Latest information on the transgender movement. The transgender debate is becoming an all-encompassing topic in the United States and has begun an all-out assault on the Christian worldview. Issues such as education, law, government, entertainment all fall in the crosshairs of the transgender debate, and our culture is moving with such intensity and speed that Christians and Christian healthcare professionals are getting overwhelmed knowing how to respond appropriately.
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The health effects of same-sex sexual behavior are many. The public, government, and judiciary are being lead to believe that same-sex sexuality is a normal variant with interactions and results equivalent to heterosexual sexuality. However, this position runs contrary to professional literature and the track record of history.
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Ryan T. Anderson, PhD, is the William E. Simon senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and he is the founder and editor of Public Discourse, the online journal of the Witherspoon Institute of Princeton, New Jersey. He is the author of When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Momentand Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom, and he is the co-author of What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense and Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination.
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Washington, D.C., October 15, 2019–The Christian Medical Association, the nation’s largest faith-based professional medical organization, responded today to their victory in federal court for the conscience rights of medical professionals. The case, Franciscan Alliance v. Azar, sought relief from a 2016 federal regulation that threatened to drive religious doctors out of practice if they would not perform gender-transition procedures that violate their medical judgment and beliefs. Today’s ruling struck down the rule.
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Conscience-guided healthcare professionals and students received a healthy dose of positive federal policy advances in the last few months. CMDA played a role advocating on behalf of our members in each of the following federal policy reforms that relate to conscience freedom, gender issues and abortion.
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A federal court has provided protections for physicians committed to following medical evidence and conscience convictions regarding the transgender and gender-questioning patients for whom they care.
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Washington, D.C., September 18, 2019—The Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA, www.cmda.org) the nation’s largest faith-based association of health professionals, today released findings of a national survey showing that conscience-protecting laws and regulations help protect patient access to healthcare while addressing rampant discrimination against faith-based health professionals.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on June 12 that it had “finalized a rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that maintains vigorous enforcement of federal civil rights laws on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, and sex, and restores the rule of law by revising certain provisions that go beyond the plain meaning of the law as enacted by Congress.”
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I am sure you, like me, have faced this question on countless occasions. In our busy professional lives, we are constantly being reminded of annual society meetings. We joined them for professional enrichment and acknowledgement of credentials. Possibly our paper is accepted to be part of the program. And yes, we do get some CME credits and a chance to socialize with colleagues. But do we go or not? Life is so, so busy, and the kids’ school and athletic events are right at the same time. I’d have to get someone to cover my practice and my church commitments. I think I am spinning too many plates!
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Washington, DC, May 24, 2019–The 19,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org and www.Freedom2Care.org) today welcomed as “a move toward restoring rationality regarding sex discrimination in healthcare” a new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that aims to restore the intent of Congress regarding sex discrimination in healthcare.
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Washington, D.C.—May 2, 2019—The 19,000-member Christian Medical Association, the largest national association of faith-based doctors, lauded a conscience law-enforcing rule finalized today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a protection for both patients and doctors.
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April 8, 2019 – Bristol, Tennessee – A draft statement by the American Nurses Association regarding a nurse’s role when a patient requests physician-assisted suicide corrupts the role of a nurse. The nursing profession has a historical record of assisting patients with comfort, increasing and/or sustaining quality of life, seeing life’s intrinsic value and providing holistic family support, not aiding in the death of their patients.
Read MoreApril 4, 2019 – Bristol, Tennessee – We applaud the newly issued announcement of the reformed Title X rule released by the Department of Health & Human Services which expands care to patients by offering an increase in comprehensive care locations and services provided.
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March 19, 2019–Bristol, TN–Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) calls on legislators across the U.S. to vote against the growing number of expanded abortion bills that have shocked our nation! Like New York’s Reproductive Health Act, the bills proposed in Vermont, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Illinois and Virginia allow abortion without limits…
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Washington, DC—March 6, 2019–The Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org), the nation’s largest faith-based medical association, today joined a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The brief defends Indiana’s statutory requirement that women receive the benefit of ultrasound information when considering an abortion procedure.
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Washington, DC – February 22, 2019: The 19,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org) in a statement today enthusiastically welcomed a final new rule that will govern tax funds awarded for family planning purposes under the Title X program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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The Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org), the nation’s largest faith-based association of doctors, today condemned New York’s new law allowing abortions up until delivery and Virginia’s similar legislation as “medically unnecessary” and “morally bankrupt.”
