"Nothing is Real: And Nothing to Get Hung About"
A long time ago, the Beatles composed that line as part of Strawberry Fields Forever, a tune that illustrated the massive shift in the tone of their music. I thought of that line while listening to a conversation between two professors debating the appropriateness of transgenderism. The first argued that reality is external to ourselves and discovered through human reasoning based on evidence (part of what theologians' call 'general revelation') and through God's revelation through the Christian Bible. His counterpart claimed that reality emerges from the individual, and that each person determines their own distinct reality. In other words, each individual has their own 'truth' to discover and we learn to "speak my truth." Because "my truth" may differ from "your truth," what is right for me may not be right for you.
This notion of individual realities each existing apart from each other with little in common is the essence of what modern philosophers describe as "postmodern." In the "modernist" way of thinking that gathered steam in the 18th century, truth and reality existed independently of human perception and discovering them involved the use of reason and logic. Unlike the biblical and early Christian writers who viewed what is real and true through the lens of God's revelation through Jesus Christ and through Holy Scripture, modernist thinkers argued that reality was discoverable only through reason. The early 19th century began to change even that, and now we are at the point where the postmodern ethos (which picked up societal steam in the 1960s and was captured so well by writers like John Lennon of The Beatles) tells us that there is no external truth, that everything we encounter is relative. All we can do is discover our own internal truth and then speak "my truth" to others.
Postmodern turn
This "postmodern turn" appears throughout all of life. We hear celebrities speaking all of the time about "my truth." Young people are taught to "pursue your dream" no matter how far-fetched or unrealistic that is. (Yes, I wanted to be a pro-baseball player like my hero Willie Mays, but there came a time when I realized that my skill level was nowhere near what it needed to be.) In postmodern thinking, "truth" and "dreams" become disconnected from reality. Even within evangelical Christianity, the music we often sing describes Jesus as my buddy who is here to help me discover "my truth" and realize "my dreams." Yes indeed. "Strawberry Fields, Forever."
In America in the 2020s, we see this postmodern turn become more bizarre. Parents approve gender-reassignment surgery for their children because their child is unhappy being a male or a female. Citizens vote for celebrity politicians. People afraid that their children will be taught the truth about slavery and Jim Crow and feel bad. The explosion of foul language (especially the "F-word") in public venues and the media because self-expression is the most important value in a postmodern world. I could pile on the anecdotes, but you get the picture.
Assisted suicide on the move
Last night, I read a recent Christianity Today article about the growth of medically assisted suicide in Canada, where it has been legal nationwide since 2016. (Several U.S. states including Oregon and California also have laws permitting medically assisted suicide.) In our postmodern world, suffering of any kind is taboo. The author, a medical doctor in Canada, Ewen Goligher, reported that "some patients with disabilities or mental illness reported that assisted death was proposed to them without their instigation" (October 2022, 50). In 2022, over 10,000 Canadians were killed through medically assisted suicide and Goligher writes that "the logic of assisted death has proven inexorable: If death is therapy that addresses psychological wounds of suffering and the feeling that life is pointless, then who shouldn't be considered eligible?"
All of us have experienced physical, emotional, and mental suffering and some of us (myself included) struggle with anxiety and depression. But what if when we reach out for help, we're confronted with suicide as a treatment option? If we are severely depressed or mentally ill, can we resist the medical professionals who offers that option? In a postmodern world where suffering is taboo and where the cost of medical care continues to rise dramatically, I fear the pressure toward medically assisted suicide will become even greater. Goligher reminds us that "to value a person is to value their existence. A willingness to deliberately end someone's existence therefore necessarily devalues the person. If people matter, we must not intentionally end them" (51).
Please don't misunderstand me. I know from experience and interaction with others that suffering can be deep and debilitating. And I know the almost desperate desire to relieve the suffering of others close to us. But the best response is not assisted suicide but palliative care for those who are suffering and dying, and good mental health care for those who suffer emotionally. Sadly, palliative care is hard to find and both government and the medical profession seem unwilling to prioritize it. Such is our postmodern world.
Strategic resistance
So, what should we do when postmodern people tell us that it is OK for kids to change their gender, or for people (especially those who are physically disabled or mentally ill) to end their lives? I think we start in the family of faith. What responses do we make to postmodern arguments? The Christian faith has much to say about human value and dignity, about each person being created in God's image. We think that every human being has an essential dignity that comes from being created in God's image and that gives you and me and everyone intrinsic worth no matter who we are. Are we prepared to make that case in ways that point to the value and dignity of human life?
Moreover, do we practice what we believe and teach? For example, I think that one of the marks of a healthy congregation is seen in its ministry to persons with disabilities. Another is how it treats women. Given the rampant sexual abuse problem in evangelical churches, it's hard to persuade others to listen to what we say about human dignity and worth. Another is in a congregation's willingness to "speak the truth in love." Truth without love is harsh. Love without truth is mushy. When I worked as a Young Life volunteer many years ago, we had a saying when we worked with young people. We had to "win the right to be heard." In other words, we had so demonstrate that we cared about others before they would hear the gospel message we wanted to share with them.
Congregations must also encourage Christians who are in the medical and psychological professions. Who are the doctors and mental health professionals in your congregations? Do you understand their stresses and challenges? Are you helping them integrate their Christian faith with their professional practice in ways that they can speak to these matters? I've been blessed to know quite a few psychologists and mental health professionals. They have blessed me with their understanding and care. I hope I've blessed them by helping them to think through how their Christian faith informs their work. Sadly, too many congregations look upon mental health practitioners with suspicion because they have bought into the lie that mental health practice is somehow unchristian.
I'm sure you've noticed my words about postmodernism and its harmful effects have been directed toward Christians and their congregations. Because that is where we must begin. Nobody will listen to our words about transgenderism and medically assisted suicide if we do not practice our faith in how we interact with and treat others. We should seek legislation that protects those who face the brunt of these destructive practices. But when we contend for legal protection, we must address the matters at hand and not engage in harsh rhetoric or vindictiveness. Our task is to create understanding that all human beings are created in his image.
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Ewen Goligher writes about the growth of medically assisted suicide in Canada and the United States in "Dying Wish" found in the October 2022 Christianity Today on pages 46-51. A good place to start for grasping a Christian understanding of transgenderism is Mark Yarhouse, Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture (IVP, 2015). Ericka Anderson has just penned a very helpful article on how congregations and youth ministries can approach transgenderism. "Youth Bring their Questions on Transgender Identity to Church: Gen Z evangelicals are forcing a discussion on LGBT hospitality." (Christianity Today, 6.23.23, online). https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/june-web-only/youth-ministry-transgender-lgbt-church-pastor-gen-z-questio.html?share=Wel%2fZf%2bNxYHcHI8SDWzN7f818QYk9r3c&utm_medium=widgetsocial.
I've framed this post on the biblical notion of humans as created in God's image. The best book I know on this topic is one that I just read by Carmen Joy Imes, Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters (IVP, 2023). "If we take seriously the Bible's claim that God created us, then our human identity is firmly linked with our Creator. We are who we are because of who God is and who God intended us to be. We cannot accurately define ourselves without reference to God" (47). I can't recommend this book highly enough.