It used to be that people undergoing so-called sex-change operations would openly say they are changing from male to female or vice versa. However, that of course had to be modified as well. It went on the euphemism treadmill. First it was sex-change, then gender re-assignment, but that wasn't good enough. A new philosophy emerged which stated that the people who were undergoing these operations were not "changing" their genders or sex. Rather, they were simply "being who they are": A woman trapped in a man's body or a man trapped in a woman's body.
Who knows what anyone will come up with next. It's all made up as they go along. This gets into a broader topic of words and definitions. The left is continually attacking words. It started some time ago. People started becoming less and less precise in their use of words. At first it was similar words being used perhaps slightly incorrectly. However, it soon went further. Words were weaponized as in 1984. Up was down, left was right. Someone discovered that all you had to do was slap a euphemistic label on something and bam, everything is alright.
Fr. Ripperger is one of my favorite preachers. One thing that makes him great is that every time he uses a particular word for the first time, he defines it. He is very precise in his use of language. This is an important skill which has been largely ignored unfortunately. If people use and are aware of precise language, concepts can be communicated very precisely. If not, communication conveys only very vague ideas.
In the case of transgenderism, the whole movement is about manipulating language in order to advance acceptance. Distinctions, which should be made, are deemed irrelevant at best. So, we are told we must "accept people". This is very broad and muddles various concepts. Because of the imprecision of language that is being advanced, not accepting any aspect of transgenderism is considered offensive and wrong. The Catholic point of view would be that God gives men and women their genders at conception. We cannot change what God has created. However, if someone chooses to manipulate how they are seen or, in fact, their own bodies, although we oppose this, we still give them the dignity they deserve as human beings. They are committing acts which are objectively sinful, but perhaps due to their own poor judgment are not personally culpable. This is especially the case given our current world.
My point is that by making distinctions we avoid the two extremes. One extreme says hate everything about this person and what they do. The other extreme says love and accept everything this person does. Neither is correct. 99% of people out there have or continue to commit sin. We don't throw the baby out with the bath water. We always must strive to help people who live in sin.
Denying God's creation in our lives is not giving proper reverence and obedience to him. We are saying we are above God, he doesn't choose my sex and gender, I do. This is fundamentally wrong. Our parents brought us forth through an act of intimate love. We owe them our lives. This is something I am learning more deeply with regards to the fourth commandment of honoring our mother and father. We are not meant to be autonomous self-directing entities. We in fact fall within a hierarchy, with God being at the head. We can never usurp his authority.
Beyond this, transgenderism involves doing violence to one's body and often involves mutilation. This is gravely wrong as we cannot purposely injure part of ourselves which is designed for good and is healthy.
Part of this whole problem stems from our separation of the marital act from procreation. When sex is viewed as a recreational activity with no true end, it can be used for many and varied purposes. The very idea of male and female, which is foundational to the human person, become abstractions and irrelevant. Catholics who have followed these developments know this all stems from sexual immorality, and in particular, in the acceptance of contraception. Contraception allows for the idea that sex is separate from procreation. This makes possible so many of the evils related to the sixth commandment that we see in today's world.
I wish Ellen Page the best in her life and hope that she comes to a realization of what she is doing beyond her own misinformed whim. Pray for her.
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