Second . . . attempting to apply the word “eunuch” to a an individual suffering from gender identity disorder is a misappropriation and misapplication of the term “eunuch” . . . and is completely in error . . . neither in Sacred :bible1: Scripture, nor in Church Tradition, **nor **in the teachings of Catholic Church is there anywhere equated the term “eunuch” to anything other than . . . the state of celibacy .
First clause:
[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 19:12[/BIBLEDRB]
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their mother’s womb
In an agrarian society, it would be impossible not to notice
freemartins and other intersex conditions in livestock. It would also be impossible not to notice similar physicial conditions in humans.
The second clause refers to physical castration. I can think of no biblical scholarship or exegesis that says otherwise. The third clause though refers to celibacy, and it is clear that it refers to that rather than auto-castration (
pace Origen’s Heresy) from the context of prceeding and succeeding verses, which are all about those permitted to marry.
Today, through autopsies and using MRI imaging, we can determine that Transsexuals - those with Gender Identity Disorder (soon to be renamed
Gender Incongruence to reflect its anatomical origin) are a form of Intersex too. Such people are born with partly feminised anatomy, partly masculinised anatomy.
See for example the many hundreds of papers on the subject, dealing with experiments on animals, and autopsies and radiological of humans:. Some examples;
Male-to-female transsexuals show sex-atypical hypothalamus activation when smelling odorous steroids by Berglund et al Cerebral Cortex 2008 18(8):1900-1908;
Male–to–female transsexuals have female neuron numbers in a limbic nucleus. Kruiver et al J Clin Endocrinol Metab (2000) 85:2034–2041
Sexual differentiation of the human brain: relevance for gender identity, transsexualism and sexual orientation. Swaab Gynecol Endocrinol (2004) 19:301–312.
A sex difference in the human brain and its relation to transsexuality. by Zhou et al Nature (1995) 378:68–70.
A sex difference in the hypothalamic uncinate nucleus: relationship to gender identity by Garcia-Falgueras et al Brain. 2008 Dec;131(Pt 12):3132-46.
With respect, I think that we are on topic. And I deeply appreciate your insight here, and beg forgiveness for any upset to the civil and polite discourse that has been the hallmark of this thread.
. . . there is absolutely no such state within God’s creation of human kind such as . . . “neither male nor female” . . . such a teaching/understanding is a delusion and is a false teaching . . . which in Christendom is considered as “heresy” . . .
Please give your sources for this. While this is a popular opinion, one obviously shared by His Holiness, I’ve consulted canon lawyers and there has been no statement as far as I know by the Magisterium on the subject. I assume you are referring purely to the times before the hereafter, as there is an obvious contradiction otherwise.
[BIBLEDRB]Galatians 3:28[/BIBLEDRB]
To accuse someone of Heresy without just cause would seem to me to be inadvertantly verging on bearing false witness. However, I’m certain that there was no malice involved, quite the contrary. You wished to point out my error - as you perceived it. You may well be right, but please give me the evidence of that, so I may see the error of my ways.
I appreciate the charitable way you phrased your admonition. It is why I said “verged on”, as I think you are blameless here.
You have not addressed my objections though, and explained how the biological phenomena I adduced can be coerced to fit into your theological framework. Hence my phrase,
Eppur si muove.
, and with all your soul, and with all your strength: and love your neighbour as yourself;
I know it must not be an easy thing to live with, but there is a rudimentary start to develop a better understanding of theological issues and intersexuality here.