The Historical Jesus

[Belacqua]

If a person claims they are one gender or another, or none, how can this be falsified? If a person says "I'm female," is it EVER possible to say "no, you're not." If not, then we're dealing with some kind of truth which is not empirical, testable, scientific. We are to believe it based on an individual's claim -- not on evidence.

Like a vast host of things a person can say about themselves which can't be falsified but as a society we take them at their word as long as their actions are reasonably consistent with their claims about themselves. We can't falsify whether a person is a Christian or a communist, it could just be an act...but we take their word for it just the same. We're more likely to think someone who claims to be a communist but doesn't act like it is just confused about what communism means, because why would they lie?

Christianity and communism are value systems and beliefs. Does gender fall into this category?

People frequently convert from one religion or political belief, given a more complete education. Does this mean that gender is also something that could be changed? Or is a person born that way?

And what actions are reasonably consistent with being, say, female? Aren't there many females who do not conform to gender stereotypes about how females act?