It seems like the biblical fact that God only created two genders—male and female—is becoming more and more unacceptable for modern society.
The United States' Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently put forth a controversial proposal that may make doctors vulnerable to lawsuits if they recognise only two genders, which are well rooted in biological sex and biblical teachings.
The proposed new rule, which falls under U.S. President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, prohibits medical practitioners from discriminating against transgender individuals.
According to the New Boston Post, the new proposal defines "sex stereotypes" in part as "expectations that gender can only be constructed within two distinct opposite and disconnected forms (masculinity and femininity), and that gender cannot be constructed outside of this gender construct (individuals who identify as neither, both, or as a combination of male and female genders)."
On the other hand, gender identity is defined as "an individual's internal sense of gender, which may be different from an individual's sex assigned at birth."
Jonathan Scruggs, legal counsel with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), expressed grave concern over the new proposal, calling it an "unparalleled overreach by bureaucrats who want to advance a specific agenda."
"HHS has exceeded its authority and is going against the intent of Congress," Scruggs told the Catholic News Agency, insisting that "sex" under the law means "biological sex."
"The government should not be in the business of trying to redefine sex," he added. "HHS is supposed to apply the law faithfully, not go beyond the terms of the law."
Roger Severino, director of the De Vos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation, meanwhile pointed out the possible effects of the new proposal to health workers' religious freedom.
"(W)hat about an individual's moral convictions and religious freedom? Will they be respected and preserved?" Severino also told the Catholic News Agency.
