OPINION:
Lindsey’s passion for boxing ignited at a young age when she would watch her father’s intense sparring matches. As she grew older, her father recognized her natural talent and potential in boxing. With her father as her coach, Lindsey harbored a dream of one day representing her country in the Olympics.
Even with the demands of school and work, Lindsey committed herself to rigorous training in the early hours. She took part in local tournaments whenever possible, showcasing her remarkable skills in the ring and ultimately rising to become one of the top female boxers in her country.
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Lindsey found herself catapulted into the unexpected position of representing her country at the Olympics. It was beyond her wildest dreams to have the chance to become an Olympian with a real possibility of winning gold. Feeling the weight of her nation’s hopes and expectations squarely on her shoulders, she didn’t shy away from it. Instead, she wholeheartedly embraced it. Lindsey committed to intense training, pushing her body to its limits and meticulously studying every potential opponent she might face in the Olympic ring.
Her journey to the semi-finals was challenging. She encountered tough opponents, each with their unique style and strengths. However, Lindsey emerged victorious, defeating one opponent after another. Each win brought her closer to her ultimate goal: Olympic gold.
Once a young, unknown boxer from a small town, Lindsey now has the entire nation rallying behind her. She’s become a symbol of strength and perseverance for young girls everywhere who look up to her.
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Lindsey felt more nervous as she entered the semi-finals than in her previous matches. All her former opponents were familiar faces, either from college or past tournaments. However, her opponent across from her in the ring was unlike anyone she had ever faced in her illustrious career. As Lindsey looked over to size up her opponent, her chest pain intensified, and her usual fierce confidence wavered.
When the bell rang, and her opponent charged the center of the ring, Lindsey’s nervousness escalated into sheer fear and panic. It wasn’t just any competitor she was about to face off against. It was a “trans-woman” with seemingly insurmountable biological advantages. No matter how hard she tried, Lindsey faced a challenge unlike any other. Her opponent’s strength, speed, and agility were beyond natural, leaving Lindsey overwhelmed.
But Lindsey refused to let her fear overshadow her ambition of winning an Olympic gold medal. With great determination, she moved forward, skillfully dodging punches to protect herself. In that critical moment, Lindsey lunged forward to attack, but she was met with a powerful hook to the side of her head, instantly rendering her unconscious.
Lindsey survived after months in the hospital, but that bout with a “trans athlete” marked the end of her boxing career. She decided to hang up her gloves for good.
“Challenging Conversations,” hosted by author and expert Jason Jimenez, is designed to help Christians overcome their fears and learn to engage people of different belief systems respectfully.
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Although several real-life sports stories contain similar details as the fictitious character of “Lindsey the Boxer,” my fictional story highlights the fundamental unfairness surrounding the participation of transgender athletes and the outright danger they impose on biological women (that is to say, real females). This is not just a sports issue; it’s a matter of fairness and safety that cannot be ignored. But there’s something much deeper at stake here.
At the recent 2024 Olympics in France, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) partnered with GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to co-create the “Portrayal Guidelines,” which states their purpose to “highlight the ways in which we can all help to shift how women in all their diversity and other minority groups are seen and how they see themselves.”
At first glance, it appears that the IOC is striving to uphold the dignity, respect, and safety of women athletes born female. However, upon closer examination, a bold section in the “Portrayal Guidelines” raises some concerns. The guidelines for following proper protocol for all trans and non-binary athletes state, “Every person, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, has the right to practice sport without discrimination and in a way that respects their health, safety, and dignity. These principle of fairness, inclusion, non-discrimination, and harm prevention.”
So, which is it?
Is the IOC truly prioritizing the protection and promotion of female athletes and their accomplishments, or is this primarily an effort to advance a social agenda that could potentially undermine not only female athletes but the creational order of manhood and womanhood?
Clearly, it is the latter.
The IOC seems to be guided by the principles of fair play and the safety and protection of women athletes, but that’s not true. If it were, then they would not have allowed the Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, to compete in women’s boxing. And did you know that Imane Khelif won gold?!
When challenged over allowing Imane Khelif, a biological male, to compete in the Olympics as a “woman,” the IOC reinforced its belief that “A person’s sex category is not assigned based on genetics alone and aspects of a person’s biology can be altered when they pursue gender-affirming medical care.”
Notice, according to the IOC, comprised of 112 members worldwide, a person can “alter” their biology. That is a complete abandonment of the distinction between male and female for a more progressive and self-individualized social construct. Just take a look at the definition presented by the IOC:
Sex variations: An umbrella term that refers to variations in one’s sex-linked characteristics (e.g. chromosomes, hormones, internal organs) that do not fit medical and social norms for female and male bodies. For example, in women these variations can result in higher-than-average levels of naturally occurring testosterone.
In his compelling book “Losing Our Virtues,” David Well uncovers the true agenda behind the change of sexes for a more “expressive individualism”:
Questions of identity today stand at the center of clashing perspectives on how we are to think about the human being. Sociologists are inclined to think of the person as a construct of factors like gender, social roles, socioeconomic status, level of education, and ethnicity. On this view, our identity is the “story” that we weave together out of the roles we fill, the people we know, the attention (or lack of it) we have received, what we have, and how we think of ourselves in relation to society.
Truthfully, the IOC’s focus on “fairness,” “inclusion,” and “equality” seems to prioritize transgender inclusion over achieving a balance between male and female sports. In a recent NBC report, the news outlet openly tooted that the 2024 Olympics will host a record 193 LGBTQ athletes. That’s the narrative the IOC wants the world to know and continues to build on.
But here’s the thing. A trans-athlete can undergo hormone therapy to attempt to reduce muscle mass, strength, bone density, and metabolism, but that athlete is still a male pretending to be female. Biological sex is immutable. It doesn’t change. It’s a fixed feature of reality.
Thus, the IOC’s adherence to social norms is arbitrary and does not fully encapsulate the genuine beauty inherent in the distinct qualities of a man and woman, respectively. The duality of male and female is the pinnacle of God’s creation that uniquely reflects the image of God. As Dr. Robert Gagnon pointedly remarks, “The sacred integrity of maleness and femaleness is stamped on one’s body.”
The IOC will undoubtedly persist in promoting its progressive agenda, which dangerously distorts and undermines God’s creational order and design. However, we should not be surprised when the world takes this path. Peter warned, “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:2).
But take heart, my friend. Despite the distortion and growing deception, may you remain steadfast in holding to God’s truth as you continue to be “trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6) found only in Jesus Christ!
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Jason Jimenez is the founder and president of Stand Strong Ministries and is a respected Christian-worldview speaker, and faculty member at Summit Ministries. He is the best-selling author of “Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over the Church,” “Challenging Conversations: A Practical Guide to Discuss Controversial Topics in the Church,” and “Parenting Gen Z: Guiding Your Child through a Hostile Culture.”
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