Unless you've been living under a rock recently, chances are you've heard about Target's new bathroom policy regarding gender-confused people. If by some chance you haven't heard about it yet, you can read more about that over here.

   Now, the purpose of this post is not about stating my views on the actual issues of gender-confusion or bathroom policies, however, if you feel the need to know where I stand before reading the rest of this post, I'll do my best to fill you in.  To sum it up as quickly as possible, I believe:

1. We don't "feel" our gender, we ARE our gender.  Our gender is not determined by feelings, but rather by physical, tangible, scientific, unavoidable FACTS.

2. Gender-confusion is being overplayed by social media and Youtube propaganda from people such as Jared Jennings (goes by Jazz) and Bruce Jenner (goes by Caitlyn).  This results in thinking that this minority group is much bigger than it really is, which is currently estimated to be about 0.3% of people in the U.S.

3. Guiding a gender-confused child down a turbulent path toward self-mutilation and a surgical gender change, is child abuse.

4. Bathrooms are separate for a purpose, and should be gender-specific. Male and female.

   So now that we got all of that out of the way, I don't think I really need to elaborate on my feelings on those issues.  Gender confusion sickens and saddens me, and makes me determined to discuss the topic with my children because we live in a disorienting world filled with gray instead of black and white, and I want them to know TRUTH.

   But I'm also passionate about teaching my children how to RESPOND to these cultural and social issues, because I believe that as Christians, we are a light in the darkness, and our response matters.  Our attitudes matter.  Our behavior matters.  And perhaps that is what is most important after all.  That is what this post is about.

   Jesus told us to love our neighbor, not blast emails at them trying to prove our rightness on different social issues.  And I understand why people are upset about Target's bathroom policy, but there's ALWAYS something.  Whether it's yoga pants, Starbucks' red cups, or now the Target bathrooms, people are always going to find something to get all up in arms about and want to petition, boycott, and hate.  And it's only hurting.  Hurting our testimony, hurting what we represent (which is the love of Christ, by the way) hurting our light, hurting our reach, hurting the spread of the Gospel.

   I know I will probably get feedback about the safety issues of it all.  And to that, I would ask you this:  Are you boycotting summer camps, vacation Bible school, sleepovers and trips with extended family as well?  Because I believe children have more exposure to a potential molestation at any possible excursion outside of your presence, then they do in a public restroom for 3 minutes.  And so if this all truly comes back to a safety issue for you, be consistent.

   O.k. so maybe it's not about safety.  Maybe it's just about making a statement.  Then to that I would ask: Is it worth it?  If you knew that your testimony to a gender-confused person would be shattered, and your chance of reaching them for the Lord would be prevented by your stance on this issue, would you still make it?