Gender and Human Sexuality a Major News Presence in 2008

The turning of the calendar inevitably brings with itreflection on the 365 days that have just passed. On the gender front, 2008 wasmarked by a continuing restlessness among the sons of Adam overGod's design for marriage and the propriety of homosexuality as it relates tothe church. Major headlines included:

• The passage of Proposition 8 in California. During the Nov. 4 presidential election, voters in the Golden State approved Proposition 8 which made "same-sex marriage" illegal. This vote followed on the heels of a California Supreme Court decision earlier in the year that legalized homosexual marriage. The high court's decision sent a flood of same-sex couples into California seeking to exchange nuptials. Conservatives in California went to work in writing and garnering support of Prop 8, which passed by a 52-48 margin. Though the voters in California have now defeated "same-sex marriage" twice, the issue may not be completely settled: in the aftermath of its passage, Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar expressed hope that the Supreme Court there would rule Prop 8 unconstitutional which would restore the legal standing of "same-sex marriage." As CBMW council member R. Albert Mohler Jr. points out in the year-end wrapup at his blog,  the vote sent a clear signal to the nation -- voters support marriage as a heterosexual union.  By the end of 2008, a majority of the nation's citizens lived in states that had adopted similar measures.
• A split over homosexuality in the Episcopal Church USA. Many congregations and dioceses voted to leave the denomination over its affirmation of homosexuality as illustrated by the election of an openly homosexual bishop in 2003.  Several churches had taken refuge under Anglican churches in Africa and the Southern Cone of South America. By year's end a new church-the Anglican Church in North America-had been formed.  The ECUSA continues to wrangle over church property in court, but conservatives won a major decision in Virginia in late December. 
• Further upheaval in the Anglican communion: The Church of England at its July General Synod in England approved the ordination of female bishops. Church officials ratified female ordination despite having more than 1,300 members who oppose female ordination promise to leave the Church if their concerns were not heard. Those who hold to the traditional (and biblical) view of female ordination had proposed that the Church appoint three male "super bishops" who would work to accommodate their views. The Church narrowly voted down that proposal as well, leaving complementarians within the Church of England with no place to stand.
• A "non-news news story:" a woman who had undergone "gender reassignment" surgery, gave birth to a baby on June 29. The transgender woman, now named Thomas Beatie, gave birth to a baby girl, prompting headlines across the world that screamed, "Man gives birth to baby." Public perception does not always match reality in the headlines, however, for Beatie-hormone shots and surgery notwithstanding-was, remains, and ever will be, a woman, as Gender Blog pointed out in its July 8 entry. Though the birth of every single child is a miracle and a profound blessing from our sovereign Lord, it is not earthshaking, headline news when a woman gives birth to a baby.

Issues related to gender and humansexuality will continue to percolate in 2009 and at Gender Blog-which alsomarked the completion of its first year of existence in 2008- we hope, by God'sgrace, to be able to continue to offer news and analysis on these and othergender-related issues as they arise in the national consciousness. In ourwriting and analysis, may we seek to be unswervingly biblical and comportourselves in the spirit of the great Jonathan Edwards, who as a young manpenned a number of resolutions by which he hoped to govern his life. ResolutionNo. 19 is particularly pertinent in light of our task at the dawn of a newyear: "Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if Iexpected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump."