Presbyterian Church of America petitions government to end sex-changes on children

A conservative Christian denomination voted to collectively petition state and federal governments to end cross-sex treatments on minors.

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) voted 1,089-793 during its General Assembly to approve the “overture,” Fox News reported.

The church group calls sex-change procedures a “sin,” citing Scripture, medical research and the Westminster Confession Faith, a doctrinal standard for many Presbyterian denominations worldwide.

“It is scientifically impossible for a male to become a female or a female to become a male,” the overture reads. “We who love our nation, in the name of God who alone is sovereign in his good and perfect design of men and women, call upon you to renounce the sin of all medical and surgical sex change procedures in minors by the American healthcare system.”

A final version of the overture will be sent to President Biden, the majority and minority party leaders in both congressional chambers, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as well as all state governors, majority and minority party leaders in state legislatures, and the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Courts. 

PCA leaders told Fox News the denomination wanted to address what they viewed as a dangerous cultural issue. 

Rev. Bryan Chapell, stated clerk of the PCA, said the overture was a response to the “cultural push at this time to congratulate people who question their sexual identity.” 

“All young people are certainly being subjected to that cultural push, but it in our view does not cohere with either science or Scripture,” Chapell explained. 

While the Westminster Confession of Faith advises church government not to entangle itself in civil government except in “cases extraordinary,” the PCA agreed this is such a case.  

“We have government officials saying not only do we have to press [children] to make these decisions, we have to allow them to do so without even the input of their parents,” said Rev. Fred Greco, who was the moderator of this year’s General Assembly.  

“That’s very, very dangerous,” he added. “It’s not just a bad moral decision, it’s something where the government is interfering with the rights of parents and allowing this to happen in an irreversible fashion.” 

Recent survey data show a growing number of people are rejecting progressive gender ideology and feel strongly about protecting children – especially younger ones – from sexual content.