Pope Francis and Gender Identity

The idea of “gender identity” has been addressed recently by Pope Francis.Basically, gender identity theory states that you are the gender you feel that you are and anatomy is not an indicator of someone's sex.

What evidence debunks gender neutral theory?

There has been a lot of research in the Education field to understand the different ways boys and girls learn. These differences are very real and teach us something about the role of gender and learning styles.

When I was an undergrad I did a research project on gender differences. I attempted to determine if they were “nature” or “nurture.”

My research paper centered on which toys preschool boys and girls freely chose. My theory was boys naturally were drawn to things (trucks) and girls to people (dolls).

During my own research, I observed if boys would instinctively play with trucks and girls dolls, in contrast to a gender neutral block, during their unstructured playtime.

I sat behind a two-way mirror at the university daycare center taking a tally for many weeks. The result was lopsided in favor of gender preferences—boys freely picked up the truck and girls the doll.

Yes, little girls naturally like dolls, and boys trucks, which lined up perfectly with other 1980's research papers.

Today I doubt anyone on a university campus would dare reach the same conclusion without being banned from campus.

Pope Francis has weighed in on this issue of gender theory with forcefulness, even quoting Pope Benedict's statement that allowing children to pick a gender is “an epoch of sin against God the Creator.”

Pope Francis went so far as to call gender identity a “global war out to destroy marriage.” The Pope stated, “it is one thing when someone has this tendency...and it is another matter to teach this in school.”

Two popes have made the same observation.

I don't worry about school children, they have a whole lot more sense about nature than most adults. Those of us with kids know they are forthright. The seven-year-old crowd is a lot tougher to convince than say, college students who are looking for a good grade.

Jesus Himself said: “out of the mouth of babes you have prepared praise for Yourself.”

Most teachers know that little girls and boys are always going to be influenced by their natures even if society nurtures them to believe the opposite of it.

The gender theory crowd may claim a victory in “nurture,” but I have a feeling “nature” will the war. Nature is too powerful a force to be reckoned with.