Posted on 11/13/2018 10:57:38 AM PST by Kaslin
Emile Ratelband, a 69-year-old motivational speaker in the Netherlands, has petitioned a Dutch court for permission to change his legal age by altering his birth certificate to show he was born 20 years later than he really was -- to legally make him 49 rather 69 years old.
Ratelband told the Washington Post: "We can make our own decisions if we want to change our name, or if we want to change our gender. So I want to change my age. My feeling about my body and about my mind is that I'm about 40 or 45."
As The Telegraph reported: "Mr Ratelband was born on 11th March 1949, but says he feels at least 20 years younger and wants to change his birth date to 11th March 1969.
"Mr Ratelband said: 'I have done a check-up and what does it show? My biological age is 45 years. When I'm 69, I am limited. If I'm 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car. I can take up more work. When I'm on Tinder and it says I'm 69, I don't get an answer. When I'm 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position.'"
It is the transgender movement that inspired Ratelband. "Transgenders can now have their gender changed on their birth certificate," he argues, "and in the same spirit there should be room for an age change."
Now, what exactly is wrong with Ratelband's argument? If sex doesn't objectively exist, why does age? If feelings determine sex, why don't feelings determine age? If we are to regard sex as "assigned" at birth, why don't we regard age as "assigned" at birth?
Of course, the left would argue that age is fixed while "gender is fluid." But "gender is fluid" is a meaningless statement. All the left has done is substitute the word "gender" for "sex" and then make up a rule: Gender is fluid, meaning sex is fluid.
Few deny there are people with gender dysphoria -- people who do not identify with their biological sex. These people deserve our care, sympathy and the respect due every person as the child of God he or she is.
But sympathy for the minuscule percentage of people who do not identify with their sex doesn't mean sex (or gender) doesn't objectively exist. It just means some people don't identify with their objective sexual identity.
We are living in a time of intellectual and moral chaos. The political movement known as leftism or progressivism (not liberalism) is first and foremost a chaotic force. And nowhere is that chaos more evident than in the left's attempt to end the reality that the human being is created either male or female. That is "binary" nonsense, according to the left.
Thus, a New York Times headline last month read "Anatomy Does Not Determine Gender, Experts Say."
Just 10 years ago, not to mention at any time in recorded history, that headline would have been regarded as so absurd only a satirist or an opponent of science would have written it. The article cited Dr. Joshua D. Safer, an endocrinologist and executive director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, as saying, "The idea that a person's sex is determined by their anatomy at birth is not true, and we've known that it's not true for decades."
When medical doctors argue that a person who has two X chromosomes, a vagina, breasts, ovaries, a uterus and a menstrual cycle might be a man, your society is in deep trouble.
So, why is Emile Ratelband wrong?
The judges in the Netherlands will likely rule against him. But if they believe sex has no objective reality, that the sex on one's birth certificate can be changed, on what grounds can they rule that the date of birth cannot be changed?
The answer is there are no such grounds. But only for the time being -- because the day The New York Times publishes an article titled "The Idea That a Person's Age Is Determined by Their Date of Birth Is Not True," age, too, will become subjective.
I think he’s making a useful point in today’s atmosphere.
Why fixed age, if not fixed gender?
I think this guy is brilliant.
The Left is at war with Truth. They disapprove of reality.
So, fine — have a judge determine my age to be 20 years younger today than it was yesterday. Ya got a problem with that? Explain why we can’t do that. And then tell me about the 73 genders.
I’m reminded of that “How do you do, fellow teens?” meme with Steve Buscemi.
If sex and age aren’t fixed, why is species?
As for myself, I identify as a Giraffa camelopardalis (giraffe)!
I love how he’s showing the absurdity of it all.
If I were 20 years older, I could apply for Social Security and Medicare.
I think there’s a winner here.
Why not? Pretty soon I may be able to claim I am Chinese or European.
I like where you're going with this. With the right lawyer I bet you'd win.
I’d like to get a judge to add 3 years to my age so I can qualify for Medicaire.
“Why fixed age, if not fixed gender?”
Would be great if he won. Age discrimination is a big issue if you are looking for a high level job and are over 50. I interviewed with a late 40’s guy once who commented on another employee that was in his late 50’s - pointing out the difference between him and “guys our age.” I must have looked a lot younger than I am, as I was in my late 50’s too. But once HR figured that out by looking at school records..., I was toast.
Think about the permutations of this if sex and age can be variable:
-Schizophrenics can legally register ALL of their personalities
-Legal age for consent is out the window
-No more need for passports as nationality will no longer exist
“Why not? Pretty soon I may be able to claim I am Chinese or European.”
Or school, say - I must have gone to Harvard (not Tumbleweed Tech).
“When I’m on Tinder and it says I’m 69, I don’t get an answer. When I’m 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position.”
I love Dennis Prager. This is a great point. If gender/sex is not a fact, why should age, or anything, be a fact?
Of course people with gender dysphoria should be loved, understood, cared for and treated. But it doesn’t negate gender because it doesn’t work sometimes.
I don’t know if age (exact birth date) is really embedded in DNA as gender is. But eye color sure is...why don’t I get to say my eyes are violet, like Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes?
If anyone can add years to their age, kids could say they’re 18, or they could say they feel that they’re old enough to drink and declare themselves to be 21.
Can I say that I’m a child at heart, be 9 so that I can pay a kid’s price to get in to Disneyland? That place is expensive. The next day, I’d like to get senior discounts.
Criminals can say they’re underage so they don’t get charged as adults.
If people can just change their age at a whim, life would get completely chaotic. I already think the whole gender fluidity is confusing.
Hey, I have known some 14 year olds that had the mindset to make great drivers... They sure did fine two years later when it was legal for them to drive.
Same deal with booze. Some 40 year olds can’t be trusted with a beer. Some 19 year olds are wise enough to handle full Liquor Barn access without concerns or issues.
Kudos for the Dutch dude for a beautifully executed reductio ad absurdum...
Sure he’s brilliant until he changes his age to 13 so he can hit on your twelve year old daughter.
While we are at it...
Why not have all 8 year olds:
add 8 years on so they can stop going to school
(depending on school system)
add 10 years on so they can vote.
add 13 years on so they can drink
add 60 on so they can claim SS.
If nothing means anything anymore than who is to say they can’t?
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