“Gender confusion is both a pastoral mission and an apologetic challenge”
Olof Edsinger during one of his presentations. Photo Facebook, Olof Edsinger
Northern Europe
Is gender only a social construction? Norwegian theologian Olof Edsinger dealt with the question during his lecture at the Veritas Conference in the Norwegian town of Grimstad.
The ideology behind the gender movement is being radicalised to a greater and greater extent, Edsinger argued on Saturday, as reported by Dagen. "The young people growing up today are growing up in a society that challenges both classical developmental psychology and biology, but also the Biblical understanding of man and woman", he said. "The gender ideology means that a small minority gets to dictate how the entire population should understand gender. People are encouraged to wonder instead of resting in their biological sex." The most radical claim is that gender is only a social construction, Edsinger warned. "Biology becomes unimportant, and what you experience yourself is decisive."
Modern conceptions about gender spread quickly through the population, according to Edsinger. "In concrete terms, seven per cent of all children experience themselves as a "boy-girl" or a "girl-boy" by the time they reach puberty. At the same time, only a few end up in transition", he says, adding that the gender ideology tells all doubting children that they are actually trans and must build their identity as such. "It is completely unnecessary."
To help people who get lost in the chaos of today's thinking about gender, Edsinger wants to clarify the confusion, Dagen writes. He strongly argues against the notion that gender is only based on what you feel. "The division into male and female is fundamental. Which gender you have is linked to biology, to whether the cells in your boy have two X-chromosomes or an X- and a Y-chromosome. That you can change gender is nonsense. Then you have to replace every single cell in the body."
Social aspect
On the other hand, gender does have a social aspect, Edsinger believes. "All over the world, certain traits are more common in women than men. The differences in career choices between men and women are interesting. There are common features across countries as diverse as Norway, Saudi Arabia and Papua New Guinea. For me, it is inconceivable that something about the culture in all these countries is so similar."
Yet, he thinks gender stereotypes are harmful, as they can make people unsure of their gender if they do not conform to certain expectations. "What it means to be male or female is linked to chromosomes. But exactly how it is expressed is less important."
Pastoral and apologetic
When it comes to the church's role in relating to gender ideology, Edsinger argues that the issue has an apologetic and a pastoral side.
"In the public sector, we must fight for what is healthy and true", he says. "It must always be appropriate to tell, for example, a twelve-year-old that the feelings will pass for most people." However, the Norwegian theologian adds that the church should also have compassion for those affected by gender confusion. "If parents want to give the child a new name in line with the gender they perceive it to be, then it may not help if the church opposes it."
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