The Truth about Gender

Socio-psychological Source of Gender

One of many of the cherished versions of the beginnings of humanity declares that God, in His justice and mercy, formed a man to inhabit the earth He organized.

The man formed out of the earth, from the elements of the earth, and given the very image of God had no companion among the animals of the new world God organized.

God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, named Adam, and took from the man’s side a rib to form a woman to be a companion and help-meet, Eve. Together Adam the man and Eve, the woman, received instruction to replenish the earth and have joy in their posterity. 

From this, and many conceptualizations or dogmas of similar construction, humanity formed gender roles that helped to shape societies and build the human race.

Of particular note, of most societies, the roles of gender seem to have somewhat of a universal gender dichotomy to support a social structure of the male as the most intelligent, strongest, largest, and superior of the genders.

Research evidences that generally males are stronger and larger than the typical female in humanity—even more ambitious overall comparing the sexes. Biological women, however, are NOT intellectually inferior to biological men.

Did God declare the gender differences so that men could rule over women because women differ physiologically from men?

Are the biological differences God introduced merely physical and humanity itself added the gender-specific behavior?

Those questions may need revelation from God to answer! An exploration of the interaction of hormones and behavior will provide a perspective on gender identity and the gravity to which biological psychology and environmental influences affect gender identification.

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Genetic Truth

In order to understand sex differences, it is important to understand how sex develops. All human life begins in the form of a single cell. In order for human life to begin, a male sperm and a female egg unite.

The male sperm contains 23 chromosomes and the female egg has the same number. When the gametes unite, the two become one—combining the genetic information from both sexes into a new organism.

Of the 46 chromosomes that combine, only one of those differentiates the sex of the new human life. The sperm has either an XX chromosome combination, representative of the female sex, or the XY combination to represent the male gender. The male carries the genetic information to determine the gender of the new life.

Sex preparation does not cease with conception. Crucial hormonal changes occur to help masculinize or femininize the new life form to develop the proper organs for either the male or female gender. Anderson Wickens states in his text Foundations of Biological Psychology that

the normal sexual development of the fetus depends on the differentiation of the gonads into testes or ovaries to provide the necessary hormonal environment for the internal and external sex organs to develop.¹

The next stage of development occurs because of the development of the gonads, either male testes or female ovaries. The gonads release particular hormones to determine the proper development of masculine or feminine qualities for the new life.

The two hormones, testosterone, and Müllerian duct-inhibiting substance determine whether the fetus will develop a penis or a vagina. The presence of the testosterone hormone triggers the male organ to develop, but the lack of testosterone provides the opportunity for the female organ to develop.

At times, the natural and normal function of sexual development (due to whatever circumstance) does not occur. Sometimes the hormones necessitating a male occur when a female egg is present or vice versa. In those cases, a male may develop the outer organs of a female or vice versa for the female. Though they occur infrequently, it is necessary to note that it occurs.

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Nurture and Nature

After birth and the beginnings of maturity, gender behavior develops that places the child into a sex trait category of either more masculine or feminine. Boys tend to develop into more “boyish behavior,” such as rough and tumble play.

Girls tend to move towards “girlish behavior,” such as sitting quietly and playing with dolls. According to the research findings of Servin et al, the control group of girls that did not have Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, tend to play more with gender-neutral or feminine gender-related toys and show the same behavior, while the girls with the extreme case of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia used the neutral or masculine targeted toys and behavior.

Now, this does not provide exclusive proof that all boys are aggressive and such, but it does give the perspective that certain behaviors have an association with a particular sex depending on its cross-cultural frequency with those behavioral patterns.

It so happens that in boys it is rough-play and in girls, it is soft-play that gender-specific roles have developed. The finding that even girls can also exhibit masculine behavior without the presence of a disorder also begs that masculine and feminine behavior is not limited to one gender or the other.

It seems that genetic disposition and hormonal development work together to produce an individual that has a high probability if he is a boy to exhibit behaviors common to boys. On the other hand, if she is a girl, behaviors common to most girls. Additionally, cultural characterization of the genders incorporates the biological tendencies to create the ideal psychological boy or girl.

In “Exotic Becomes Erotic: A Developmental Theory of Sexual Orientation,” the study shows that most of those who participated in the study did not attribute their sexual orientation to marginalization as youths by other youth groups.

Whatever other factors awakened the disposition towards same-sex attraction had some other attribution. However, the study did reveal that most boys that preferred to do activities most associated with girls had a high percentage rate among homosexual men and a lower among heterosexual men. The study suggested the findings are similar with women. This does n suggest homosexuals all have a biological disorder but to notes, of the group surveyed, there may be a small correlation between early childhood behaviors that determines gender-specific behavior in adulthood. A masculine woman may still marry a man and be heterosexual but not exhibit normative female gender traits.

