As Hanukkah continues on this, the 6th day...
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
RSVCE
As the say goes, "God doesn't make junk!"
Created Male and Female: An Open Letter from Religious Leaders
Yesterday, the USCCB and a number of ecumenical and interreligious leaders released an open letter entitled, “Created Male and Female.”
Here is the text of the letter and its signers:
December 15, 2017
Dear Friends:
As leaders of various communities of faith throughout the United States, many of us came together in the past to affirm our commitment to marriage as the union of one man and one woman and as the foundation of society. We reiterate that natural marriage continues to be invaluable to American society.
We come together to join our voices on a more fundamental precept of our shared existence, namely, that human beings are male or female and that the socio-cultural reality of gender cannot be separated from one’s sex as male or female.
We acknowledge and affirm that all human beings are created by God and thereby have an inherent dignity. We also believe that God created each person male or female; therefore, sexual difference is not an accident or a flaw—it is a gift from God that helps draw us closer to each other and to God. What God has created is good. “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27).
A person’s discomfort with his or her sex, or the desire to be identified as the other sex, is a complicated reality that needs to be addressed with sensitivity and truth. Each person deserves to be heard and treated with respect; it is our responsibility to respond to their concerns with compassion, mercy and honesty. As religious leaders, we express our commitment to urge the members of our communities to also respond to those wrestling with this challenge with patience and love.
Children especially are harmed when they are told that they can “change” their sex or, further, given hormones that will affect their development and possibly render them infertile as adults. Parents deserve better guidance on these important decisions, and we urge our medical institutions to honor the basic medical principle of “first, do no harm.” Gender ideology harms individuals and societies by sowing confusion and self-doubt. The state itself has a compelling interest, therefore, in maintaining policies that uphold the scientific fact of human biology and supporting the social institutions and norms that surround it.
The movement today to enforce the false idea—that a man can be or become a woman or vice versa—is deeply troubling. It compels people to either go against reason—that is, to agree with something that is not true—or face ridicule, marginalization, and other forms of retaliation.
We desire the health and happiness of all men, women, and children. Therefore, we call for policies that uphold the truth of a person’s sexual identity as male or female, and the privacy and safety of all. We hope for renewed appreciation of the beauty of sexual difference in our culture and for authentic support of those who experience conflict with their God-given sexual identity.
Sincerely Yours:
Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera Bishop of Scranton Chairman, USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach Archbishop and Primate Anglican Church in North America
The Rev. John F. Bradosky Bishop North American Lutheran Church
Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Philadelphia Chairman, USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth
Most Rev. James D. Conley Bishop of Lincoln Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage
The Rt. Rev. John A. M. Guernsey Bishop, Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic Anglican Church in North America
Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison President Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
Imam Faizal Khan Founder and Leader Islamic Society of the Washington Area
Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz Archbishop of Louisville Chairman, USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty
Melchisedek Archbishop of Pittsburgh Orthodox Church in America
The Rt. Rev. Eric V. Menees Bishop of San Joaquin Anglican Church in North America
Rev. Eugene F. Rivers, III Founder and Director Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies
Church of God in Christ
Rev. Dr. Gregory P. Seltz, PhD Executive Director The Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty
The Rev. Paull Spring Bishop Emeritus The North American Lutheran Church
Rev. Tony Suarez Executive Vice President National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Very Rev. Nathanael Symeonides Ecumenical Officer Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Rev. Dr. L. Roy Taylor Stated Clerk of the General Assembly Presbyterian Church in America
Andrew Walker Director of Policy Studies Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
The Rev. Dr. David Wendel Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism The North American Lutheran Church
Paul Winter Elder Bruderhof
