ONG, TOMMY N.

3EAC

THED4

SEX CHANGE

Vatican II's "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World" asserted, "Man,
though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in
himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest
perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may
not despise his bodily life. The line means that every human has the right to choose his/her own
path but one does not simply abuse or change his/her identity. We are allowed to feel like our
opposite gender and sex, but we are not allowed to change the thing that we have now.
Personally, I find it very unhealthy to abuse or change our organs just to change sex or gender.
There are two conflicting belief systems as to the nature of gender identity disorder and
to which, if any, treatment works for transgender individuals. As in the field of sexual
orientation, there are what we refer to as "two solitudes" -- two groups with diametrically
opposed belief systems who rarely communicate with each other, and who hold two very
different belief systems about GID and transgender individuals.
In almost all cases, religious conservatives consider gender identity disorder to be a basic
confusion over gender that is best treated with prayer and Christian-based reparative therapy.
They are typically certain that their assessment of GID is correct because it agrees with their
interpretation of the Bible.

Religious liberals, secularists, human sexuality researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists,

other therapists, etc. -- as well as transgender persons and transsexuals themselves -- believe that
the only effective treatment for gender identity disorder is sexual reassignment surgery for those
who qualify. They are typically certain that their assessment of GID is correct because it agrees
with their experiences and with the conclusions of surveys of post-operative transsexuals.

SOURCES:

(841) Straight Answers: The Morality of Sex Change Operations,

(10/20/2005), Rev. Fr. William P. Saunders Herald Columnist, Arlington
Catholic Herald Newspaper, Diocese of Arlington, VA., P. 1
The Holy Bible Douay Rheims Version, (first pub. New Testament in 1582 &
Old Testament in 1609, 1899 reprinted 1971), Imprimatur, Tan Books &
Publishers, Inc., Rockford, IL., 1 Corinthians 6:19, P. 191
Haydocks Catholic Bible Commentary, (1859 edition), Rev. Fr. George Leo
Haydock, http//haydock1859.tripod.com/index, 1 Corinthians 6:19
explanation
The Sixteen Documents of Vatican II Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World, (1967), Pope Paul VI on 03/29/64, Daughters of St. Paul,
Boston, MA., Paragraph 14, P. 526
Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994 reprinted
2010), Burns & Oates, London, England., Approved by Pope John Paul II,
Paragraph 2331, P. 499
Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994 reprinted
2010), Burns & Oates, London, England., Approved by Pope John Paul II,
Paragraph 2332, P. 500
Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994 reprinted
2010), Burns & Oates, London, England., Approved by Pope John Paul II,
Paragraph 2333, P. 500
Catechism of the Catholic Church, ISBN: 0-932406-23-8, (1994 reprinted)
Approved by Pope John Paul II, Paragraph 369, P. 84