It's Not Bruce Jenner's Fault?
© 10.23.2015 By D. Eric Williams
There have been plenty of articles written about Bruce Jenner's transition from male to female but I must admit I have read none of them. I should also mention the obvious, just so my readers will know where I stand on the issue; Bruce Jenner cannot transition from male to female no matter how much surgery he endures our how many hormones he ingests or injects. Bruce Jenner will always be a male whether he likes it or not.
But is all of this Mr. Jenner's fault or is someone else to blame? Folks on both sides of the issue may suggest Jenner's sinful behavior is the result of poor parenting or some other childhood trauma. I don't know, maybe his father was really bad at being a dad. If so, that must be the reason for his current behavior, right?
Actually no. I have no idea what Bruce Jenner's childhood was like but in the final analysis it doesn't really matter. Let's suppose he did have a lousy upbringing. Let's suppose he did not have proper male role models. Certainly, these early experiences would have an impact on him. Nevertheless, he cannot blame anyone but himself for his sinful behavior.
Blaming your past for your current behavior is all the rage these days (always has been actually) but it's never legitimate. None of us are driven to behave a certain way because of our upbringing or some harm we have experienced in our formative years. The truth is, bad behavior and "mental disorders" are almost always the result of choice. In other words, every human being makes a decision about how they will react to life's experiences. Each of us must decide if we are going to react to life's difficulties in a godly way or an ungodly way.
For instance, the young person who claims their lousy parents made them fall into drug use or some other sinful conduct is refusing to take responsibility for their own behavior. Granted, a lousy parent whose parenting is sinful will tempt their child to rebel but the decision to rebel remains with the child. Instead of rebelling, the child should react in a godly fashion. This means they should extend forgiveness to their parents and continue to do everything they can to put off the old man and put on the new.
I'm not suggesting it's easy for youngsters to choose the path of righteousness in the midst of a tumultuous childhood. I'm not saying they will be free from spiritual and emotional wounds. Nor do I believe most youngsters will be able to navigate a difficult upbringing on their own. The truth is, Hillary Clinton offered a grain of truth when she said it takes a village to raise a child. The village I have in mind is the local church. In a properly functioning Christian community, where people are submitting one to another, a bad parent will be confronted and admonished to imitate Christ. The child who is growing up in the midst of difficult family dynamics will be mentored by mature Christians and counseled in company with his parents as to the proper (Christlike) response to his environment. The parents are not off the hook - but neither is the child.
Some of my readers will say I'm a pie in the sky kind of guy for saying these things. They'll say there is nothing like this in Christendom. I hope that isn't true. But even if it were, the fact remains that each of us must take responsibility for our self. If we muddle through a difficult childhood on our own, there comes a time when we must take hold of our life and do the right thing. We must make the decision to forgive and to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling before the Lord.
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