posted
I was reading an article from Discover on intersexual children and thought of this scenario based on actual events:
Suppose a child is born with one testicle, no vaginal opening, a rudimentary uterus, one fallopian horn, an undeveloped ovary, and a phallus larger than a clitorus but lacks many structures of the penis. Then, the doctors operated on "it" and took out the male organs, as intersexual children are often judged to be "under-equipped" to be male. Now suppose that this child grows up as a girl, but when she hit puberty, she identified as a male.
Now, would she be considered "homosexual"? And for those Christians who'd recommend "healing" for homosexuals, what constitutes healing for her? A sex-change to male or orientation-change to female?
Oh, and one in every 2000 children are born intersexual, about the same rate as cystic fibrosis.
------------------ --Then, said Cranly, do you not intend to become a protestant? --I said that I had lost the faith, Stephen answered, but not that I had lost self-respect. What kind of liberation would that be to forsake an absurdity which is logical and coherent and to embrace one which is illogical and incoherent?
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
posted
Well, that's an interesting case. (Isn't the term used 'hermaphrodite?' (sp) )
I don't think he/she would be considered homosexual, due to the fact that he/she can lay claim to both orientations because of his/her condition.
In this situation, I believe it would be up to the individual him/herself, and allow him/her to decide which 'side of the plate' he/she'd like to swing on. And then take appropriate measures.
Interesting example, Tora.
------------------ "I've never seen anything this beautiful in the entire galaxy. Alright, give me the bomb" -Ultra Magnus, Fight or Flee
posted
I think I agree with Ultra on this one. Just pick one, and stick with it.
------------------ "Arthur hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realised there was a contradiction there and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife."
posted
Well, as Christians we need to let God handle that, and as humans we need to increase gene therapy to prevent disorders such as Turner's and Klinefelter's (sp.). Besides, the extreme you just described does not happen to my knowledge, and we spent a few days on this last semester.
------------------ If the laws of the land were given to a society should not we take the laws away now?
posted
Ultra Magnus: You spelled "hermaphrodite" correctly. I was unaware that the term was no longer correct, but had heard the term "intergender". Sounds to me like the docs are going P.C.
If I recall correctly, I read the same (or a similar) article. The problem lies in that Doctors aren't equipped or trained to identify which orientation a child with malformed generative organs is likely to assume. One (highly unusual, but not unheard of) case that was cited was an infant male, whose genitalia were horribly damaged and burned during a botched circumcision (Yeesh! What were they using? A torch?!?). The doctors decided that, since there was no repairing the male genitalia, they would reconstruct the genitalia as female, and the parents would raise him as a girl.
Despite hormone treatments, etc., applies when puberty would normally have begun, the child developed a preference for females. As an adult, he eventually opted for [surgical and hormonal] gender reassignment. He sued the doctors who botched his circumcision, and I suppose he's none too happy that his parents went along with the deal, but what the hell, doctors are SUPPOSED TO know more about these things than we. I annoy some military doctors, since I know what questions to ask so they can't give a prepared answer. If they have to think, they're more likely to give the best answer they can, rather than the one they think will make you shut up and listen to the doctor. Some doctors actually like having to think about their answers, since the reason they got into medicine in the first place was to help people (making piles of money is just a pleasant side-effect).
In (faint) defense of the doctors, at the time, it was thought to be kinder (to the child) to raise it as definitely one gender or the other. This would supposedly save it the stress of not knowing which gender it was supposed to be. Guess what? He figured it out on his own! At the time, who knew?
posted
Bryce: It does happen. Everything I suggested in the scenario came from some fact or another on the article.
------------------ --Then, said Cranly, do you not intend to become a protestant? --I said that I had lost the faith, Stephen answered, but not that I had lost self-respect. What kind of liberation would that be to forsake an absurdity which is logical and coherent and to embrace one which is illogical and incoherent?
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
With greater care I think all this could be taken care of. You see modern science thinks the Y chromosome releases the ability for a fetus to become a male. Therefore, all of us start out female, and drugs (in the future) should be able to ensure either the Y gives enough Testosterone or the two Xs work fine. ------------------ Peace on Earth
[This message has been edited by bryce (edited December 24, 1999).]
posted
Actually if the child is raised as a girl the child will believe and act as a female without much of a second thought. The way a child is raised (either as a boy or girl) is how they will behave. And if any of you wish to have it explained better then my sparse and barely readable explination feel free to talk to my socialogy prof.
------------------ Death before Dishonor! However Dishonor has quite a disputed defintion.
posted
Tec: I disagree. Your sociology Prof is telling you one of several theories. In the nature v.s. nurture debate, the opinion seems to swing back and forth between both extremes, but I'd bet that the truth of the matter lies somewhere in between.
I have met and known some very dyke, but definitely heterosexual women, as well as some very effeminate but rampantly heterosexual males. Likewise, there are masculine and feminine homosexuals, both male and female. While there is some correlation between gender and behavior, it does not hold true in every case. Likewise, gender and sexual preference are closely, but not universally linked.
posted
If there was a God, why would he allow such terrible things to occur to "His children"?
------------------ If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16, 1969, make it illegal for U.S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?
posted
if there was? Then the only possible answers would be : He's a looney, or he's obeying His "prime directive" of non-interference (invalidating the Bible, in which He is a constant presence).
A couple of things:
1.) I think hermaphroditism is different, in that hermaphrodites are supposed to have (when last I heard, anway), BOTH sets of genetalia. My information could be incorrect.
2.) The problems with intergender children DO occur as described. I recall a documentary not so long ago, which some children who were "reconstructed" and raised to be one gender, but turned out to be genetically AND emotionally oriented towards being the opposite gender.
3a.) "Let God handle it." -- I didn't know you were a "Christian Scientist." Yes, He's doing so well with other equally rare mutation diseases...
------------------ Calvin: "No efficiency, no accountability... I tell you, Hobbes, it's a lousy way to run a Universe." -- Bill Watterson
posted
"E's NOT the Messiah, E's a very naughty boy!" -- Monty Python's The Life of Brian
Seriously. If yer talkin about me, I'd rather not. Messiah's have a rather nasty tendency to end up croaked. Ask Apollonius of Tyre (a precursor myth to that of Jesus that I'll bet they won't teach you about at that college of yours -- or most others, for that matter)
Two days in a basic biology course, and they talk about homosexuality? Priorities, people??? *sigh*
------------------ Calvin: "No efficiency, no accountability... I tell you, Hobbes, it's a lousy way to run a Universe." -- Bill Watterson
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