An idea rooted in partiality

Ideas have consequences. And bad ideas do real damage. DEI—short for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—is one of those bad ideas. It promises fairness but produces favoritism. It claims to uplift minorities yet ends up patronizing them. It desires unity, but fuels division and resentment. In the end, everyone loses: minorities, majorities, and the companies trapped in DEI’s grip.

Many Christians today find themselves working at companies with DEI programs. And because Christians typically respect authority and are compassionate toward others, it leaves us vulnerable to insidious ideologies masquerading as helpful, cloaked in language that sounds virtuous. Diversity is a good thing. We see it in Revelation 7, with people of every tribe, nation, and language gathered around the throne. Or in 1 Corinthians 12, where the Lord distributes a variety of gifts to different members of the church. Diversity is good—so DEI must be a good thing, right?

Not so fast. DEI is the latest term used to smuggle in destructive ideology—like “gender-affirming care,” “reproductive rights,” and “Black Lives Matter.” DEI is not neutral; it carries a full worldview. It is rooted in Critical Race Theory and intersectionality. In this paradigm, everything is filtered through the grid of oppressor and oppressed. Society is seen primarily through the lens of power, race, gender, and sexual identity. Racism is no longer viewed as an individual sin or prejudice, but as something embedded in systems, institutions, and structures. This ideology perpetuates grievance and division.

Workplace DEI initiatives bring this ideology into the office. Minorities and people of color, women, and individuals who identify on the LGBTQ spectrum often receive preference in hiring and promotions, and special treatment in rule enforcement or program funding.

A friend of mine recently experienced this firsthand. He’s a middle-aged man who worked at one of the largest healthcare companies in the world. He’d been climbing the ranks based on performance. I asked how work was going, and he told me he no longer worked there. Stunned, I asked what happened. He told me his boss said he wouldn’t be promoted to upper management because the company was behind on its numbers for black and female managers. They told him this with a straight face. So he left—for a company where his performance, not his skin color, would determine opportunity.

Christians should oppose DEI programs for this very reason. Proverbs 20:23 says, “Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good.” Proverbs 11:1 echoes this: “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.” God hates unequal weights and measures. He despises partiality. DEI programs are institutionalized partiality. A company where pay, promotion, or discipline is based on one’s position in the DEI hierarchy is a rigged system. Racial or gender quotas are false scales. Selective enforcement of policies is favoritism. Preferential funding of certain identity-based programs is injustice. God hates these things. Christians must stand against them.

Biblical justice is about equal standards and impartiality. DEI is about chosen outcomes, achieved through partiality. Biblical justice is rooted in truth, righteousness, and the fact that every individual is an image-bearer of God, deserving fair treatment. DEI is rooted in power dynamics and group identity. Biblical justice measures by personal responsibility and merit. DEI measures by group status and disparity. The Bible calls for just scales—everyone living by the same rules. DEI creates unequal rules and justifies them as “balancing historic grievances.”

In the end, biblical justice produces integrity, responsibility, and truth. DEI breeds resentment and dependency. It discriminates against majority groups, condescends to minorities, and weakens companies whose job is to ethically generate profit and serve customers and shareholders. A healthy workplace puts the most qualified person in the position—regardless of race or gender.

Defenders of DEI often appeal to benign examples to distract from the more dangerous ideological components. They point to wheelchair ramps, closed captions, dietary accommodations, flexible religious schedules, or multilingual signage. Then they say to critics, “So you’re against accessibility or food options?” It’s a bait-and-switch. These examples emotionally disarm critics and mask the deeper agenda. They elevate common-sense decency while smuggling in race-and-gender-based partiality.

Christians must also reject the lie that victimhood is a virtue. And being handed opportunities or rewards you did not earn is dehumanizing. It requires courage to speak out. But if Christians stay silent, these false ideologies will only entrench themselves deeper into society and workplace cultures. The recent Ames v. Ohio State University case—where a white male professor was awarded over $1 million after being denied promotion under DEI policies—signals a turning point. Courts are waking up to the injustices. Christians should lead the way in calling them out.

Jesus tells the “Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25. The parable teaches a spiritual truth about the individual stewardship each person has for their lives and what they’ve been given by God. And it drives home a practical lesson too. It demonstrates individual responsibility, accountability, and reward based on performance. The parable reminds us that God calls each of us to be faithful stewards, judged not by identity or group status but by what we do with what we have been given. Christians should reject ideologies like DEI that reward partiality and undermine personal responsibility. Instead, we should champion a framework that reflects God’s justice—where character, accountability, and faithful stewardship are what truly matter.