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Bristol, Tenn.—May 18, 2022— The 16,000-member Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), which is the nation’s largest faith-based professional healthcare association, today issued this statement in response to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine’s inaccurate claims in a recent NPR interview.
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Bristol, Tenn., June 22, 2020 – Freedom of speech, or only freedom of speech when YouTube agrees with you? Today, Christian Medical & Dental Associations (www.cmda.org) sent a letter by fax and the U.S. Post Office to YouTube addressing a video they censored purportedly because it constituted “hate speech.” The video was a panel discussion that featured Walt Heyer, who formerly identified as transgender, who said, “This is a childhood development disorder,” in reference to gender dysphoria in children. He described the irreversible consequences of experimental hormones and surgeries for treating gender dysphoria in children.
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André Van Mol, MD is a board-certified family physician in private practice. He serves on the boards of Bethel Church of Redding and Moral Revolution (moralrevolution.com), and is the co-chair of the American College of Pediatrician’s Committee on Adolescent Sexuality.
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I recently spoke outside the Supreme Court in the face of raucous protests on the day of oral arguments in a case involving transgender individuals and alleged sex discrimination, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Speeches had resumed outside the court after a bomb scare had prompted police to clear the area.
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The “Parent Resource Guide: Responding to the Transgender Issue” is a just-released project of the Minnesota Family Council available gratis at www.GenderResourceGuide.com. Print copies can be purchased as well.
It is endorsed by organizations right (Heritage Foundation and Family Policy Alliance), center (Kelsey Coalition and Parents of ROGD Kids) and left (Women’s Liberation Front). Their stated common concerns are the “negative consequences that result when society regards bodily sex as irrelevant,” and the belief that “public schools should never feel pressured to force boys and girls to sacrifice their bodily privacy, promote unscientific theories about human biology, or celebrate ideas that place young children on a path to chemical sterilization or cosmetic ‘gender confirmation’ surgery.” I was honored to be one of many who were invited to help shape its content.
The 20,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org) today filed objections with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on a proposed Title X family planning program rule that would “gut conscience protections,” according to CMA Senior Vice President for Bioethics and Public Policy Dr. Jeffrey Barrows.
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- Transgenderism: Activists detach gender from biology. Kids down to kindergarten are being taught their body is irrelevant to their authentic self. Is this affirming–or does it demean the body?
- Homosexuality: Advocates disconnect sexuality from being biologically male or female. Is this liberating–or does it denigrate who we really are?
- Abortion: Supporters admit that pre-born babies are human, but deny that they are persons worthy of legal protection. Does this lead to equality for women–or does it threaten the intrinsic dignity of all humans?
- Hookup Culture: On campus, in Hollywood, and in the boardroom, the sexual revolution was supposed to liberate us for recreational sex. But has it really led to schizoid sex and bodies without meaning?
In Love Thy Body, best-selling author Nancy Pearcey goes beyond politically correct talking points to offer a riveting exposé of the dehumanizing secularist ethos that shapes critical moral and socio-political issues of our day.
Formerly an agnostic, Pearcey was hailed in The Economist as”America’s preeminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.” Fearlessly and with compassion, she makes the case that secularism denigrates the body and destroys the basis for human rights. Throughout, Pearcey sets forth a holistic and humane alternative availableto all–one that offers reality–oriented solutions that embrace the dignity of the human body and provide a sustainable basis for inalienable human rights. Now, more than ever, we need to learn to “love thy body.” By, Nancy Pearcey.
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When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment provides thoughtful answers to all of these questions. Drawing on the best insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy, Ryan T. Anderson offers a balanced approach to the policy issues, a nuanced vision of human embodiment, and a sober and honest survey of the human costs of getting human nature wrong.
He reveals a grim contrast between the media’s sunny depiction and the often sad realities of gender-identity struggles. He introduces readers to people who tried to “transition” but found themselves no better off. Especially troubling is the suffering felt by adults who were encouraged to transition as children but later came to regret it.
And there is a reason that many do regret it. As Anderson shows, the most helpful therapies focus not on achieving the impossible—changing bodies to conform to thoughts and feelings—but on helping people accept and even embrace the truth about their bodies and reality. This discussion will be of particular interest to parents who fear how an ideological school counselor might try to steer their child. The best evidence shows that the vast majority of children naturally grow out of any gender-conflicted phase. But no one knows how new school policies might affect children indoctrinated to believe that they really are trapped in the “wrong” body. By, Ryan T. Anderson, PhD
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I’ve had the opportunity to have a number of young male patients, who during their teen years, have felt attracted to other guys and have begun to wonder if they might be homosexual. I think it’s very important to point out that it’s completely normal and extremely common to be attracted to other guys when you are a teen. In fact, most young men feel closer to other guys than they do girls.
