ARE CHURCHGOERS HYPOCRITES?

 

Catherine Nicolette

Imagine my surprise when I opened a spiritual magazine recently and found an article questioning whether churchgoers are hypocrites. The query reminded me of many years ago . . .

As a young child and member of a devout church-going family, I was called aside one day by one of my little peers. She explained to me that all churchgoers are hypocrites. By eschewing to attend Mass, she explained, she was not a hypocrite pretending to be holy. As, she explained, I was. Her remedy was for me to leave the church and thus no longer be a cause of dismay to other more enlightened little peers.

I was completely nonplussed, faced with my ardent hypocrisy for attending church. Further, I inwardly shuddered at the thought of telling Sean and Luky Whittle that their little daughter would not toe the line and attend church. That most certainly would not have gone down well. Finally, my heart wept at the thought of not visiting the Blessed Sacrament regularly. What to do?

Then all of a sudden I knew how I felt about this issue. I looked at my little friend, and told her,  "I know I am not perfect." As there was no surprise there, she nodded sagely. I went on,  "That's exactly why I go to church. Because I need help from God. We all need to go. You should go, too."

Having put her hand to the plough, my little peer was not going to give up. She replied, "There is no need for me to go to church. I can stand in a field in nature and worship God quite well." I asked her, "And when last did you worship in a field?" She hesitated, then flushed and turned away. I heard her mutter later, "It's no good arguing with that one. She's got all the answers!"

She got me thinking, however. In later years, I often pondered over her words, especially when, sighing, I realize that I haven't measured up to Christ's expectations of me - yet again. But, you know, I don't lose hope. I just keep on trying. Reality helps to give rational perspective. I realize I can't go it alone. Thus, I go to church, to pray to God to ask for help. Spiritually sick need the Divine Physician for healing - and there is not one of us who does not have a soul hurt or spirit wound needing His care. Basically, churchgoers don't go to church because they are perfect. They go because they are not.

Every time I pass a field, I think of my little friend from long ago. My answer to whether churchgoers are hypocrites is that churchgoers are realists. All have but one life, and each will be called upon to account to Almighty God as to how that life has been spent. Why not both attend church and pray in fields while we still can to help us towards serenity on that day? 

As the sunflower turns towards the sun, let us all turn our faces towards God. . .

With thanks to free clipart library

TRANSITION REGRET

 

Catherine Nicolette

Words of wisdom are that gender reassignment surgery procedures for youth are permanent changes to a very young body. 

When I was a teenager, I found the teen years to be a time of rapid change, confusion and - sometimes - emotional turmoil. Looking back now, I realize that many of the emotional issues were natural effects accompanying teen hormonal changes.

When I talked to my mom at the time about the issues which I felt I faced, she said that the experience was the same for her, her mom and her mom's mom. 

Teenage years - Mom said - are a time when the teenager is "neither fish nor flesh". I was ready to be indignant; what did this idiom mean? What it meant, explained Mom, is that you are no longer a child and not yet a full adult. 

Teenager years are themselves a time of transition, where hormones such as growth hormone, progesterone and oestrogen in a female and testosterone in a male are flooding the system. These cause a child's body to turn into that of an adult.

True, at times a child may need hormone therapy, such as a child who is deficient in growth hormone requires hormonal assistance in order to achieve relevant adult growth and attendant functional fertility. However, this instance is not the norm.

Usually, a teenager needs to have patience: give Mother Nature a chance to complete her work of turning you into a man or a woman.

If an individual is hermaphrodite (has both male and female gender organs), supportive psychology service will assist to determine whether emotional identity is male or female. Gender surgery at a relevant age will be of assistance if chosen after a period of expert medical assessment and assistance.

Emotional gender identity develops in stages. Some may experience distress or unease between their physical identity and their emotional identity. Counselling and psychological support may prove invaluable when a mismatch is experienced between birth gender and emotional gender identity. 

The crux of the matter is that the emotional suffering of those experiencing gender dysphoria is both real and a difficulty for those experiencing the dysphoria.

Yet it must be remembered that not every teenager who experiences confusion or moodiness is experiencing gender dysphoria. Sensible prudence would appear to guide that - except in cases of hermaphroditism and clear gender dysmorphia - give Mother Nature a chance.

A teenager is still undergoing tremendous physical, psychological, neurological and spiritual changes. Neuroscience is giving increasing evidence that brain development has not completed by age 21; according to studies, brain maturation only completes at age 25. [1] 

It would be deeply unfortunate for youth to make life-changing gender reassignment decisions at too early an age, only to regret these decisions later.

Which leads me to my next point. Gender transition regret has become a real issue for many in recent years. It is heartbreaking to hear the emotional pain of those who reassigned gender, only to realize that in fact this is a path they no longer wish to follow. 

Yet those who regret transition struggle with changes to their physiques which in many cases may prove difficult to reverse.

The moral of the story would appear to be: don't swiftly reach for the scalpel or body-altering medication to medicate the teen years. It may prove an experience with deep regret in its wake.

Prayer Chapel for Detransitioners who regret gender transition; Words of Comfort

https://eventslumiere.blogspot.com/2022/06/prayer-chapel-for-detransitioners-who.html

[1] Brain Maturity extends well beyond 21 - the moral implications of placing undue responsibility at too young an age

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2015/05/brain-maturity-extends-well-beyond-21.html

Gender ideology harms children - American College of Pediatricians

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2016/04/gender-ideology-harms-children-american.html