Distance Learning Module

BIBLE 103
Contemporary Issues
First Semester, A.Y. 2022-2023 | Midterm

BRYAN PAUL L. CATANUS

09473427487
Email: [email protected]
 MIDTERM
Unit II Family Principles and Issues

MODULE 4
BIBLICAL VIEW ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE AND FAMILY

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, the learners are expected to:
• Explain the meaning and the concept of marriage from a Biblical perspective
• Distinguish Biblical marriage as the most viable and sustainable understanding and application of
marriage.
• Discuss Biblical passages about divorce as a prohibition in marriage and discuss exceptions wherewith
divorce can be justified.

INTRODUCTION
This module teaches the Biblical principle of marriage and the foundational establishment of it. It explores
the Biblical definition of marriage and explains the permanency of the union. However, the Bible also
explain some instances where the separation of the couple and marriage is allowed and will be covered in
this lesson as well.

LESSON INPUTS:
DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

The Biblical Definition

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one
flesh. Genesis 2:24
A man shall leave his father and his mother. In a culture of strong bonds between the generations, this is
striking. A man’s primary human relationship is no longer with his parents or ancestors. He breaks away from
them for the sake of a more profound loyalty.
And hold fast to his wife. A man, in marrying, enfolds his wife into his heart. He rejoices to identify with her:
“This, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (verse 23). At every level of his being, he becomes
wholeheartedly devoted to her, as to no other.
And they shall become one flesh. “One flesh” is essential to the biblical view of marriage. It means, one mortal
life fully shared. Two selfish me start learning to think like one unified us, sharing one everything: one life, one
reputation, one bed, one suffering, one budget, one family, one mission, and so forth. No barriers. No hiding. No
aloofness. Now total openness with total sharing and total solidarity, until death parts them. Moreover, Jesus
explained that behind the word “become,” God is there: “What therefore God has joined together . . .” (Matthew
19:6). He also made it clear that the word “they” in Genesis 2:24 means “the two” (Matthew 19:5), thus
establishing one man/one woman as the biblical norm. What we see then, is that marriage is not a product of
human social evolution; marriage came down from God. And he defined it for us. He has the right to. It belongs
to him.
One mortal life fully shared between a man and a woman — this is marriage, according to the Bible, because
Genesis 2:24 is not a throw-away line. Its very purpose is to define.
What’s more, the apostle Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 to take our understanding a step further — an amazing step:
“We are members of [Christ’s] body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh'” (Ephesians 5:30-31). Notice his logic. “We are members of Christ’s body.
He loved us. He chose us. He gave himself up for us. He will present us someday in splendor. We are united
with Christ now and forever. Therefore, our union with Christ is the reason why a man and woman get married
and live united as ‘one flesh.’ Human marriages are miniature social platforms on which the gospel is to be
displayed.” The final reason why men and women fall in love and get married is that the whole human story is,
most deeply, a romance coming down from above.

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Purpose of Marriage (MCQUILKIN, 1995)

Wholeness
The man by himself is incomplete. He needs a mate (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:3-6). So the first purpose of marriage
is fellowship, oneness, and wholeness - love.

1. Oneness in heart and mind - the standard for oneness and wholeness is love, which includes sharing of
interests, activities, purposes, and goals.
2. Oneness in body - the two shall be one flesh. Scripture directly teaches that this is the goodwill of God
(Exod. 21:10; Prov. 5:15-19; 1 Cor. 7:3-5; Heb. 13:4). Physical union takes to its most intimate and
ecstatic conclusion the oneness of heart and reinforces it as well.
3. Unity in God - the intent of the marriage relationship of husband and wife is to be completed in their
oneness with God. Thus, in God’s marvelous design for marriage are three unities - oneness of heart and
mind, the oneness of body and oneness in God - reinforce one another in a glorious spiral upward the
fulfillment of God’s purpose in marriage.

Procreation
The first man and woman were instructed to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:28). Scriptures give a pattern of the
home in which parents are fully responsible to care for their children.

Demonstration of Love
The marriage relationship is used throughout Scripture to instruct us concerning God’s desired
relationship with people (Eph. 5:22-23).

