In reading the headlines about Bruce Jenner's recent announcement about his decision to "transition" from being a man to a woman, I got to think if Calvin had any advice for Christians about how to evaluate such a decision. To seek a perspective on this, I turned to Calvin's comments on Deuteronomy 22:5 which says, "A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." On this text Calvin says,
This decree also commends modesty in general, and in it God anticipates the danger, lest women should harden themselves into forgetfulness of modesty, or men should degenerate into effeminacy unworthy of their nature. Garments are not in themselves of so much importance; but as it is disgraceful for men to become effeminate, and also for women to affect manliness in their dress and gestures, propriety and modesty are prescribed, not only for decency's sake, but lest one kind of liberty should at length lead to something worse. The words of the heathen poet are very true: [97]
"What shame can she, who wears a helmet, show, Her sex deserting?"
Wherefore, decency in the fashion of the clothes is an excellent preservative of modesty.
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