WHAT IS WRONG WITH A MAN

WEARING A WOMAN'S CLOTHES?

A Fictitious Father and Son Discuss Cross-Dressing

by Daniel Garland

THE QUESTION

Matt, a high school sophomore, just walked in the door from

basketball practice. It had been a challenging day. His father, Jim, was
home from work early. "Hey Dad," he said, flopping down on the
couch, "my friends and I have been wondering what is wrong with a
man wearing a woman's clothes."
"What brought that up?" Jim asked.
"Some guys at school think it is fun to pretend like they're girls,"
Matt said. "But it doesn't seem right to me," he added.
"Technically, wearing the clothes of the other sex is called cross-
dressing," said his father. "But it is important to understand that
people do it for different reasons."
"I know," Matt agreed. "I remember my English teacher telling
us that, when actors were all men, some dressed as women to play the
role of a female in a skit or play. I also thought of the girls who wore
boys' uniforms in the powder-puff football game last year, and of the
boys who dressed up as girls in front of the car wash to raise money for
the volleyball team. But what about a man who seriously chooses to
dress and look like a woman?"
"Some cross-dressers are transvestites," Jim said, "meaning that
they wear clothes of the opposite sex for emotional satisfaction, or to
express some aspect of their identity with the opposite sex.1 Did your
friends have an opinion about that?" he asked.
Matt answered, "Most of them think that a person is free to dress
and act in whatever way makes him feel most comfortable. They say
that it doesn't hurt anybody. Some even think it is cool to do
something so courageous. But Jackie said 'God hates it.' That's why I
wondered what you would say."

THE ISSUE OF AUTHORITY

"I'm glad you wanted to talk with me about this," his father said,
"how we answer questions like this depends on what we regard as our
authority. If people decide what is true or right on the basis of their
own reasoning or feelings, then one person's opinion is as good as
1
"Transvestism," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2009
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2009 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
another's. But if, as we believe, there is a creator who has
communicated His will to people, then it is possible to know, with the
certainty of His authority, what is true and right."
"The trouble is," Dad, "whenever I try to tell my friends things
from the Bible some of them just laugh," Matt replied. "They think the
Bible is just an outdated book that science has proven untrue."
"Matt," said Jim, "some of my friends at work say the same kind
of things. It helps me to remember that the Bible wasn't written to tell
people how to conduct their lives as unbelievers. It is God's revelation
of Himself for those who will believe in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to help people realize that 'All have sinned, and fall short of
the glory of God.'2 'But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'3 Only when a
person believes in Jesus will he welcome the truth of Scripture. Until
the Holy Spirit indwells him, he cannot grasp its significance even
when the teaching of Scripture is plain."4
"So, does the Bible say anything about a man dressing like a
woman," Matt asked?

THE MATTER OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

Jim answered, "Deuteronomy 22:5 clearly states, 'A woman shall

not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing;
for whoever does these things is an abomination5 to the LORD your
God.'"
"Yeah, but isn't that Old Testament stuff just for Israel?" Matt
wondered out loud.
His father nodded understandingly. "It's true that the Law of
Moses stated conditions the Israelites had to meet in order to enjoy
God's blessing in the land of promise, and that this aspect of the Law
does not apply to New Testament believers. But, in 1 Timothy 1:8-11,
the Apostle Paul wrote about a lawful use of Law today. The Ten
Commandments continue to reflect God's standard of right behavior
against which we can all see our need of a Savior.6 In fact, 1
2
Rom. 3:23.
3
Rom. 5:8.
4
1 Cor. 2:14.
5
The Hebrew word translated "abomination," means "Something abominable,
detestable, offensive." William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon
of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), 388.
6
1 Tim. 1:8-10: "But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9
realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are
lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for
those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and
homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to
sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I
have been entrusted" (NASU). Scripture quotations marked "NASU" are taken from
the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (NASB) Copyright  1960, 1962, 1968, 1971,

2
Corinthians 6:9, a New Testament passage, reflects the unchanging
nature of God's moral law in describing those who will not inherit the
kingdom of God.7 The list includes effeminate,8 which, in this context,
refers to men who play the role of a female in a homosexual
relationship. Although cross-dressers and transvestites may not
engage in same-sex acts, they dress for the part."
Jim paused as Matt finished writing down these Scripture
references. After pouring them both some iced tea, he continued, "It is
important to understand the reason for these judgments by
considering the more general teaching of God's Word on human
sexuality. According to Genesis, man is God's creation in His own
likeness.9 This sets people apart from everything else in the universe.

