We did it, friends! We finished our second month of book club and tackled a very timely and important topic this month. If you’ve ever wondered how as a society we’ve gotten to this point in matters of sexuality and gender, you’ve probably had many (if not all) of your questions answered in this book! I appreciated Nancy’s research and apologetics approach to this topic. It helped me better understand how views, and society, have changed over time and where we are headed (which is a little scary!). It also helped me to better understand how and why a biblical view is better.
I’m really glad we read this book and I can’t wait to hear what your thoughts are. Here are the discussion questions, and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments!
Discussion Questions
*Nancy frames much of the book around this quote, “The key to understanding all the controversial issues of our day is that the concept of the human being has likewise been fragmented into an upper and lower story. Secular thought today assumes a body/person split, with the body defined in the “fact” realm by empirical science (lower story) and the person defined in the “values” realm as the basis for rights (upper story). This dualism has created a fragmented view of the human being, in which the body is treated as separate from the authentic self.” Do you believe she is correct in holding this view and applying it to the issues discussed in the book such as abortion, euthanasia, transgenderism, and homosexuality?
*How does knowing the truths as laid out in this book enable us, and encourage us, to love people more?
*How is the biblical view of the body a more whole and positive view?
*In what ways is the secular view of the body destructive- both personally and socially?
*How has the sexual and gender revolution hurt people? How can the church take steps to help these people heal?
*Why does fighting for a biblical view of marriage and family matter? Why is it so important?
*What are the ramifications of rejecting a biblical view of marriage and family? How does this rejection empower the state and hurt families?
*Did you have a high view of the body before reading this book? Has your view of your body, or the body in general, changed since reading this book?
*How do we ‘love thy body’ and help others do they same?
*This book was not a light read. It was filled with philosophy, history, biology, and theology. There were many concepts to understand and dissect. But what can we take away practically from this book? How does having read “Love Thy Body” better enable us to practically engage in conversation and with others?
*Share your favorite quote, or one that stood out to you, from the book.
Scripture of the Month
Genesis 1:27
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Psalm 100:3
Prayer of the Month
Father God, so many of the issues we see in the secular world do not match up with truth. Your view of creation is that it’s good. When we accept Your view and Your words in the Bible we accept what is true and positive. Thank You for giving us the ability to know and understand truth. Help us to share Your truth and goodness with others and love them. It’s heartbreaking to know how far reaching the destructiveness of lies about the body are and to know that it’s continuing to hurt people and destroy them. Help us to champion marriage and family and to not be afraid to stand up against what culture is saying. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do. We love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Next Month
Click HERE for all the details for next month!
I was intimidated to read this book. Let’s just get that out of the way. 😆 I think “answering the hard questions about life and sexuality” is important, but wasn’t too sure I could handle the depth I just knew this book would most likely provide. I’d be much more interesting in getting cliff notes on these topics…but the gist of it won’t cut it when dealing with these kind of things!
This book really opened my eyes to how negatively our culture (especially the Western culture) views the body. I guess one only has to go to the pharmacy or healthy section of a grocery store to be reminded that our bodies aren’t “ok” as-is: weight loss pills, shakes, and protein bars line the shelves, making us feel continuously inadequate. How have we come to see the body as “bad”? 🙃
The intensity of the dualism concept, person (upper level) vs. human/body (lower level), was particularly intriguing, frightening, and grievous to me! How can the idea that someone be a human but not a person not only be considered, but also be accepted? Yes, the mind (person) and the brain (body) are two separate things; however, they work together:
“The mind uses the brain, and the brain responds to the mind. The mind also changes the brain. People choose their actions—their brains do not force them to do anything. Yes, there would be no conscious experience without the brain, but experience cannot be reduced to the brain’s actions.” (mindbodygreen.com)
We are both mind and body. The phrase, “Mind over matter” calls out how feelings influence actions. However, as the author mentions, feelings cannot always be trusted and furthermore change, so they’re not completely reliable.
Sadly, today people are unhappy perhaps on a level beyond what any other previous generation has experienced. Ironically, the increase in searching for truth
(#youdoyou), love (#loveislove), peace, and happiness has caused more lies to form, hate to erupt, conflict (both relationally and internally) to emerge, and depression to rise than ever before. Shouldn’t we be more satisfied if we’re “ridding” ourselves of all (i.e, our bodies) that’s not needed? That is to say, if our minds supposedly unlock our freedom, and we’re letting our minds “take over,” why are we not free?
So. Many. Thoughts.
I probably should have begun with this, but I loved that the author said everyone struggles with something and struggle is the result of the Fall when sin entered the world. We’re not free because of sin. While Christians can sadly treat some sins as “bigger” than others, we must remember sin is sin – and, as the author said, we all can be susceptible to any temptation, at any time.
Thinking about our existence as beings, we have to ask ourselves a few questions:
1) If life just suddenly, randomly occurred, and the person-body combination exists in a general functioning format, how is it continued to exist this way? Meaning, how has life not evolved more intelligently so that the person (i.e., mind) has not gotten the upper hand (pun intended 😉) after all these years? Maybe that’s why Artificial Intelligence is so sought after: a “body” separate from a living, breathing organism that functions at the mercy of its programming (i.e., person/mind).
2) If there is a God who created us, does He make mistakes? How we answer this matters deeply. Because if He does make mistakes (or has the potential to make them), then a) He’s not trustworthy at all, b) He’s just like us: fallible, and c) there’s no hope whatsoever. Alternatively, if He does not make mistakes, then a) He can be trusted, b) He is infallible, and c) there’s hope even if we don’t understand how or why everything functions.
At the core of the rejection of our bodies, I believe, is an insecurity and identity crisis. We aren’t happy with who we are because we simply don’t know who we are. And while we desperately want to be found, we are too proud to acknowledge that someone else needs to find us…so we keep trying to find ourselves, believing the answer lies within us. Yet…
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
*The truth we search for has come.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18
*The love we are looking for has come.
The author talks about contracts vs. covenants, and I think it’s especially refreshing that with covenants we do not have to set our own terms. They’re already defined. We don’t have to strive to create ourselves. We’ve already been created; the terms have been defined: we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)
When we deconstruct and dismantle the terms of who we are – particularly male and female – we end up not being able to identify those new terms. The author brilliantly said, “We cannot legally protect a category of people if we cannot identify that category.” That is to say, if a person is simply “whatever gender they claim to be,” and no grounds are needed legally to show evidence of the preferred gender, how can there be ways to protect one’s rights? And what if the claim is redacted or resigned later? The author reiterates that, if we can no longer define individuals by their biological functions, we can no longer legally protect them as a specific class. Therefore, there is no basis for unalienable human rights.
We are made in the image of God. He created us body (i.e., human), soul (i.e., person – mind, emotions, and will), and spirit (i.e., our connection to purpose and meaning). [www.faithandhealthconnection.org/the_connection/spirit-soul-and-body/]
That wasn’t a mistake. We don’t have to shun our original design, but can walk freely in knowing we were lovingly, intentionally made. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.“ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)