Furry Culture and Kids: A Biblical Perspective on Identity and Play

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Hello, friends. Today's podcast question says, "I would love to get your biblical perspective on the furry culture, distinguishing differences between dressing up in animal costumes for play and identifying as a furry, distinguishing between distorting identity and God-given created gifts and talents. Thanks for your help with this."

Well, this is a really interesting question and I think that there are two parts to it that I'm going to go through as I answer. First, I'm going to give you my brief thoughts on the furry culture. And second, I am going to break down how we can help our kids discern the difference between engaging in God-given imagination and suppressing the truth. So this is what we're going to dive down deep into today on the Foundation Worldview Podcast, where we seek to answer your questions so that you can equip the children that God has placed in your care to carefully evaluate every idea they encounter and understand the truth of the biblical worldview.

Understanding Furry Culture: The Research

As we think about the furry culture, the first thing I'm going to do, as I said in this podcast, is give my brief thoughts on it. I wanted to make sure, as I was preparing my notes for this podcast, that I wasn't just pulling ideas of what furry culture is out of things that I heard here and there. So I actually did a little bit of research, and what I'm going to do is read a definition or explanation of what a furry is that comes from an article published on the US government's National Library of Medicine.

What the Research Says

The article defines furries this way: "Furries are individuals who are especially interested in anthropomorphic or cartoon animals"—for example, Bugs Bunny. "They often strongly identify with anthropomorphic animals and create fursonas"—the article then explains that fursonas are identities of themselves as those anthropomorphic animals. "Some practice fursuiting or wearing costumes that resemble anthropomorphic animals."

The article goes on: "Furries have been portrayed as sexually motivated in the media and popular culture, although little empirical research has addressed this issue."

Now, I'm going to insert my own commentary here. With that last sentence, it said that furries have been portrayed as sexually motivated in the media, but there's little research to back this. This is a very interesting sentence because it makes it sound like most of those who identify as furries are not sexually motivated. However, listen to the rest of this explanation.

The Reality Behind the Research

It goes on to say: "If some furries are sexually motivated, they may be motivated by an erotic target identity inversion"—which for short is called an ETII. "An erotic target identity inversion is sexual arousal by the fantasy of being the same kinds of individuals to whom they are sexually attracted. Furries with ETIIs would experience both sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals and sexual arousal by fantasizing about being anthropomorphic animals because they often change their appearance and behavior to become more like anthropomorphic animals."

I know this is a long definition that I'm reading for us, but basically what this is saying is those who have this erotic target identity inversion are both sexually attracted to anthropomorphic animals—so in layman's terms, that would be sexually attracted to Bugs Bunny—and they also experience sexual arousal by dressing up like their anthropomorphic fantasy, so dressing up like Bugs Bunny.

Now, remember before, it said that there was little empirical evidence to back this. Well, interestingly enough, this article goes on and says, "We surveyed 334 male furries recruited from the internet about their sexual orientation, sexual motivation, and sexual interests."

The Survey Results

A large majority of their sample reported non-heterosexual identities: 84%. So of those 334 males that they surveyed, 84% of them do not identify as being heterosexual.

And here's what's really striking: 99% reported some degree of sexual motivation for being furries—that was the reason behind this.

The article continues: "Male furries also tended to report a pattern of sexual interests consistent with an ETII involving anthropomorphic animals. Both sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals and sexual arousal by fantasizing about being anthropomorphic animals were nearly universal."

So almost all of the male furries that they surveyed online said that they were attracted to these anthropomorphic animals, for example, Bugs Bunny, and that they were sexually aroused by pretending to be these anthropomorphic animals.

Furthermore, male furries tended to be sexually aroused by fantasizing about being the same kinds of anthropomorphic animals to whom they were sexually attracted with respect to gender and species. Again, this means that they're sexually aroused by putting on a costume.

The article concludes: "This sexual motivation and these unusual sexual interests do not justify discrimination or stigmatization." The US government's National Library of Medicine is just reminding us that even though these are not normal identities, we shouldn't have discrimination or stigmatization against them.

A Biblical Framework: Romans 1:18-31

As I read this, and as I copied and pasted it into my notes, there was one passage of scripture that came to mind. And I am sure that the majority of those of you who are watching or listening can already guess what passage of scripture came to mind. That passage of Scripture was Romans chapter one, verses 18 to 31.