Gender Cannot Be Legislated AWAY From Sex

In the psychological realm, GENDER does not equal SEX--male or female. Gender is a cultural construct that happens to associate certain characteristics masculine or feminine but does not necessarily represent a person's sex or sexual orientation or gender orientation.

Sexual Orientation is a person's copulative desire towards either a male or a female.

Gender Orientation is a person's attraction towards social behavior and appearance--male-related cultural behavior or female-related cultural behavior. For example, a man may be attracted to other men sexually but may prefer men who have gender behavior normally associated with women. A woman may find men attractive sexually, but prefer gender behavior associated with women also! The short of it all: Gender defines sex socially, but legally no legislation can change a person's sex or gender because he or she lives outside of normal gender roles. Since gender and sex are linked socially, socially, gender is arbitrary. Gender is synonymous with sex and should not be psychologically interpreted.

• Transgender "girl" in Comox Valley seeking legislative change - Comox Valley Record
  According to B.C. law, people must have sexual reassignment surgery before they can change their sex designation on their birth certificate. Dickens notes Ontario laws now allow a person's sex designation to be changed without surgery, after a Human

Sexual Orientation is a person copulative desire towards either a male or a female.

Gender Orientation is a person's attraction towards social behavior and appearance--male-related cultural behavior or female related cultural behavior.

Reference Material

Foundations of biopsychology Andrew P. Wickens. Edition, 2. Publisher, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2005. Original from, Cornell University (Wickens, 2005, pg. 205)¹

Law and Medicine, Gender Should Be

Definitive

Gender is a word that describes an individual's sex, male or female. Males are males, even if the behavior is feminine or the genitalia are deformed. Females also are genetically female regardless of hormonal changes.

Genetics and environment both play roles in the behavior of the sexes. Naturally, children born with biological advantages toward masculine and feminine behavior will develop and adjust to cultural norms for their specific gender.

Biology does influence gender behavior but does not determine how a specific gender, male or female, may behave. Other factors contribute to the development biologically and environmentally to shape behavior.

The word gender should not be mutilated to be ambiguous about the sexes. Gender orientation better describes what some dictionaries are trying to redefine the word gender alone to mean, and it seems that social media and politicians agree with changing the meaning of gender.

Various nations, regarding gender, recognize transgendered men and women as legally a different sex than what is etched in the genetic sequences of their bodies. Nature dictates gender, which cannot be changed by mutilating the genitalia until it resembles the opposite gender. The marker of either XX or XY determines gender. Legislation cannot change the guided evolution of the human genome.

Resources Referenced

Parker, Walter (Seems no longer available) Foundations of Biological Psychology

Getting Personal With Christianity: Joseph Smith II

December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith Senior welcomed Joseph Smith Junior into mortality. I reflect on the mission of Joseph Smith each year on that day. Joseph Smith II was the man who the Lord saw fit to visit, along with His Son Jesus Christ, to usher in the fullness of times, or the complete restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ before the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, this time as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Joseph was a 14-year-old boy who had the faith to go to the Lord in prayer and receive an answer based on scripture he read from the Holy Bible. He was the prophet whom I had been looking for when I so foolishly decided to give up on Christianity. He is the prophet I discovered so miraculously after I read a book of scripture that he translated. A book that facilitated my conversion to Christ. I owe my faith in God, my Christianity, and all the blessings available to me and millions of others to the willingness of Joseph Smith Junior to follow God.

Let it be said of him the vilest and untoward things, as will be said and has been said, I record of him now that I know of divine knowledge that he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ in answer to his prayer as he claims he did. He also saw angels who ministered to him and he conversed with Jesus Christ about his salvation as his several accounts record.

I know it because God sent His Spirit to me, who spoke by the mouth of an angel, revealed it to me, and constantly reassures me that what He revealed to me is true. Without going into my personal account too much, when the missionaries revealed his vision to me, I also saw in vision Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the priesthood authority to baptize and, eventually, to organize the Church of Christ as the authorized entity on Earth to transport the souls of men on the sown the Covenant Path of Jesus Christ back into the presence of God the Father.

As a disciple of Christ and a member of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Christian, I lend my witness that God has restored His authority to Earth. I testify I am a partaker in the Covenant and that the Atonement of Christ is effective in my life. I testify that through Jesus Christ only can salvation come to humanity—something I came only to know through reading The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Why do I add that here? It is the only reason I found God because a 14-year-old boy knew to ask Him a question that led to the tool that converted me to Jesus Christ. It is the most important event in my life because all other events hang onto the witness I received of Jesus Christ from reading that book. Joseph Smith Jr. is important to me. I think about that on the 23^rd of December.