Divorce (Carter, n.d.)

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He
answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and
said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become
one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man
separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her
away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from
the beginning, it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and
marries another, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:3–9 ESV)

The keyword in the above passage for our purposes is the Greek word pornea translated in the ESV as “sexual
immorality”.

Passages that speak to the idea of pornea:

1. Leviticus 18:20-24
2. Leviticus 20:10-21
3. 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

The Biblical Grounds for Divorce:

Based on the passages above, we can say with confidence that a believer may initiate divorce in the following
cases:
1. Adultery
2. Same-sex relations
3. Bestiality
4. Sexual relations with a relative.
5. Separation because of the Christian faith.

What about Physical Abuse?

“Broader grounds” position – where proponents of this view believe in a broader interpretation of Matthew 19 and
1 Cor. 7 to include abuse, neglect and infectious diseases.

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Husbands are told: Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the
woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be
hindered (1 Peter 3:7 ESV).
The Bible commands all Christians to be gentle in their dealings with one another, and it tells husbands to be
understanding towards their wives and to treat them with special honor. Therefore, all forms of physical,
emotional, verbal and sexual abuse would be forbidden.
Physical abuse is a sin and should be named as such by pastors, elders, and counselors.

Remarriage (Carter, n.d.)

When the Bible permits divorce, it is so that the wronged or abandoned party may remarry. That’s what a
certificate of divorce is. Therefore, in any case, where divorce is biblically permissible, it is by definition also
permissible for the wronged or abandoned party to remarry. In Matthew 5:31-32 Jesus says:
It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that
everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and
whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31–32 ESV)
Here Jesus is simply saying that if a divorce is not legitimate, then the remarriage is not legitimate. If the divorce
is legitimate (he uses the word pornea again), then the remarriage is legitimate.

SUMMARY:
• Marriage is the union between one man and one woman.
• Marriage is a lifetime covenant and should not be violated.
• Divorce and remarriage are allowed only as a last resort and should be avoided.

RESOURCE:
Balswick, J. O., & Balswick, J. K. (1999). The family: A Christian perspective on the contemporary home.
Carter, P. (n.d.). What the Bible Teaches about Divorce and Remarriage. Retrieved September 3, 2019, from The Gospel
Coalition | Canada website: https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/what-the-bible-teaches-about-divorce-
and-remarriage/
MCQUILKIN, R. (1995). An introduction to Biblical ethics. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale.
Ortlund, R. (n.d.). What is marriage, according to the Bible? Retrieved September 3, 2019, from The Gospel Coalition
website: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/ray-ortlund/what-is-marriage-according-to-the-bible/

MODULE 5
ABORTION

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, the learners are expected to:
• Determine what are the arguments that support the practice of abortion and the arguments against it.
• Discuss the Biblical conception of abortion and determine the morality of the practice
• Discuss their moral conception of abortion and share their conclusions over the debate.

INTRODUCTION
The coverage of this lesson explores the heated debate over the legitimacy of abortion. It explores
the arguments in favor of abortion and explains the counterarguments against it. Biblical passages will be
used to draw out important points that encapsulate the Christian worldview on abortion.

LESSON INPUTS

What is abortion?

In medicine, an abortion is the premature exit of the products of conception (the fetus, fetal membranes, and
placenta) from the uterus. It is the loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to why that pregnancy was lost.

A spontaneous abortion is the same as a miscarriage. The miscarriage of three or more consecutive pregnancies
is termed habitual abortion or recurrent pregnancy loss. - MedicineNet

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Medical abortion is the use of medicine to end an undesired pregnancy. The medicine helps remove the fetus and
placenta from the mother's womb (uterus).

There are different types of medical abortions:

1. Therapeutic medical abortion is done because the woman has a health condition.
2. Elective abortion is done because a woman chooses (elects) to end the pregnancy.

An elective abortion is not the same as a miscarriage. Miscarriage is when a pregnancy ends on its own before the
20th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage is sometimes called a spontaneous abortion.