THE APPLICATION OF BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES

"These distinctions between God and mankind, and between

mankind and the rest of creation, are significant. So are the
differences with which God created mankind as male and female. The
created order is designed to display something of the Creator's nature
and purpose.10 For example, God made mankind as male and female
partly to procreate life in His likeness.11 As a man and his wife become

1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation), Updated (Text) Edition,
copyright  1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
7
1 Cor. 6:9-10: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (NASU).
8
An English dictionary defines effeminate as follows: "marked by qualities that are
more typical of women than men." Webster's New American Dictionary (New York:
Smithmark, 1995), 165. However, the first meaning of the Greek word translated
effeminate is "soft clothes." When used of persons, it refers to "catamites, men and
boys who allow themselves to be misused homosexually." William F. Arndt and F.
Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1957), 489.
9
Gen. 1:26-27: "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and
over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on
the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created them" (NASU).
Psa. 100:3 emphasizes how important it is for people to remember that God made
them: "Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we
ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture"(NASU).
Gen. 2:7: "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (NASU).
Gen. 2:22: "The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from
the man, and brought her to the man" (NASU).
10
Rom. 1:20 : "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has
been made, so that they are without excuse" (NASU).
11
Gen. 1:28: "God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and

3
one in marriage, they reflect God's existence as one being12 of equal
but distinct persons13 who complement one another. Only by the union
of male and female is it possible to procreate a life that bears God's
likeness."
"Wow," said Matt, "I didn't realize that my question had anything
to do with theology!"
"It really does," his father said. "Dressing in whatever way is
culturally appropriate for a person's sex honors the Creator's design
and purpose for making him as He did.14 This goes for women and
girls, as well as for men and boys."
"But that's just it, Dad," said Matt. "Some people say that they
are women trapped in men's bodies. I've heard that other people are
actually born with organs of both sexes! How can we Christians expect
them to honor the Creator's design and purpose for making them as He
did?"
Jim patiently explained, "It is very rare for babies to be born that
actually have organs of both sexes, and no one would choose this for
himself or his children. Genetic defects, like diseases and death itself,
are a tragic consequence of sin entering the world through mankind's
disobedience in Adam.15 These exceptional situations prove the rule
that the vast majority of people are sexually differentiated. Confusion
about one's sex can be the result of many factors, but people have a
higher purpose than their personal sense of comfort. Refusal to accept
one's anatomical sex is rebellion against God."
"Are you saying that cross-dressers and transvestites are
consciously rebelling against God?" Matt asked.

THE RESPONSIBILITY TO JUDGE WITHOUT BEING JUDGMENTAL

"Only God is in a position to judge another person's motives and

intentions," said Jim. "But a believer in Christ is responsible to reflect
God's judgment of behavior that clearly violates His revealed will. One

fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the
sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth'" (NASU).
12
Deut. 6:4: "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" (NASU).
13
The three persons of God are mentioned in Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians
13:14.
14
In 1 Cor. 11:14-15, the hair length of men and women in worship reflects the glory
and honor of the Creator only to the extent that their distinctions as male and female
are maintained. "Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it
is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair
is given to her for a covering" (NASU).
15
Rom. 5:12-13: "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and
death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until
the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law" (NASU).
Rom. 8:20-21: "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because
of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from
its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (NASU).