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“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12, ESV).
Read MoreIn keeping with their history of producing eye-opening documentaries taking highly controversial societal trends head on, The Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC) recently released a film on gender affirming therapy titled Trans Mission: What’s the Rush to Reassign Gender? Running just under 52 minutes, the feature presents activists, healthcare professionals, educators, parents and the patients themselves—among others—regarding “the medical and surgical transitioning of children.” The guests exhibit varied points of view, and they include members of both CMDA and the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds).
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What if another study came to print asserting that sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) constituted harmful stressors to sexual minorities? What if a published letter to the editor in the same journal exposed gaping holes in the assessment? What if a reanalysis of the original study “in the strongest representative sample to date of sexual minority persons” revealed polar opposite findings: SOCE “strongly reduces suicidality” and that restrictions on SOCE may “deprive sexual minorities of an important resource for reducing suicidality, putting them at substantially increased suicide risk.” Now that would be something! And these things happened!
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In a stunning decision with international implications, the United Kingdom’s High Court ruled December 12 in Bell vs. Tavistock that puberty blockers (PB) and cross-sex hormone (CSH) use in gender dysphoric minors was experimental and should not, in most cases, be given to children under 16 without court order, adding that such petitioning was also advisable for 16 to 17 year olds. They clarified that the consent issue was not about the breadth and depth of information the minors were given, but that “There is no age appropriate way to explain to many of these children what losing their fertility or full sexual function may mean to them in later years.”
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British general practitioner Sally Howard wondered in The BMJ, “…the significant majority of children do resolve their gender ID in favour of their natal sex by adulthood. Where is the advocacy for the mental health needs of that majority?” Where, indeed.
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I came across two journal articles in November that grabbed my attention. One was in The Lancet, while the other was in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), which is my general surgery specialty’s journal. These articles further opened my eyes to the pollution of medical science by political ideologies. Some of you may be thinking, “Hey, Chupp, where have you been?!”
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Since CMDA opened its Washington, D.C. federal public policy ministry office in 2000, God has opened doors for influence that have far exceeded all that we could ask or imagine. The following few highlights of last year (organized by months, with the most recent first) illustrate how God is using this ministry to advance kingdom values in our government.
Read MoreThis month’s blog provides updates on two Christian Medical & Dental Associations federal lawsuits. The following case updates are information and help for healthcare professionals who have experienced discrimination on the basis of their faith and conscience.
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This is my first opportunity to write for The Point since joining CMDA’s executive team in September 2016. That was a huge transitioning summer for my family, moving from Tenwek Hospital in Kenya to Bristol, Tennessee by way of St. Joseph, Michigan, where I had been a general surgeon partner in a multispecialty practice for 23 years.
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Parents have asked if I could recommend any books to safeguard young children against trans-ideology. Their concern is well founded. Pro-trans indoctrination is ubiquitous, its repetition tireless and rebuttals are punished. The educational system from pre-K right on through, television, print, social media and much of the web broadcast the siren song of gender fluidity and trans identity.
Read MoreTransgender and Abortion Mandate Section 1557 Injunction Frequently Asked Questions In August 2021, a federal court issued a decision affirming the religious freedom right of CMDA members to avoid participating in gender transitions and abortions. And in August 2022, a federal appeals court unanimously affirmed that previous decision. The following questions are intended to help CMDA members understand the valuable protection the order provides for…
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We are dedicated to serving as a Christian voice on today’s current healthcare topics by speaking for our members to the government, media, church and public. Our Washington Office links our members with Congress, the Administration and policy organizations in Washington, D.C.; presents life-honoring perspectives through the national media; and publishes resources on vital issues.
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Position & Public Policy Statements Ethics statements deal with ethical issues. They are drafted by the Ethics Committee of the Board and the final version has to be approved first by the Board of Trustees and then by the House of Representatives representing the CMDA membership. These statements can be based on biblical, scientific, moral and social principles. They are not binding on CMDA members…
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Nobody who knows me would call me an athlete. If I wasn’t picked last for team sports at school, then it was next to last. Every time. Because of this pathetic natural ability, I have never been one who availed myself of all the sports opportunities I was given.
