Reality Check
I'm the Rockette in the middle... OK, not really.
It seems like everyone wants to define their own reality these days. Never was this more apparent to me than when I picked up a copy of People Magazine a few months ago and read the headline “Pregnant Man Gives Birth.”
Huh?
Thomas Beattie grew up at Tracy Beattie, even finishing as a finalist in the Miss Teen Hawaii USA beauty pageant. But following gender reassignment surgery to remove breast tissue and legally become male, Beattie began taking testosterone to complete the transition from woman to man. However, Beattie kept an intact uterus in the hopes of having children someday.
After marrying Nancy, his wife now of five years, they decided that Beattie would carry a child, as Nancy is infertile. Beattie quit taking the testosterone and was artificially inseminated, resulting in pregnancy. Beattie delivered a baby girl on June 29 of this year, and has recently announced a new pregnancy.
Here is my problem. Beattie is not a pregnant man. Beattie is a pregnant woman, who has been surgically altered to be more “man-like,” but obviously still has the reproductive organs of a woman.
In short, Beattie is a woman. And that is reality.
We can’t change reality, no matter how badly we would like to. Personally, I would like to be 5″10′, and weigh 120 pounds. I would like cascading brunette hair and green eyes. And I would like to be a Radio City Music Hall Rockette. But my reality is very (very!) different.
The world seems to dictate what we want to be. Powerful. Thin. Beautiful. Rich. Strong. But we need to follow God’s view for us: Faithful. Holy. Righteous.
Not nearly as rewarding here on earth, but infinitely rewarding in the future. And for Christians, that is where we would like our reward to be!
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. TItus 2: 11-14
November 17th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I could not agree with your post more….well done!
November 17th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I saw the special that was on this couple recently and was mesmorized. My husband and I discussed different biblical points that go against what has been done, but in the end it is NOT our job to judge our fellow humans that is left up solely, to God. So I may not personally, agree with the lifestyle they are living… I can relate to the desire to have a family and would have gone to the ends of the world to have my children…I am chosing not to judge this couple but to “love thy neighbor as you love yourself”.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:46 am
When I first heard this story I didn’t know what to think. My six year old daughter was watching tv with and trying to explain it to her was not fun. I agree with Beth we can’t judge but it is clear the spirit of confusion is involved in this.