Mark Keown

I have been asked to consider whether the category “eunuchs from birth” in Matt 19:12 might open the way for biblically minded Christians accepting same-sex relationships on a par with heterosexual marriage. Here is my answer concerning this verse alone. (The solution to such questions involves interpretation of a wide range of biblical material and this is only one such aspect.) The context of the passage is Jesus being asked by Pharisees his interpretation of Deut 24:1, the core text on divorce in Pharisaic thought. Jesus is being asked where he stands in relation to an ongoing debate between Shammai and Hillel Pharisees. Deuteronomy 24:1 states that a husband can divorce his wife if he finds some indecency in her. Shammai took indecency here to mean sexual immorality. The Shammai view is consistent with the Hebrew ʿěr·wā(h) which at its core, means the genitals. Hillel took it more figuratively, Moses giving grounds for a husband to divorce his wife on any grounds. As the ter...

The media is abuzz with questions about whether transgender people should be able to compete in Olympic and other elite sports events with people of their gender, i.e., those who have transitioned to women with women, and those to men with men. The latter is unlikely to happen, as few women would transition to be men and then be capable of competing with them. Then again, you never know, with the use of steroids and many sports do not rely on strength (e.g., lawn bowls). The real question is whether transgender women should compete on the same level with those who are born women and remain so.  At the moment, some sports say no, men who have transitioned to women have an unfair advantage and it will be dangerous in contact sports as women may be hurt by the more powerful transwomen. Some say yes, it is about inclusion, and with the right controls on hormone levels, it will be a fair contest. There is a great pushback from athletes against the latter idea, as they do not agree that ...