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In this ethical statement, CMDA provides biblical, biological, social, and medical support for an understanding of gender dysphoria that aligns with Scripture and includes an extensive glossary of terms. While gender dysphoria is not addressed directly in the Bible, Christians affirm the biblical understanding that humankind was created male and female. After detailing the biological, social, and medical evidence, recommendations are made for the Christian community in general as well as for Christian healthcare professionals regarding their interactions with individuals suffering from gender dysphoria. The statement concludes with recommendations that Christian healthcare professionals should not refuse care to patients with gender dysphoria but should also not be forced to assist patients in gender transition.
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In the Spring 2022 edition of CMDA Today, learn how God’s Word can help you de-stress, hear from a doctor about how she believes the healthcare industry should return to its roots, join CMDA in welcoming two new missions ministries, receive continuing education credit for a new course on transgender identification, follow Dr. John Patrick’s bioethics column and more!
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Washington, DC, June 12, 2020—The 18,000-member Christian Medical Association (www.cmda.org) today expressed optimism that a just-finalized rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that deals with gender issues will help protect medical judgment and the exercise of conscience in healthcare.
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The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP) printed a rare and important correction this month. A study claiming to be the “first total population study of transgender individuals with a gender incongruence diagnosis” was published in the October 2019 AJP titled “Reduction in mental health treatment utilization among transgender individuals after gender-affirming surgeries: a total population study.” Seven letters to the editor from 12 authors, myself included, resulted in a data reanalysis and subsequent correction statement that no improvement was demonstrated with surgical treatment. Now for the setting and major points of my team’s published letter.
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Is reality subjective or objective?
A new hermeneutic of reality is arising: converting objective physical reality into subjective reality.
The rapid rise of the transgender movement and the denunciation of physical reality inherent in that movement has stunned countless conservatives and especially evangelical Christians. Transgender ideologues are not interested in prioritizing one aspect of physical reality over another. Instead, they want to subvert objective reality to a new subjective reality defined by the individual and the movement.
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Jonathan previously served as CMDA’s Federal Policy Analyst and as CMDA’s liaison with the federal government in Washington, D.C. A veteran writer of more than 30 years, Jonathan authored Faith Steps, which encourages and equips Christians to engage in public policy issues. He has published more than 100 commentaries in The Washington Post, USA Today, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times and many other national publications. Jonathan’s writing focuses on public policy issues including freedom of faith, conscience and speech; human trafficking; abortion; assisted suicide; stem cell research; the role of faith in health; international health; healthcare policy; sexual risk avoidance and HIV/AIDS. Jonathan received his bachelor’s degree in journalism and speech communications from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from Penn State in counseling and education and a certificate in biblical and theological studies from the Alliance Theological Seminary in New York. Jonathan’s wife Amy is an author and leads the Redemptive Education movement. They have four children and four grandchildren.
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Allan Josephson, MD, is Professor and Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Pediatrics with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
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CMDA Today is a full-color, quarterly magazine devoted to today’s issues in healthcare, including inspirational testimonies from fellow Christian healthcare professionals, public policy updates, glimpses into the future of healthcare and examples of how to integrate your faith into your practice.
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Bristol, Tenn.—November 29, 2022—Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), which is the nation’s largest faith-based professional healthcare association, today is celebrating a final victory in its federal court case to protect the religious beliefs of healthcare professionals from being forced to perform gender-transition procedures or abortions against their conscience and best medical judgment.
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Health statistics for people who identify as GLBTQ+ are recognized as poor compared to the general population. Finding causation for those negative statistics in stigma and the religious groups that allegedly promote it is the ideological zeitgeist. California Assemblyman Evan Low just introduced non-binding resolution ACR-99 Civil rights: lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people, which states, “The stigma associated with being LGBT often created by groups in society, including therapists and religious groups, has caused disproportionately high rates of suicide, attempted suicide, depression, rejection, and isolation amongst LGBT and questioning individuals;” and it isn’t the only time “religious groups,” “pastors” or “religious leaders” are mentioned in the text condemning “conversion therapy.” It’s conceptual and factual error and ultimately hurts sexual minorities. Blame shifting does that.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a March 31, 2023 press release titled, “New HHS Report Released on Transgender Day of Visibility Offers Updated, Evidence-Based Roadmap for Supporting and Affirming LGBTQI+ Youth.”
Read MoreAs far back as data exists, the universal experience has been that transgenderism was an extraordinarily rare occurrence, especially among females.
The last decade, however, witnessed an unprecedented increase in the numbers of young people identifying as transgender and seeking to transition. The surge was particularly striking among young adolescent females who were heavy users of social media but had no prior history of gender dysphoria. Something seemed amiss.