Surgical abortion uses surgery to end a pregnancy. – Medline Plus

The Pro-Choice Argument

Abortion is an unequivocal woman’s right for reproduction:

Women's rights arguments in favor of abortion (“BBC - Ethics - Abortion,” n.d.)

Here are some of the women's rights arguments in favor of abortion:

• women have a moral right to decide what to do with their bodies
• the right to abortion is vital for gender equality
• the right to abortion is vital for individual women to achieve their full potential
• banning abortion puts women at risk by forcing them to use illegal abortionists
• the right to abortion should be part of a portfolio of pregnancy rights that enables women to make a truly
free choice whether to end a pregnancy

This argument reminds us that even in the abortion debate, we should regard the woman as a person and not just
as a container for the fetus. We should, therefore, consider her rights and needs as well as those of the unborn.
Pro-choice women's rights activists do not take a casual or callous attitude to the fetus; the opposite is usually
true, and most of them acknowledge that choosing an abortion is usually a case of choosing the least bad of
several bad courses of action.

Other arguments:
• The physical or psychological health of the mother
• The physical health of the fetus
• Overpopulation
• Empowerment of women
• Crime
• The parasite objection

Additional arguments:(Rae, 2009, p. 132)

1. A woman has the right to do with her own body whatever she chooses
2. If abortion becomes illegal, we will return to the dangerous days of the “back alley” abortion providers.
3. Forcing women, especially poor ones, to continue their pregnancies will create overwhelming financial
hardship
4. Society should not force women to bring unwanted children into the world.
5. Society should not force women to bring severely handicapped children into the world.
6. Society should not force women who are pregnant from rape or incest to continue their pregnancies.
7. Restrictive abortion laws discriminate against poor women.

The Pro-Life Argument (Lowen, Radio, Journalist, GMA, & NPR., n.d.)
1. Since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is
in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life
2. No civilized society permits one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another human without
punishment, and abortion is no different.

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 3. Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result. And with 1.5 million
American families wanting to adopt a child, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.
4. An abortion can result in medical complications later in life; the risk of ectopic pregnancies doubles and
the chance of a miscarriage and pelvic inflammatory disease also increases.
5. In the instance of rape and incest, proper medical care can ensure that a woman will not get pregnant.
Abortion punishes the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it is the perpetrator who should be
punished.
6. Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception.
7. For women who demand complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of
unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible,
through abstinence.
8. Those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to
understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterward.
9. Abortion frequently causes intense psychological pain and stress.

The main issue regarding abortion

• When does human life begin? Does it begin during (at the beginning of conception)? Or what other
measurements would you use to answer the question?

The personhood of the Fetus (Rae, 2009, pp. 139–149)

What are the decisive moments during the pregnancy that determines personhood?

1. Viability – the point at which the fetus can live on its own outside of the womb.
• About 24 to 26 weeks of gestation.
• The problem with this standard is the fact of medical technology being the standard to determine the
status of viability.

2. Brain Development – the point at which the brain of the fetus begins to function
• About 45 days into pregnancy
• The problem with this standard is its parallel to the definition of death, which is the cessation of all brain
activity. When we make brain activity determinant of life, we run into the problem of misunderstanding the
absence of brain activity in a fetus to be the same as being brain dead which is irreversible, unlike the
case of the fetus where the brain will develop to be a fully functioning organ when left to its natural
developmental course.

3. Sentience – the point at which the fetus can experience sensations, particularly pain.
• It does not follow that the fetus cannot be harmed simply because the fetus cannot feel pain or otherwise
experience harm.
• The absence of sensations (in the case of comatose patients) does not lessen their personhood.

4. Quickening – the first time the mother feels the fetus move inside her womb. It is considered the first
indication of the presence of life within the mother’s womb. (before the advent of medical technology)
• Quickening as a determinant of personhood cannot be maintained, because the essence of the fetus
does not depend on someone’s awareness of it.
• This goes the same way with the appearance of the fetus as the determinant of personhood. A
reproduction will always start from a point where the resemblance is far from its final form. This is true to
all living creatures

5. Birth – while few people hold to this, it should be stressed that there is little or no difference that exists
between the fetus on the day before its birth and the day after its birth. The only difference is the location.