This is a longer passage of scripture, but I'm going to read it for us because I think it's really important for us to hear what scripture has to say about a culture like ours where adults who are sexually aroused by anthropomorphic animals and are also sexually aroused by dressing up like anthropomorphic animals is viewed as something that should not be a stigma.

Romans 1:18-31 says:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made, so they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is forever blessed. Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another. Men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They're full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. Their gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them."

What This Passage Reveals

This passage in Romans one is outlining how when a culture at large abandons God and worships and serves the creature rather than the creator—very much as our culture has done, abandoning God for self-worship—God gives us over to our debased passions and we exchange the natural order, God's good design, for unnatural things, for that which is debased and which is evil.

And then this last verse, which says, "Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them." That is exactly what we are seeing in our culture. Not only is our culture at large engaging in sin in all different areas—including in sinful forms of sexual expression—but our culture is giving approval to those who practice them.

What This Means for Our Children

I sure hope it's plainly clear from this long definition that I read from that article, and then looking at it in light of Romans one, that furry culture is not something that our children should engage with. Being sexually attracted not just to animals, but to anthropomorphic animals, is not God's design.

Now, should we have compassion on those who are engaging in furry culture? Absolutely. And what does compassion look like in this situation? It looks like loving others through helping them understand what is true, and that these debased and twisted passions are leading them farther and farther away from their creator. So our children should have nothing to do with furry culture.

For Parents of Older Children

If you have older children—if you have children who are 11 on up and you've been having conversations about furry culture—I recommend that you just go and you find this article on the US government's National Library of Medicine that outlines what it means to be a furry, talk through it with them, and then walk them through Romans 1:18-31.

Helping Younger Children Discern Truth from Imagination

I know that most of you listening probably are not thinking so much about children in that age group, but are thinking about younger children. And so this is where we're going to get into the second part of this podcast. What I'm going to do here is help break down how we can help our kids discern the distinction between engaging in God-given imagination and denying the truth.

Most of what our kids are probably going to encounter in culture, if they encounter furry culture, is probably not true furry culture where it's stemming from these debased passions of being sexually attracted and aroused by anthropomorphic animals. Rather, it's more likely other children who are identifying as other animals, more just for fun, but the adults around them have actually engaged in a lie and are treating them as animals.

So we're going to want to help our kids discern the difference between engaging in the God-given gift of imagination and denying the truth.

Three Steps to Help Children Understand

I think there are three things that we can walk our young kids through in helping them understand the difference.

Step 1: Help Kids Understand the Biblical Purpose of Imagination

The first thing that I think we need to do is help our kids understand the biblical purpose of imagination. Imagination is a good thing. It is a good gift of God. And I think we can take our kids right to the first chapter of Genesis, Genesis chapter one, verses 27 and 28.

Those of you who are faithful Foundation Worldview Podcast listeners probably have this passage memorized because I probably reference it almost every other podcast because it's so foundational and so important. These verses read:

"So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

We can ask our kids after we read this passage, "Okay, what truths are revealed about humans?" Well, we learn that:

• Humans are created in God's image
• Humans are created as either male or female
• Humans have been tasked with the charge to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it, and to have dominion

Then we can talk with our kids how this passage reveals that we create. We create on this earth and we are creative because we bear God's image and God is the creative creator. As we bear his image, we reflect to a small degree his creativity and his ability to create.

Now, God can create ex nihilo—he can create out of nothing. We can't do that. We always need materials to create. But God has given us the ability to create and to be creative, and we reflect God to others. We reflect his image to others as we use the gift of imagination to create and to enjoy and to engage with the world around us.

This is the first thing: We want to help our kids understand the biblical purpose of imagination, and it's to reflect God through our creativity.

Step 2: Help Kids Understand How Imagination Has Been Affected by the Fall

The second thing I think we should do is help our kids understand how imagination has been affected by the fall—that just as with every other part of creation, our imaginations have been impacted by the fall of man.

I think a good passage to take our kids to discuss this is Isaiah chapter five, verse 20. This verse reads:

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."

We can ask our kids, "Okay, what is this saying?" This verse is saying that it's wrong to change up good and evil, to mix them up. It's also wrong to mix up darkness and light. It's also wrong to mix up bitter and sweet. We need to be seeking out: What does God call good? What does God call light? What does God call sweet?

