Trust in Dei not DEI

In another example of the culture co-opting and distorting something holy, DEI has become a popular acronym for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. And it’s no coincidence when we say this movement is not of God, for the Latin Dei means just that: of God. Even if the people who coined the acronym and push the agenda it stands for did not intend to co-opt the name of God, Satan is surely at work and did. 

DEI has become the new Deity. At Psychology Today, Gregg Henriques wrote an article titled “Is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a Religion?” He cites John McWhorter’s book Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America, in which the author calls followers of DEI “the Elect.” McWhorter explains that this movement bears all the hallmarks of a religion, even including original sin—in this case “white privilege.”  McWhorter explains that this movement bears all the hallmarks of a religion, even including original sin—in this case “white privilege.Tweet This

It all gets even stranger. Recently, media personality Lenard McKelvey, who goes by the moniker “Charlamagne tha God,” criticized corporate efforts at DEI as little more than a public relations stunt—essentially just more virtue signaling from white elites. Try to keep up: someone who takes his stage name from the first Holy Roman Emperor, who united Europe under the banner of Christianity, and added “tha God” because “it sounded cool,” is criticizing members of a movement that also takes its name from the Almighty for not being faithful enough to the new religion. 

Of course, in and of themselves, there is little wrong with the terms that make up the acronym. Diversity of cultures and backgrounds adds to the richness of a culture. Variety is, after all, the spice of life, at least according to poet William Cowper. Equity, defined as “justice in accordance with natural law,” insists that all men are created equal and in imago Dei—in the image of God. Finally, inclusion, recognizing the dignity of each person, should mean that salvation is available for all. What modern culture fails to admit, here, however, is that there is an important condition to that inclusion. One must follow the law, God’s law. 

As with so much in our earthly existence, things have been twisted for nefarious purposes. And, as we humans are so apt to do, we have overcomplicated things. If we worked hard and did our best, and strove to acknowledge the dignity and worth of each human being, we wouldn’t even feel the need for such superficial initiatives as DEI. 

In other words, if everyone would, quite simply, acknowledge the supremacy of God—Dei—then an appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion would spring forth naturally. But it wouldn’t look the way the world envisions these principles. The Elites are the high priests of the church of DEI. There is only one High Priest in the real world. DEI proponents would have to humble themselves to acknowledge the true God, under whom all equity exists. 

All efforts at DEI amount merely to virtue signaling. Proponents have their pet causes about which one is supposed to be inclusive. These, according to Khyati Joshi, “typically focus on race, sexual orientation and gender.” Joshi, a Hindu, notes that “DEI professionals have neither the knowledge nor the comfort level necessary to include religion in how their workplaces handle diversity, even though religion is an essential part of personal and community identity.” Because DEI is its own god, no other religion has a place. That’s not diverse, equitable, or inclusive. 

The good news is that, thanks to the new administration, DEI is dying. President Trump’s Action, released on the day of his inauguration, states:

Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements.

It seems absurd that anyone would be opposed to employees being reviewed and assessed based on their actual performance of the job. It’s a slap in the face to one’s inherent worth and dignity, not to mention hard work, to be assessed for anything else, really. 

Now, the actual purge of DEI initiatives will take time, but progress is being made. Recently, the United States Naval Academy removed 400 titles that promoted DEI from its library in an effort to comply with the Trump administration’s aim of eliminating such propaganda from federal agencies. And, at the end of March, the Trump administration said it would freeze funding to Planned Parenthood while the abortion giant’s use of taxpayer funds—as relates to DEI—was being reviewed. 

Not surprisingly, some companies, like Costco and Apple, are holding tight to their DEI policies, while others, like Starbucks, are something of a mixed bag. Of course, money is at the heart of the issue. Retailers don’t want to lose customers or face lawsuits from the government. 

Several companies state that they want to be representative of the communities they serve. That makes sense, but no quotas seem necessary in that case. The pool of potential employees would naturally be representative of the community from which they come. 

Hiring qualified and competent employees is not rocket science. Hiring people solely based on external factors is risky, costly, and demeaning. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. The more we admit and embrace that, focusing on the dignity of the individual and the gifts and talents they bring to the workplace—not the statistical box they fill—the less we even notice external differences. 

So, thankfully, DEI is dying, and all things Dei are alive and well.