6. Implantation – the point at which the embryo establishes its presence in the womb.

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 • Although placing personhood at implantation would not justify very many abortions, the implications of
this decisive moment are significant. First, it would make any birth control methods that prevent
implantation, such as many birth control pills, morally acceptable, since an unimplanted embryo is not
considered a person. Further, embryos from in vitro fertilization can be either discarded or used for
experimentation without any moral problem, since those embryos lack personhood.

Considering the above discussion, it seems most reasonable to conclude that the fetus has full personhood from
the moment of conception. The argument could look something like this:

1. An adult human being is the result of the continuous growth of the organism from conception (this premise
has hardly any debate).
2. From conception to adulthood, this development has no break that is relevant to the essential nature of the
fetus (this is the debatable premise, but the above discussion shows that all the proposed breaks do not
have a bearing on the nature of the fetus).
3. Therefore, one is a human person from the point of conception onward (this conclusion follows from the
above two premises).

Biblical Perspective:

• Psalm 139:15-16: “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately
woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written,
every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

• Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

• Proverbs 24:10-12: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are
being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we
did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watching over
your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”

• Matthew 19:14: “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such
belongs the kingdom of heaven.’”

SUMMARY:
• Abortion is the extraction of the products of conception.
• Depending on how you view the product of conception, then you can justify the removal of the
fetus from the uterus.
• If human beings grow through a continuous process, then products of conception are considered
to be live human beings, making abortion an act of murder.
• The Bible considers life at the beginning of conception.

REFERENCE:

BBC - Ethics - Abortion: Arguments in favour of abortion. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2019, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/mother/for_1.shtml
Lowen, L. L. L., Radio, A. F., Journalist, T. B., GMA, has won national awards for her coverage of women’s issues L.
has been featured on, & NPR. (n.d.). Common Arguments for and Against Abortion. Retrieved September 15, 2019,
from ThoughtCo website: https://www.thoughtco.com/arguments-for-and-against-abortion-3534153
Rae, S. B. (2009). Moral choices an introduction to ethics. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan.

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 MODULE 6
SEX AND GENDER ISSUES
THE BIBLICAL THOUGHT AND THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module, the learners are expected to:
• Express understanding of this multi-faceted issue and formulate a framework of conceptualizing this subject
considering these dimensions of discussion:
a. Sociological
b. Political
c. Biological
d. Psychological
e. Theological
• Determine the lenses by which we view the cultural war of gender issues and find a way to integrate these
lenses to better approach this issue.

INTRODUCTION:
This module explores the culture war around the issue of gender and sexuality, how it affects
societal structures and norms. Worldviews around the issues will be discussed and appropriate
categories of discussion will be elaborated. It also covers the Biblical view of human sexuality and the
theological significance of the view in our society.

LESSON INPUTS:

THE OVERARCHING PROBLEM: CULTURAL WAR

- (between two models or lenses)

Lenses: (Mark Yarhouse | 36th Annual Scandrette Lecture | 3/29/2018—YouTube, n.d.)

1. Integrity - “concern to be corrected”

• Identifies gender dysphoria as confusing the sacredness of maleness and femaleness and specific
resolutions of gender dysphoria as violations of that integrity

“From the integrity framework: same-sex sexual behavior is sin in part because it does not “merge or join two
persons into an integrated sexual whole…”; the “essential maleness” and essential femaleness” are not brought
together as intended from creation. When extended to the discussion of transsexuality and cross-gender
identification, the theological concerns rest in the “denial of the integrity of one’s sex and an overt attempt at
marring the sacred image of maleness or femaleness formed by God.”
- Mark Yarhouse, Understanding Gender Dysphoria

2. Disability - “experience to be empathized with”

• It identifies gender dysphoria as a variation that occurs in nature. For Christians, it may be thought of as a
result of the Fall and at times likened to a disability, a nonmoral reality to be addressed with compassion.