4
reason that the mix of male and female qualities, called androgyny,
was condemned, in Deuteronomy 22:5, is that the idols and priests of
pagan religions often represented such a blend.16 Some also combined
human and animal characteristics.17 It was in contrast to such
perversions that God commanded His people to be set apart.
"In the first chapter of Romans, it was man's rebellion against his
knowledge of God that led to the abuse of sex. Failure to differentiate
between God and His creation led not only to the worship of creatures
in place of God. It also led to rejection of God's purpose in creating
mankind as male and female.18 The transgender movement today is
an attempt to rival God's plan and purpose for the sexes."
"Whoa, Dad!" Matt exclaimed, "If I said anything like that my
friends would accuse me of being intolerant, politically incorrect,
judgmental--even hateful!"
At this point, Jim straightened up, looked his son in the eye and
asked: "Wouldn't those accusations represent intolerance and
judgment on the part of your friends?"
"I guess they would," Matt agreed.
16
An early example of this dates back to the Sumerian age, about 1800 BC. The
goddess, Ishtar, was served by priests whose masculinity she was believed to have
transformed into femininity. Similarly, Anat, the goddess of the ancient Canaanites
had the characteristics of both a bearded soldier and a young woman. She is thought
to have symbolized a sacred spiritual marriage that was enacted with ritual acts of
homosexuality. Peter Jones, "Androgyny: The Pagan Sexual Ideal," JETS 43:2 (2000).
17
Jones cites Richard Seaford, “In the Mirror of Dionysus,” in The Sacred and the
Feminine in Ancient Greece (ed. Sue Blundell and Margaret Williamson; London/New
York: Routledge, 1998) 133, [as showing] transvestism functions as a right of
passage into the cult of Dionysus. In the cult “females may be like males and males
like females” (131). This is because “liminal inversion of identity [is] required for
mystic initiation.” Such “confusion” is also seen not merely between male and female
but also between “human (or god) and animal, and between living and dead” (132).
Jones, 8.
18
Rom. 1:18-27, " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it
evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His
eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through
what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they
knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in
their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise,
they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an
image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and
crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather
than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them
over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that
which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural
function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men
committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their
error" (NASU).

5
 "From a biblical perspective," Jim said, "judgment is a God-given
capacity that people, made in His likeness, cannot avoid.19 The
question is not whether we judge, but how. Good judgment reflects
God's judgment revealed in Holy Scripture. Bad judgment is made
when people put themselves in the place of God by trusting in their
own reason, feeling or experiences. The US Constitution protects the
freedom of speech and religion of every US citizen. But the royal law
of love,20 limits the speech and behavior of Christians to that which
honors all men and seeks their highest good."21

THE FREEDOM OF TRUTH

"So, should we seek the highest good of men who present

themselves as women?" asked Matt.
"Absolutely," said his father. Romans 13:9 says '"Love your
neighbor as yourself."'
"Does this mean that we should keep our view of cross-dressing
to ourselves?" Matt probed.
"No," his father concluded, "sinful cross-dressing is behavior that
we should not only avoid practicing, but even expose, as Paul
commanded in Ephesians 5:11.22 We can do this by what we teach and
by the example we set. As we talk to unbelievers about Jesus Christ,
we can also refer to the biblical principles we have discussed to show a
sinful cross-dresser or transvestite his need of the Savior. Those
principles include:

• "God's worthiness to be honored above His creation (Psa. 100:3;

Rom. 1:18-27);

• "God's purpose in creating mankind as male and female to

complement one another in marriage as a reflection of God's
own unity of distinct persons (Gen. 1:27);

• "God's ban against the androgynous behavior of pagans (Deut.

22:5 and 1 Cor. 6:9-10);

• "God's judgment that is to be reflected in human judgment (1

Tim. 1:8-10)."

19
1 Cor. 2:14-15.
20
Jam. 2:8.
21
1 Pet. 2:17: "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."
Rom. 13:8: "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves
his neighbor has fulfilled the law" (NASU).
22
Eph. 5:11-12: "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead
even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done
by them in secret" (NASU).

6
 "Thanks, Dad," Matt said. "You've loaded me up with some good
arguments to use with those who represent the transgender
movement."
"That may be," Jim replied, "but always remember that our aim is
to liberate those held captive by Satan to do his will, praying '...that
God might grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the
truth.'"23 It is not a man who dresses as a woman that is liberated; it is
a man who dresses as a man in honor of his Creator and Savior that is
truly free!"

23
2 Tim. 2:24-26: "The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to
all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who
are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the
knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the
snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (NASU).