.com/ZCExyVkAVS
But Orlando Magic star Jonathan Isaac put it most poignantly, saying on X that the White House “know[s] exactly what they are doing. They want you to hate! This helps no one and only promotes division,” he posted. They know exactly what they are doing… we should be angry but shouldn’t lose the spirit of what tomorrow means! Don’t lose focus. Because He is risen, there is hope for all.”
The widespread backlash raises a question for secular Americans: why do Christians refrain from celebrating the “Transgender Day of Visibility” and show such dismay that it coincides with Easter? After all, the Bible says nothing directly about the moral permissibility of genital mutilation and hormone suppression or the political prudence of asking Americans to applaud individuals who present themselves in a way that contradicts biological reality.
True, the Bible doesn’t contain the phrase “transgender” and doesn’t engage in discussions about bioethics. However, that hardly means the Bible has nothing to say about biological sex, gender identity, or the proper treatment of individuals who are transgendered.
God’s design for the world involves two sexes.
Scripture teaches that there are only two sexes — male and female. Biology and common sense confirm this teaching. While men and women express their manhood and womanhood in splendidly diverse ways, their individuality nonetheless falls within these two binary categories. You’re either a woman or a man.
What’s more, the biblical teaching about male and female is more than a doctrinal “aside.” It’s central to God’s design for the world. In fact, the Bible’s opening volley, “In the beginning, God,” is followed immediately by His division of the human world into male and female and a declaration that this male-female complementarity teaches the world something about God. So, the division of humanity into two sexes isn’t a result of ignorance, patriarchy, or moral prudery. It was God’s design.
Upholding God’s view of the world and humans
To uphold the Christian view of the world and humans’ place in it, we must affirm biblical teachings about gender and sexuality. Given that a vocal, influential minority, if not the majority, of our secularizing society is committed to overcoming Christian norms, this will require us to take place on the margins as a moral minority. Think about it. On the day when millions are celebrating Christ’s resurrection, the president, our secular state and many Americans are purposely undermining the celebration by promoting a phenomenon that represents the overturning of creation order and moral order.
In fact, it is not an overstatement to say that the United States has gone from being a nation-state undergirded by the Judeo-Christian worldview to one that is hostile to Christianity or any strong form of religion. Not only is a recent and dangerous innovation such as Transgender Awareness Day placed on the annual calendar with the awareness it will sometimes conflict with Easter, but longstanding Christian celebrations are mutedand their symbols banned from public events. The worship of God is suppressed and the celebration of hormone suppression and genital mutilation is amplified. Such is the tragedy of our godless age.
Though the world stands against us, we offer them a gift — witness to God’s design for human flourishing and embodiment of Christ’s love. Many of our neighbors will reject the gift. We will be seen as ignorant, bigoted, and even evil. But we must not capitulate. We must stand firm. We must take national elections seriously. We must be unwavering in speaking the truth and doing so with grace. The world desperately needs us, whether they know it or not, and we must not disappoint them.
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Dr. Robert J. Pacienza is Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, President of Coral Ridge Ministries and Founder of the Institute for Faith & Culture.
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