“Life is life and things must be taken as they come. Sin is a sin. And tendencies or hormonal imbalances have
many problems and we must be careful not to say that everything is the same. Let’s go party. No… but in every
case accept it, I accompany it, I study it, I discern it and I integrate it. It’s a human problem and it must be
resolved always can be with the mercy of God, with the truth… but always with an open heart.”
- Pope Francis

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 3. Diversity - “culture to be celebrated”

• Highlights gender-related presentations as reflecting a sense of identity and culture to be celebrated as

expressions of the diversity.

“Trans” people are not “God’s mistake”; although other forms of human diversity may also wrongly lead to
oppression by the privileged majority (differences of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, nationality, physical
ability, sexual orientation, and religion), they often don’t seem to cause the moral/theological outrage that gender-
diverse people do as if their very existence blasphemes against God. Yet to be born outside the gender binary
really isn't any different than being born with any other form of diversity. To explain to others that we are
transgender doesn't inherently suggest that God made any sort of mistake in creating us as transgender.
- H. Adam Ackley

“ A french father told me that he was speaking with his children at the table, he and his wife were Catholics… and
he asked his 10-year-old son: “what do you want to be when you grow up? - “a girl”. The father realized that at
school they were teaching him gender theory, and this is against the natural things. One thing is that a person has
this tendency, this condition and even changes their sex, but it’s another thing to teach this in schools to change
the mentality. This is what I call ideological colonization.”
- Pope Francis

Dimensions of Discussion

I. Sociological

A. Sociological definitions (Ballantine & Roberts, n.d., p. 284); (“What Is Gender Dysphoria?” n.d.)

1. Sex- a biological term referring to ascribed genetic, anatomical and hormonal differences between
males and females.
2. Gender - learned and created, refers to socially constructed notions of masculinity and femininity.
3. Gender roles - commonly assigned tasks or expected behaviors linked to an individual’s sex-
determined structural guidelines and positions expected to males and females.
4. Sexuality - refers to how cultures shape the meanings of sexuality and sexual acts and how we
experience our own bodies and our bodies in relation to others.
5. Transgender - refers to the broad spectrum of individuals who transiently or persistently identify with
a gender different from their gender at birth. (Note: the term transgendered is not generally used.)
Transsexual - refers to an individual who seeks, or has undergone, a social transition from male to
female or female to male. In many, but not all, cases this also involves a physical transition through
cross-sex hormone treatment and genital surgery (sex reassignment surgery).
6. Gender expression - the manner in which a person communicates about gender to others through
external means such as clothing, appearance, or mannerisms. This communication may be
conscious or subconscious and may or may not reflect their gender identity or sexual orientation.
7. Gender identity - is a category of social identity and refers to an individual’s identification as male,
female or, occasionally, some category other than male or female. It is one’s deeply held core sense
of being male, female, some of both or neither, and does not always correspond to biological sex.

B. Societal issues

The current social and cultural climate can be discussed on two levels:

Socio-cultural distinctions

1. Theonomous - The laws of the divine (God) dictates the moral and social framework of the state.
Sometimes called the “Natural law”
2. Heteronomous - The elites on top dictates the moral and social framework for the state. Eg.
Sharia Law

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 3. Autonomous - “Autos” - self, “nomos” - Law, the individual determines his own moral and social
life.

Relational distinctions

1. Political Identity (advocate)

2. Public Identity (Neighbor, Co-worker)
3. Personal Identity (Navigating sexual or gender Identity)

II. Political
A. Rights - Equality as the main goal
B. Discrimination - exclusion based on gender preferences. There is a claim of Institutional
discrimination, - inequality woven into the web of social structure. (Ballantine and Roberts p. 284)

Legislations:

1. SOGIE Bill (House Bill No. 4982)

a. Equal Rights for all under the constitution
b. Discrimination of Religion in public life
2. Civil Partnership Act (House Bill No. 6595)

III. Biological

• There are 2 sexes

1. Male - bears an XY chromosome, has male reproductive organs and able to impregnate the opposite
sex
2. Female - bears XX chromosome, has female reproductive organs and capable of pregnancy and
childbirth

● Occurrence of Intersex
o Statistics The most thorough existing research finds intersex people to constitute an estimated
1.7% of the population
o This includes other genetic aberrations and deviances

Genetics: “Born Homosexual?”