Other Articles

• The African Heritage of The Book of Mormon
  The obvious connection to Africa is the language.
• To Repent Or Not To Repent
• This essay uses a hook-line from a song by Counting Crows to explore how we can deal with all the "if onlys" of life.
• What Does It Mean To Repent?
  To repent is to turn away from, turn your back to a particular sin. What does it mean to turn away from something? This isn’t about actions and behavior; it’s about your character.
• Become like a Little Child: Teachings of King Benjamin
  In order to become one of God's chosen people or a saint Benjamin expresses that all MUST deny, put off, reject--or any other word of separation--the natural or basic man.

Getting Personal With Christianity: Who is my neighbor?

Conflict resolution has to start with somebody. It might as well be me. 

One of my neighbors blasted vulgar music throughout the entire cul-de sac. I could hear the rancorous lyrics with all the windows closed as they rattled through.

I opened the front door and it assaulted me! I screamed across the cul-de sac to no avail until I said: "Cut that Crap off!"

Two young people, one adult and the other a teen approached. The young woman calmly expressed "My momma pays rent just like you do over here. I will turn it down, but not off."

Upset, I determined rent has nothing to do with blasting the neighborhood with profane music.
"Blast your music in your rented house then," I spit back at her.
As she spoke I smelled liquor and knew that I would not be able to reason with her. "You reek of liquor," came out of my mouth with such venom and judgment that she started to become emotionally volatile.

I warned them, "I am calling the police!" She continued to use vile language because I had upset her when she had approached me with a measure of reason on her side. "Get off," I said pointing to the yard of my rented property.
I was amazed at level of anger and how wickedly I behaved toward my neighbor. I even had my shirt off like I was going to fight!

The boy that was with her had concern in his eyes because we knew each other, but I dismissed that because of the woman cursing at me for telling her what to do at her mother's rented house while standing in front of my rented house.

I called the police, 911. I told them what was going on and was directed to the non-emergency line.
The NON-emergency line! It was not an emergency.

I thought about the police coming to my rented house or going to their rented house. We are both Americans with African descent. They were drinking and playing loud music. I was upset about it, that young woman had become crass and combative.

Those young boys at that house were large, tall, Black boys--intimidating to those who may not know them. They fit the profile for cops to shoot as has been in the news. I did not know what type of cop would pitch up if I called--the nice ones that ask them to keep the music down or the authoritative ones that would agitate things further.

I changed my mind and repented. I waited until I knew I was calm and went out to where there were about seven young men and women talking.
I saw Ree, the intoxicated and easily agitated woman to whom I spoke and apologized for my threatening language. I made peace. We are neighbors.

I can stand up for decency without involving anger and the police.
The last thing I want is to be the means of sending someone to jail or worse, death!

Black lives do matter. I did not understand what that meant until today. I don't agree with the organization that sponsors the big national movement, but I do agree that my neighbor's life matters more to me than for her to go to jail because she is inebriated and not fully intellectually there while being Black.

When I think of Black Lives, I think of all people of color. I think of my son and his friends also, who are Caucasian. My son's life matters to me and to them. His Black life matters. We are all connected by our associations. All lives matter.

My neighbor's life matters enough to try and resolve the issue peacefully rather than call the police immediately like did.

My neighborhood has seen enough conflict without bringing in the police. The police are out every night trying to catch fleeing criminals and I had the audacity to call them because my neighbor played her music too loudly!

The scriptures tell me to love my neighbor as I love myself. I would not want someone to call the police on me for playing my music too loudly. I would want that irritated person to come to me and tell me to turn it down respectfully.

I did not do that, but I made amends and repented of attempting to treat my neighbor differently than I would want to be treated.

O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit... there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge... Mosiah 2:32-33 

If I had continued to list to obey the evil spirit of pride that wanted to avenge my wounded ego that Ree used foul language and was inebriated publicly blasting loud music, events that followed could have radically changed her life and mine.

I would have died in my sins--figuratively first, of course --because hatred would rear its ugly head each time we saw each other. The kids would have felt awkward to associate anymore since the youngest son and daughter of that family went to school and Young Women's activities at church with my daughters. I could have started a rift that would destroy my own family's life.

My punishment for giving into this pride would have been no peace. I talked causally with the youth for about 20 minutes following my apology. I was introduced to another neighbor that I did not know. I was showered with attention and hails of respect.

One young man said that most people would have just called the police rather than talk to them. They all were shocked that I of all the neighbors went out to tell them anything about the music or the police.

I found that they held me, and my family in high esteem. I did not know that, but because I repented, I found out something good about my neighbors that I did not know before or would not have known had I crossed that line into feuding.

They are people. All we have to do is speak respectfully and try to come to a mutual agreement so that we can all feel comfortable in the neighborhood.

Ree, ol' crazy self, told me that she was ready for the police. She, of course, was drunk. I noticed that the other people there, mostly youth, were not drunk or drinking.  I at least know now that they are not bad people as has been rumored to me--at least were not towards me. That is a different issue, though....