Then we can connect this to our imaginations. We can say because of the fall, our imaginations which were designed for good can be used for evil. Our imaginations which were designed to engage in what is light can now engage in darkness. And our imaginations which were designed to be a sweet gift from God can be turned into a bitter curse because of how we use them.

You can give your kids examples. Say we can pretend with our imagination to do sinful things rather than pretending to do what is right—we can pretend to do evil. Then we can talk with them and say, "We should not use our imaginations in this way. We should not use our imaginations to imagine evil things, dark things, bitter things. Using our imaginations in this way does not reflect God. We are not showing that we bear God's image when we use our imaginations in this way. Instead, we are sinning against God."

Step 3: Help Kids Understand the Difference Between Innocent Imagining Games and Suppressing the Truth

The third thing that I think we should help our kids do is help them understand the difference between innocent imagining games and suppressing the truth.

I think you can explain that one of the ways we can sin in our imaginations is to try to turn an imagination game into something real.

For example, it's fun to pretend when you're playing house at home—it's fun to pretend to be a dog or to be a cat, or it's fun to pretend to be an adult when you're a kid. But if you start to carry that pretending into real life and try to convince other people that you are really that thing, that is sinning.

A Personal Example

In fact, I remember when I was growing up, we would frequently go to the public library with my mom throughout the week. The public library was not in the best spot in our city growing up. It was right in the downtown area, lots of crime, lots of section eight housing. And outside of the library, there were a lot of shady characters that would hang out.

So my mom would always instruct us: we were to stay with her and we were to go right inside. One of the people that was frequently outside of the library was a man who was dressed in a police officer uniform, who was not a police officer. My mom would always warn us. She would say, "That man is pretending to be a police officer. He's trying to convince others that he's a police officer, but he's not. We need to stay away from him."

So in situations like that, we need to recognize that carrying imagination into tricking people is sinful.

Other Examples of Suppressing Truth

We can also talk with our kids about how some people sometimes try to pretend to be the opposite sex. They might try to put on clothing or makeup or cut their hair in a way that makes it seem like they're the opposite sex.

And then we can also explain that sometimes people pretend to be animals when they're humans. While pretending to be an animal is fun when you're playing house or playing a game with your siblings or friends inside the house, humans are not animals. So if we actually start to believe that we are an animal or we try to make others believe we are an animal, we are using our imagination in a way that's sinning against God.

The Biblical Framework

I think the passage of scripture to take our kids to for this is again Romans chapter one, verse 18—just that first verse that says:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."

We can ask our kids, "Okay, according to this verse, what can people use their unrighteousness, their sin to do?" Yeah, they can use it to suppress the truth.

Making It Concrete

If you want to give your kids an example of suppressing, you can give them a lump of clay or of Play-Doh. Have them put it in one hand and then press the other hand against it and say, "This is suppressing it. This is making it so that this Play-Doh cannot be seen very much. It's holding it back."

Or you could get a ball that would float and press it down underwater—fill the sink up with water and press it down and say, "This is what it's like to suppress the truth. You're trying to say what is true, what's supposed to be open and honest, and you're trying to put it down so that it can't be seen." Then you take your hand away and the ball pops up.

We need to help our kids see that we honor God with our imaginations when we use them in ways that reflect his design, but we dishonor God—we sin against him—when we try to take imagination games and either imagine things that are evil or imagine things that are good or evil and try to carry them out in real life.

Summary: Three Steps to Help Children

So again, those three steps that I think we need to take our kids through are:

1. Help them understand the biblical purpose of imagination—that it's to reflect God who is creative and our creator
2. Help them understand how imagination has been affected by the fall—that we can substitute good for evil, light for darkness, sweet for bitter
3. Help them understand the difference between innocent imagination games and suppression of the truth

Conclusion

That's a wrap for this episode. If you've found this content helpful, I encourage you to join our email community so you never miss future episodes addressing the challenging cultural issues facing Christian families today. You'll receive practical biblical guidance delivered straight to your inbox to help you navigate these conversations with confidence.

And if you're looking for a comprehensive resource to equip your children with a biblical worldview on identity and God's design, I highly recommend checking out our God's Good Design curriculum. It provides age-appropriate tools to help your children understand and articulate truth in a culture of confusion.

As we leave our time together, my prayer for you is that no matter the situation in which you and the children that God has placed in your care find yourselves, that you would trust that God is working all things together for your good by using all things to conform you more into the image of his Son. I'll see you next time.