• Brain sex theory - Suggests that the introduction of hormones (testosterone, estrogen) in utero
influences the sexual identity of a person. More estrogen for male fetuses can or more testosterone
for female fetuses may well be a predisposing factor for gender formation and identity.

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 • “Estimates of hereditability of homosexuality also demonstrate that environmental factors are more
important than genetic ones. While there is evidence that may be a predisposing factor, these studies
merely demonstrate the presence of a genetic factor or gene. The overall effect of genes, as we have
noticed, is much less important than that of environmental factors.” (Tay, 2010, pp. 45–46)

IV. Psychological

Homosexual Experience:(Yarhouse & Burkett, 2003)

1. Same-sex attraction - acute, characterized by confusion
2. Homosexual orientation - prolonged state of attraction and struggle
3. Homosexual Identity - no confusion and struggle, but rather, accepted and celebrated

Environmental factors (Tay, 2010)

1. Failure of the father-son relationship
2. Dominant mothers
3. Peers
4. Media
5. Sexual and physical abuse

Gender Dysphoria

Gender dysphoria involves a conflict between a person's physical or assigned gender and the gender with which
he/she/they identify. People with gender dysphoria may be very uncomfortable with the gender they were
assigned, sometimes described as being uncomfortable with their body (particularly developments during puberty)
or being uncomfortable with the expected roles of their assigned gender.
People with gender dysphoria may often experience significant distress and/or problems functioning associated
with this conflict between the way they feel and think of themselves (referred to as experienced or expressed
gender) and their physical or assigned gender. (“What Is Gender Dysphoria?” n.d.)

A. Statistics - Europe and North America

a. A school-based survey eliciting gender experiences with scales commonly used at gender identity
services suggested that 1.3% of 16–19-year-olds had potentially clinically significant gender
dysphoria. (“Gender dysphoria in adolescence: Current perspectives,” n.d.)
b. Diagnosis of Gender dysphoria also presents a difficulty as to its DSM V categories and
presentations. This adds to the efforts of the identification of clients that present to have the condition.

B. Treatment
• Reorientation Therapy - sometimes also known as “Conversion therapies”
(or “reparative therapies”).
a. Are interventions purported to alter same-sex attractions or an individual’s gender expression with the
specific aim to promote heterosexuality as a preferable outcome. (“Conversion Therapy,” n.d.)
b. Success rates of this treatment are riddled with mixed results.

“The main arguments cited in attempts to ban reorientation therapy are not compelling. They do not stand up
to scientific scrutiny or logic, nor do they appear consistent with medical precedent and ethical practice”
(Yarhouse & Throckmorton, 2002)

V. Theological
Bible passages

A. Leviticus 18:22; 20:13

18:22 “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
20:13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done
what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

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 B. Romans 1:24-27
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading
of their bodies with one another.
25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the
Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual
relations for unnatural ones.
27 In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust
for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due
penalty for their error.

C. Genesis 19 - The account of Sodom and Gomorrah

D. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither
the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the
greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

All these Biblical passages are debated and are interpreted by others to be non-indicative of the direct
prohibition of homosexuality and homosexual acts. But regardless of the opposing sides of interpretation,
the Scriptures include homosexual acts in a category that umbrellas its inclusion as a sexual sin among
any others.
John 8 Paradigm

