The recent Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Skrmetti marks a significant, if limited, moment of clarity in a cultural fog. With a 6–3 decision, the Court upheld Tennessee’s law that prohibits puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors. The ruling doesn’t directly speak to the truth or falsehood of “gender identity”—it simply recognizes the state’s right to regulate medical interventions for children. But for those of us committed to a biblical worldview, this legal decision echoes a much older and deeper truth: we are not self-created.
As First Things rightly notes, this is a partial victory for common sense. But more than that—it is a moment to pause, give thanks, and speak clearly about what’s at stake.
Created Male and Female
From the opening pages of Scripture, we learn that our bodies are not accidents or raw material to be re-engineered at will. “So God created man in his own image… male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). This isn’t incidental to our faith—it’s foundational. God’s creation of two sexes is not a cultural artifact to be deconstructed; it is a good gift woven into the fabric of what it means to be human.
Modern ideologies that promote the notion of a disembodied self—where one’s identity can be detached from the body and reconstructed according to internal feelings—run counter to this truth. While compassion demands that we listen to those who suffer and struggle, it does not require us to affirm ideas that defy God’s design.
Loving Truth, Not Reinforcing Confusion
The great tragedy of today’s gender ideology is not just that it’s scientifically unsound or psychologically risky—it’s that it’s spiritually disorienting. It teaches children that their bodies are meaningless and malleable, that their identities are for them to create from scratch, and that truth bends to desire.
This is not love.
True love is never content to reinforce confusion. It does not affirm lies or encourage irreparable harm. As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)—and that means calling a halt to medical experiments on children in the name of “gender affirmation.” The state of Tennessee, by passing this law, rightly chose to protect minors from irreversible decisions they are not mature enough to make. The Court, in turn, rightly deferred to the state’s authority.
But this isn’t a comprehensive victory. The ruling leaves unresolved the larger cultural question: what is a man? what is a woman?
The Role of Parents, Churches, and the State
Biblically, the family—not the state, not the medical establishment—bears primary responsibility for the formation of children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Ephesians 6:4). The Court’s decision, though narrowly reasoned, affirms the state’s right to reinforce that boundary, protecting children from misguided ideologies being enforced through medical coercion.
Still, the real work lies ahead. The Church must disciple parents, prepare young people for life in a confused world, and extend both truth and grace to those ensnared by deceptive ideologies. Laws can restrict harm; only the gospel can restore wholeness.
Hope Beyond the Culture War
We are not merely fighting for “traditional values” or a return to some idyllic past. We are bearing witness to a kingdom not of this world, but for this world. In Christ, we proclaim a vision of humanity that is far more than fluid identity. We are not cosmic accidents. We are creatures—embodied souls, male and female image bearers of God, called into a story of redemption, not reinvention.
The decision in Skrmetti gives us a window. It is a pause in the cultural storm, an opportunity for the Church to speak clearly and act faithfully. Let us use this time well—not to gloat, not to retreat, but to proclaim with confidence and compassion:
“You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13–14)
Embrace, Don’t Affirm