By Josue Sierra,
The Pennsylvania Family Institute exists to defend religious liberty, protect the family, and advance public policy rooted in truth. That same commitment led us to file an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court affirming a simple reality: biological sex matters, and it is objective and immutable. Sadly, that truth is becoming increasingly controversial, even within churches that once faithfully proclaimed God’s created order.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s recent General Assembly illustrates just how far some denominations have drifted from both Scripture and biological reality. If you’ve wondered why debates over sex, children, and public policy seem impossible to escape, this decision helps explain why. Ideas embraced inside church walls inevitably influence culture, education, medicine, and government.
Here is what happened, why it matters, and how Christians should respond with both conviction and compassion.
What the PCUSA Transgender Resolution Actually Did
Delegates to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s 227th General Assembly approved the overture by an overwhelming 441-30 vote, supporting access to so-called “gender-affirming care.” Although language specifically mentioning minors was removed before final passage, assembly leaders stated that the change was not intended to exclude children. Instead, they emphasized that the resolution applies to “all individuals” regardless of age. Notably, no commissioners lined up to speak against the measure before the vote, underscoring how little opposition remained within the denomination.
The resolution also opposes state laws restricting these interventions for minors and characterizes such interventions as medically necessary.
This represents a significant departure from historic Christian teaching about the human person and God’s intentional design of humanity as male and female.
The Science Is Moving in the Opposite Direction
We’ve documented several of these international medical reversals here. One of the most troubling aspects of the resolution is its claim that these interventions are firmly supported by medical evidence. This assertion is false, and it’s one that’s increasingly being challenged by reviews, public health authorities, and other evidence.
Recent developments include:
- The United Kingdom permanently restricting puberty blockers for minors outside carefully controlled clinical research after finding insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness.
- A comprehensive review released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describing these interventions as invasive, often irreversible, and carrying significant risks, including infertility, sexual dysfunction, psychiatric complications, and regret.
- Growing international scrutiny of pediatric gender medicine in several European countries has led to more cautious approaches emphasizing psychological support rather than irreversible medical interventions.
- The growing wave of detransitioner litigation further undermines claims that pediatric gender interventions represent settled medicine. In his lawsuit against Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Miles Yardley alleges he was fast-tracked onto puberty blockers and estrogen as a teenager and left with lasting physical injuries after providers failed to investigate the underlying causes of his distress. Those litigations reflect broader concerns that many young patients received irreversible interventions without any diagnostic process expected in responsible medical practice
- WPATH, whose standards of care have long been cited to justify pediatric gender interventions, is now facing a lawsuit accusing it of ignoring or concealing evidence about serious risks to children. The case underscores the growing international debate over whether these irreversible interventions are supported by any robust scientific evidence, as advocates claim.
Rather than reflecting a settled scientific consensus, the evidence continues to be actively debated, with many medical authorities acknowledging substantial uncertainty about long-term outcomes.
Scripture and Biology Point to the Same Reality
Christians should not separate biblical truth from observable reality. Scripture teaches that God created humanity “male and female” in His image. That created order is not arbitrary but intentional and good.
Biology likewise recognizes sex as an objective reality rooted in reproductive organization and human development. While individuals experiencing gender dysphoria deserve genuine compassion, compassion never requires denying reality or encouraging irreversible interventions that leave lasting physical and emotional consequences.
As we argued in our Supreme Court amicus brief, law and public policy function best when they recognize biological reality rather than subjective identity claims. The same principle applies to churches seeking to remain faithful to biblical truth.
When Churches Exchange Truth for Cultural Approval
Churches have always faced pressure to conform to the surrounding culture. Every generation must decide whether it will be shaped by Scripture or by prevailing social movements.
Ryan Bomberger summarized the concern this way on X:
“PCUSA passes science-denying resolution supporting body-mutilating surgeries, including genital mutilation for kids. Instead of affirming biology & biblical design, they’re woke & morally broke. Yet another denomination doing the work of the devil.”
Whether one agrees with every word of that assessment or not, it reflects the deep concern many Christians feel as denominations increasingly adopt positions that would have been unthinkable only a generation ago.
History repeatedly shows that when churches abandon biblical authority to accommodate cultural trends, they do not renew the culture. Instead, they lose their distinct witness.
How Christians Should Respond
Christians should neither retreat from these conversations nor respond with anger.
Instead, we should:
- Speak truth with genuine compassion based on God’s design.
- Defend children from irreversible interventions that carry lifelong harmful consequences.
- Encourage your church to remain anchored in Scripture rather than cultural pressure.
- Pray for those experiencing gender dysphoria while offering hope rooted in Christ rather than identity ideology.
- Support public policies that recognize biological reality and protect vulnerable children.
- Speak up against policies that deny biological reality, undermine parental rights, and erode religious freedom.
The Church’s calling has never been to affirm every cultural trend. It is to proclaim truth that leads to genuine freedom. As Paul reminds us, good laws serve as a tutor, exposing our need for a Savior and pointing us to the redeeming grace found only in Jesus Christ.
As these debates continue in Pennsylvania and across the nation, Christians must exercise discernment. Loving our neighbors does not require affirming falsehood. True love is grounded in truth.
God’s design for humanity has not changed. Biological reality has not changed. Our responsibility remains the same: to stand firmly for truth while extending the grace and hope found only in Jesus Christ.