The scene in this passage is more than just a picture of Jesus’ defense of Himself against the
accusations and persecutions of the Pharisees but it shows us something more than just a battle of wits, it
suggests a deeper, more meaningful approach to people who fit the profile of a person with sexual sins. The
tension in this account involves Jesus being forced in a position to agree with the Pharisees and teachers of the
Law to condemn the woman presented in the temple courtyard. As expected by these temple leaders, as a rabbi
who claims to be the Messiah, He was expected to uphold the Law of Moses and fulfill the punishment of stoning
to death the woman accused (John 8:5). But what makes this account interesting is Jesus’s method of dealing
with tension.
Jesus’ words in verse 7 were totally unexpected by the teachers of the Law, the people around and the
woman in the trial. He said, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” The
comments of Jesus caught the spectators off guard as they left the scene one at a time. They have witnessed
something that was not commonly done by rabbis. Jesus' way of response did not only confront the hypocrisy of
the people and the teachers in the temple, but it was a demonstration of God’s compassion for the sinner. If we
look at Jesus' actions, we do not only see compassion and grace but He does it with a command to repentance.
Of course, we can assume that the woman was indeed an adulterer and according to what these teachers say,
the woman deserves to die right away. But as we can see in this passage that Jesus was able to show
compassion and grace but also, He does not let the woman leave and continue to live in sin. Jesus equally
emphasizes the need for repentance and changed life as he declares “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John
8:11). So when we look at the sin of homosexual acts, we are to view it in conjunction with all the other sexual
sins and avoid putting a “premium” on it. It is a sexual sin that God detests, like any other sins. We should treat
people who struggle with it the same way we treat other people who struggle with a different kind of sin. That is
with love and compassion.
This is a good example of Jesus Himself on how to be compassionate and yet firm to what is right and
appropriate. He does not only point to the right morals but also, does it with grace and compassion. A right
balance between grace and justice that exemplifies the heart of God for sinners – that is all of humankind. I
believe that when we take this example and consider Jesus' way of dealing with sin and even sexual sins like
committing homosexual acts. When we live out this kind of mindset, people who struggle with same-sex attraction
will encounter the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ that actively seeks out and shows compassion which is
something that people look for. This Gospel is the hope that we all need to be forgiven, accepted and fulfilled.

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SUMMARY:
• The problem with the gender debate is the cultural war between the pro-lgbtq faction and the
people who are against it.
• Your worldview (integrity,disability,diversity) will inform you of your preferences regarding the
gender debate issue
• The search for truth is necessary to be able to address the issue with a less bias approach.
• In all areas of discussion, the more consistent view of gender and sexuality would be the integrity
worldview. While Integration of the lenses as the best way of approaching the issue

REFERENCE:
Ballantine, J., & Roberts, K. (n.d.). Our social world: Introduction to sociology. Thousand Oaks, California : SAGE
Publications, Inc., [2020].
Conversion Therapy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2019, from
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Policy_Statements/2018/Conversion_Therapy.aspx
Gender dysphoria in adolescence: Current perspectives. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2019, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5841333/
How Common is Intersex? An Explanation of the Stats. – Intersex Campaign for Equality. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 21, 2019, from https://www.intersexequality.com/how-common-is-intersex-in-humans/
Mark Yarhouse | 36th Annual Scandrette Lecture | 3/29/2018—YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyoCwPvk0JY&t=2s
What Is Gender Dysphoria? (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2019, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-
families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria
Yarhouse, M. A., & Burkett, L. A. (2003). Sexual identity: A guide to living in the time between the times. Lanham,
Md.: University Press of America.
Yarhouse, M. A., & Throckmorton, W. (2002). Ethical issues in attempts to ban reorientation therapies.
Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 39(1),
66–75.
Tay, J. S. H. (2010). Born gay: Examining the scientific evidence for homosexuality. Singapore: John S.H. Tay.

BIBLE 103
MIDTERM

Prepared by:

Bryan Paul L. Catanus, RN, MDiv

Assistant Professor I

Reviewed by: Approved by:

EPHRAIM P. MAGUAD, LPT, M. Ed. MARILYN T. ALCALA, LPT, Ph. D.

Program Head, BSED Dean

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 BIBLE 103 MIDTERM WORKSHEET
Name: Degree Program:
*Use a separate piece of paper if needed:

1. Among the arguments for and against abortion, what do you think is the most convincing ones? Support your
answer respectively.
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2. How does the Biblical view of Abortion affect your moral decision when it comes to the issue of abortion?
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3. After the comprehensive discussion of the topic, what do you think is the best lens in approaching the issue?
Explain your choice and give reasons to support your choice.
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4. How does the integrative approach to the issue account for all the differences of opposing opinions help us
maintain cohesion in a societal level while maintaining personal beliefs on the matter?
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