The transgender bathroom issue isn’t going away. Part of me wonders if it is a distraction to divert our attention from other critical issues facing our culture. But I also see this as an important issue in the gender identity battle; one that we can’t ignore or shrink away from.

Some notable voices have shared their thoughts on this issue. One of those notable voices is Baltimore Ravens Tight End Benjamin Watson. Watson is an outspoken Christian that is not afraid to share biblical truth on tough issues. The fact that he is a very public figure with a high-profile job makes his outspoken stance even more courageous.

Watson recently shared his thoughts on the transgender bathroom issue through a post on Facebook. (You can read the full post here.) Watson made a point that needs to be repeated over and over again. He lamented the fact that our society seems to be pushing us to simply accept the feelings of everyone, regardless of their validity or the truth of those feelings. He wrote:

“What’s disheartening is that we are buying the lie that feelings trump all else and that how one feels can only be accepted and celebrated instead of addressed and challenged. When we justify or condemn laws and creeds because of the level of anticipated effects on ‘my life’ we miss the point.”

I echo that sentiment whole-heartedly. The dominant view is that “perception is reality” and that every feeling a person has is valid and must be accepted and celebrated. This has given rise to a culture that starts every sentence with “I’m sorry but,” or “with all due respect,” or “no offense but.” We are very quickly losing the ability to disagree civilly. That is causing us to lose the ability to engage in conversation with people with whom we disagree. The result is a culture where people that nod their head in agreement with every word we say constantly surround us.

Franklin Graham spoke up on the issue. Graham not only shared his support for the AFA boycott petition making its way around social media, Graham also gave his approval and support to Benjamin Watsons thoughts. He said:

“I agree with the American Family Association – this policy encourages sexual predators and puts women and children in danger…The fact is, gender identity isn’t something we choose or feel. We are the sex God created us to be — male or female. How a person feels doesn’t change the facts. Baltimore Raven’s tight end Benjamin Watson was right this week when he said, ‘We are buying the lie that feelings trump all else and that how one feels can only be accepted and celebrated instead of addressed and challenged.’”

Graham, like all Christ-followers that understand the doctrine of creation and God’s design in male-female creation, affirms that God has created us either male or female – nothing in-between. Furthermore, if God is sovereign in all of creation and makes no mistakes then it is both truthful and loving to say that there is no such thing as a transgender person. There is only male and female.

To a lost, secular culture, those words are considered hate speech, intolerant, and bigoted. But to a Christian that understands God’s sovereignty in male-female creation, those words are truth and loving. Once again this goes back to how people feel. A man, feeling like a woman is a subjective feeling not based in truth. Because I refuse to be intellectually dishonest about that feeling and instead confront that feeling with truth is not hateful.

Mega-church pastor Perry Noble argued that the “hater” label is just a scare tactic to keep people from voicing their views:

“Anyone who has had the courage to speak out in favor of this law has been attacked, marginalized and experienced overwhelming public shame. Because of this I believe many people who should be contributing to the conversation have decided to stay hidden in the shadows rather than expose themselves to the slander of those who are against the law…Can I not disagree without being a ‘hater’ — or could it be that those in opposition to the law are using the ‘hater’ tag to scare people into silence?”

While I have not been a big fan of Noble due to some theological differences that I find are critical, I can definitely support Noble in his understanding of male-female creation. Noble went on say:

“The Bible is clear that God made man and God made woman. Even the way He created them was different. It’s not just the Scriptures that compel me to believe the law has merit — but science as well. One would have to commit intellectual dishonesty to claim that there is not a glaring scientific difference between a male and a female, the female having two X chromosomes while the male has an X & Y. DNA screams there are differences that I am afraid feelings cannot do away with.”

Noble is absolutely right when he says the differences between male and female are differences that “feelings cannot do away with.” Feeling like a female when you are male changes nothing. You are still male and no amount of surgery or cosmetics can change that. Rather than deceive yourself and others into thinking you are female, you should celebrate your masculinity and live in a way that brings honor and respect to all male’s.

Contrary to popular belief, Christians don’t hate transgender people. We have compassion for transgender people like we have compassion for all people that don’t know Jesus as their Savior. We earnestly want to see all people live in the truth of God’s Word about who they are. I think Benjamin Watson did an excellent job of making this point:

“Like me, these individuals are loved and valued by their creator. Like me, they deserve to earn a living, enjoy friendships, and live free from slurs, disparaging remarks, and bodily harm. And like me, they stand condemned and separated from a Holy God except for the covering of the atoning blood of his Son, applied on their behalf through repentance and faith. Like me, they were created for a purpose, male and female, to be an earthly depiction of the spiritual union between Christ and his bride, his body, the church.”

That’s not hate, that’s true love.