Gov. Ron DeSantis: “It is not ‘sinful’ to prohibit the mutilation of minors”

In an interview with Comedy Central’s Kal Penn released on Monday, President Joe Biden called efforts in Florida to protect sexually confused children from life-altering surgeries and hormones to be “close to sinful.”

“It’s terrible what they’re doing,” the president told Penn. “It’s not like a kid wakes up one morning and says, ‘You know, I decided I want to become a man’ or ‘I want to become a woman’ or ‘I want to change.’ What are they thinking about here? They are human beings. They love. They have feelings. They have inclinations that are… It just, to me, is, I don’t know is, it’s cruel.”

Florida House Bill 1421 prohibits the use of federal funds for “gender clinical interventions,” as well as “hormone antagonistic therapies,” puberty blockers and “sex reassignment” surgeries for children.

On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the criticism, suggesting, “It is not ‘sinful’ to prohibit the mutilation of minors. It is not acceptable for the federal government to mandate that procedures like sex change operations be allowed for kids.”

Scripture makes clear that sin represents “lawlessness” (1 John 3:4) and “rebelliousness” (Deut. 9:7), a form of transgression against God’s Word and ways. By that measure, it’s unclear what’s “almost sinful” about Florida legislation.

That government needs to step in and protect innocent children from being mutilated and permanently altered and disfigured is a catastrophe of our time. Southern Seminary president Dr. Al Mohler calls the “transgender revolution” to be “the death of truth” and for good reason, suggesting we’re standing “on the brink disaster.”

“The great question remaining is whether there is enough sanity and courage left in our society to avoid the total abdication of truth,” he notes. “It is now plain to see that we face a demand to jump into the deep end of a pool of mass delusion. Whatever it takes, summon the courage to resist that dive.”

Almost fifteen years ago, Focus on the Family’s Board of Directors had the foresight to add a sixth foundational pillar to our organization’s guiding principles. For years, the non-profit ministry dating back to Dr. James Dobson’s founding in 1977, centered its efforts on the “Preeminence of Evangelism,” the “Permanence of Marriage,” the “Value of Children,” the “Sanctity of Human Life,” and the “Importance of Social Responsibility.”

After significant prayer and discussion, the board added our sixth: the “Value of Male and Female.”

The pillar states:

“We believe that God created humans in His image, intentionally and immutably male and female, each bringing unique and complementary qualities to sexuality and relationships. Sexuality is a glorious gift from God to be offered back to Him either in marriage for procreation, union and mutual delight, or in celibacy for undivided devotion to Christ. Christians are called to proclaim the truth and beauty of God’s design and the redemption of sexual brokenness in our lives and culture through Jesus Christ.”

Our hearts break for those who rebel against God’s plan and authority, or who remain confused regarding their own biological sex. We remain steadfast in our defense of children, and consider it a sin and an unconscionable act to do anything to harm them.

Photo from Twitter.