How Does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Help?

I’ve written before about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). If you work for a company of any size these days, they probably have a DEI team, or at least a guy or gal who pushes DEI initiatives in your company. They will have a written DEI plan (usually easily accessible on their website) with a goal of achieving a more inclusive company culture.

When modern companies say “inclusive,” they mean “diverse.”

And when they say “diverse,” they mean to include women and racial and sexual minorities.

What is so glorious about diversity? Forbes says in an article posted December 17, 2021:

Not only is diversity crucial for creativity and social justice, but also research shows that a diverse workplace is good for the bottom line. In fact, companies with a diverse workforce are 35% more likely to experience greater financial returns than their respective non-diverse counterparts.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2021/12/17/3-benefits-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/

If you follow their link to the research they cite, you’ll find a gushy article on mckinsey.com which starts off (in the first sentence—no joke), “We know intuitively that diversity matters.” Do we, though? And how, exactly, does it matter? They go on to admit that “correlation does not equal causation,” but they immediately throw that out the window on their way to proving their point. Maybe it’s just me, but the authors of the report sound a bit biased, and they do not clearly lay out their data. How did they do this study? Are there other factors which might explain some companies’ better performance other than their levels of diversity?

DEI proponents say that if we have men and women (gender diversity), then we will have more empathy in the company. You know that’s because men aren’t empathetic unless they have women around. And empathy is obviously a crucial business factor. Without women working in nearby cubicles, men would be singularly focused on running over everyone to maximize profits. They wouldn’t care about anyone or anything; they’d just fight and push and shove to get their way. But when women are hired, the company’s character gets magically better. I suppose it doesn’t count that many of these men have wives and daughters at home—that doesn’t translate to the workplace. Without women, men would create toxic work environments.

That almost sounds sexists, doesn’t it? If we reversed the sexes, it would be, but it’s culturally appropriate to characterize men this way.

Additionally, they tell us that if we have black and white employees (racial diversity), then we will have more satisfaction in our work. If we add Asians and Hispanics and other minorities, it gets even better. Harvard Business Schools says, “Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are essential to fostering a positive work culture.” That means you cannot have a positive work culture without DEI initiatives. Sounds like someone is selling something. They go on to say:

Through exposure to diverse perspectives, you can improve employee morale, promote business ethics, and drive creative problem-solving and innovation.

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-dei

The fact that DEI is important has been firmly established, but why it is important has not been clearly defined. What does it mean to have “diverse perspectives”? Can someone connect the dots? Must we be of opposite genders or of different skin colors to have diverse perspectives? What they want us to believe is that a male of a particular skin color cannot have the same perspective as another male of a different color or any color female. And because he cannot have their perspective, the company would be losing out or missing something if they didn’t employ someone with that different gender or color. I suppose that makes sense, if that perspective is somehow needed to do the job well and further the company’s interests.

A Christian has a different perspective than a Buddhist or a Muslim, so we should probably add religious diversity, right? Or is it still taboo to talk religion in the workplace?

But it’s okay to talk about sex and sexual preferences. Companies loudly and boldly proclaim their LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Again, why is it important to know your coworkers’ sexual proclivities? How does that connect with running the business well and making money?

Everyone hates discrimination, but—let’s be real—we always, without exception, discriminate when we hire. Every job has a job description, and we hire someone to fit it. If the job description involves managing people and the young lady is super-timid, has never managed anyone before, and hates teamwork, we will discriminate against her, and she will not get the job—pretty much guaranteed. If we are hiring someone to dig a ditch and they are seven (or seventy) and cannot use a shovel well, we will most likely not give them the job. We wouldn’t hire a man to model women’s clothing…well…that’s another issue…

My main point still stands—discrimination is good and necessary in most areas of our life. Discriminating is distinguishing. There is nothing inherently evil or wrong about it. The evil comes in when we discriminate based on prejudice, and we have laws in this country that a company cannot pre-judge a person based on “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.) However, if they don’t know English and cannot communicate effectively, that would disqualify them for may jobs in the States. It wouldn’t be because they just moved here from a distant land but because they don’t have essential skills.

Diversity is neither good nor bad. It doesn’t help or hinder. If a company’s goal in hiring is to maximize diversity in the workforce, they have misplaced their priorities; they are aiming at the wrong target. The goal should be to find people who fit the job description, who have the necessary skills, and who are of good character (honest, trustworthy, competent, diligent, etc.). A company should not care about what accent or melanin shade or body parts a person has or does not have. After all, “a person’s a person, no matter how small” (Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who).

In a sermon to a crowd of Greek pagans in Athens, the apostle Paul said, “God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17.26). In other words, we are all brothers and sisters. In other words, the same blood runs in our veins. In other words, there is no such thing as different races—just different nations. There’s a difference. Don’t buy the lie that there’s a “black race” and a “white race.” Darwinians made those distinctions, and they see the world as a product of evolution with some races more advanced (thus, better) than the others. Then the Marxists further divide us into false categories—those who take advantage and those who are being taken advantage of, the haves and the have-nots—with the intent of instigating class warfare.

Christians know all nations exist under the authority of one Lord Christ Jesus, whose blood covers all who believe in Him. “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him…He is Lord of all” (Acts 10.34–36). “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3.26–29).

Christianity does not seek diversity for diversity’s sake. It preaches the gospel to all nations (Matt. 28.19) and baptizes and accepts anyone who believes and responds to the gospel call. Christ’s Kingdom is plenty diverse because He saves out of all the nations and makes a single brotherhood out of all of us.

The world’s version of diversity, equity, and inclusion divides rather than unites. It creates chaos rather than peace. And that is the intent. When all the masks come off, DEI is (or will be) exposed as a power grab by certain minorities. It’s not a godly endeavor; it doesn’t seek true fairness; it doesn’t seek to level the playing field. It seeks to reverse power structures, to topple those who currently run things and put others in their place. It’s just another way the world fights with itself over supremacy and rulership. Christians should see it for what it is, expose it, and refuse to take part.

We (individuals, churches, companies, and governments) should continue to treat everyone justly, according to God’s laws, with grace and mercy. We should never accept a serious accusation against someone except from the mouths of two or three witnesses. We should never change our opinion based on how poor or rich someone is. We should never set a judgment based on a bribe. That’s Biblical equity. What’s right is always right, and what’s wrong is always wrong. God never changes.

DEI doesn’t help. It doesn’t work. God’s way works.