I don’t often venture into gender politics in the public forum for several reasons. But there has a come a moment for me where the gender wars frenzy we’re all witnessing of late, is not really about gender at all, but about truth and freedom of speech. About control of the terms and conditions of public debate and discourse. Way back in 1918 a statement was attributed to a United States senator, Hiram Warren Johnson: “The first casualty when war comes is truth”. Later versions were, “When war is declared, truth is the first casualty”. I think that’s quite true, and I’d also add that “history is written by the winners.” (I don’t know who originally said that, but it is a well-worn saying, too).
Just this last week I read of a Norwegian feminist, Christina Ellingsen – a representative of a global feminist organisation – who has been questioned by Norwegian police for tweets and other statements challenging a trans activist for pushing the idea that biological males can be lesbians. She criticised the Norwegian trans activist group Foreningen FRI last October for teaching children that males can be lesbians, and even called out one the group’s advisers, who is a biological male identifying as a lesbian woman. The trans activist complained to the police who then questioned Ellingsen, and she is likely to be tried for jailable offences. She has been charged with hate crimes based on new laws legislated by the Norwegian government in January 2021. She faces up to three years in prison.
I wondered as I read the news article, if we had such hate laws in the great State of Victoria, whether teaching this stuff to kids would be another version of “conversion therapy” which is outlawed here for churches and others. Even Amnesty International waded into this furore accusing Ellingsen of harassing this other person.
What? We have truth as harassment now? Apparently … but this same kind of stuff is happening in our own country, and it is increasingly finding its way into law. It will only get worse unless we ALL speak up. Silence is deemed tacit agreement – it isn’t!
There is a war going on, and truth is the first casualty – every day – from the school classroom, to the lecture room, to that media outlet, to (yes) even the pulpit. Truth is what you want it to be in our world. If black wants to identify as white, so to speak, that’s OK. My reality is not your reality; your truth is not my truth – and that’s OK.
But, of course, it isn’t. Truth can only be what it is – not what you, or I, desperately want it to be. “You are a man. You cannot be a mother,” Ellingsen reportedly told the trans activist. “To normalise the idea that men can be mothers is a defined form of discrimination against women.”
Well, Ellingsen is absolutely right, on biological grounds alone, and I’m not afraid, or embarrassed to say it. That is a factual statement – black cannot be white - not ever, or our whole world order descends into chaos every time we raise up a lie and call it truth, and even legislate to protect the lie as truth. The fact that police are even able to lay such charges against someone is not only concerning, but deeply offensive to the very notions of free speech, human rights and truth as a defence. A man was sentenced to three weeks in prison last year in Oslo, for “insulting” and (get this) “misgendering” a trans person on Facebook.
If we think for one moment that there is no demonic agenda behind these gender wars, and the raft of wokey causes, that are gathering pace in our country today we’re naïve at best. Make no mistake about this: there is a battle going on in our cities every day – it is a battle for the hearts and minds of men and women everywhere, and our children are caught up in it, with parents increasingly restricted by laws and politicised education systems to do anything, legally, about it. Be that as it may, God has not left us defenceless, as dozens of biblical accounts attest.
Regardless of what leftist, woke governments around the world say is truth when it is abject lies - and then legislate these lies into place – they cannot change the truth. No one can. Truth is what it is. In essence, truth is holy and righteous because it is a person – Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
In other words, and amongst other things, Jesus is saying that no one can come to God through a lie – any lie. Truth is an absolute. Truth is a constant. Because God is absolute and holy, and because God is eternal. And the universe - its physics, chemistry, biology, systems, patterns, coherence and stability – is entirely based and organised on this truth.
Therefore, humans tinkering with and denying self-evident truths of scripture are fools headed for destruction in their arrogance and pride.
I will not be one of them.
I will speak the truth of God’s Word in love as best I can, by God’s grace. I will teach it and impart it with all diligence and respect for other persons, without fear or favour, trusting that God’s truth will ultimately prevail unto salvation. You parents must have the same confidence in God’s Word, and teach it with all diligence to your children and not cower to woke agendas. The enemy aims to capture their hearts and minds if you don’t.
Romans 1:18 (NIV)
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, …”
Think on these things.
Ps Milton
Sources: ABC 4 News cast; Fox News; Amnesty International (website).