Leadership Leading in the Right Direction. Will We Follow?
Among Christians (and others) there is a fair amount of upset over the thought that a transgendered man could freely use the women’s bathroom. And, of course, a transgendered woman could use the men’s bathroom. To hear the liberals on this subject, you’d think that the conservatives want to force Rosa Parks to sit in the segregated back of the bus. This is the latest controversy in the destruction of the moral foundation of American culture.
Although this controversy is upsetting, the temporal outcome is predictable.
So, North Carolina passed a law that would put men in men’s public bathrooms and women in women’s public restrooms. What a radical idea, eh? The social engineers have rallied the two forces that will force us all to give in to the madness. The forces of employment and profit have been enlisted. And, the entertainment and sports world have been engaged. Along with the mouthpiece of the media, these two forces have been positioned to make North Carolina capitulate. Most of us would rather suffer a man in the bathroom with our wives and daughters than to be unemployed or unentertained.
And what is the force that’s trying to turn back this onslaught? Well, an organization of smart Christians have pinpointed a weak spot in the defenses of the barbarians and are striking at that place. A few years back, the retailer Target was, if memory serves, the number two retailer in America. Well, Target was hit hard when the personal information of their customers was hacked. Since then, they have tried hype and promotion to climb back into a better position financially. In the spirit of going along to get along, Target released this statement:
April 19, 2016
Recent debate around proposed laws in several states has reignited a national conversation around inclusivity. So earlier this week, we reiterated with our team members where Target stands and how our beliefs are brought to life in how we serve our guests.
Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. It’s something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day.
We believe that everyone—every team member, every guest, and every community—deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally. Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination.
In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.
We regularly assess issues and consider many factors such as impact to our business, guests and team members. Given the specific questions these legislative proposals raised about how we manage our fitting rooms and restrooms, we felt it was important to state our position.
Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. And you’ll always be accepted, respected and welcomed at Target (https://corporate.target.com/article/2016/04/target-stands-inclusivity).
For this release, Target took their red and white bulls-eye logo, removed the top half, and replaced it with the LGBT rainbow symbol. In response, a wise group of Christians decided to go on the offensive and to specifically “target” Target. Rather than fight the fight for North Carolina or fight the fight on every front, they picked a smaller opponent. Brilliantly, they picked a retailer that is already tottering.
Indeed, if you look at the public’s reaction, the strategy is working. Over one million consumers have signed a petition saying they’ll boycott Target. And, as of two weeks after Target’s announcement, their stock had dropped 4.2%.
I believe the strategy of these Christians is brilliant. In 1 Chronicles 12:32, it says: “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.” Although I know none of the folks leading the boycott against Target, I think they understand the times. They not only understand the significance of these social changes, but they have intelligently formulated a counter-attack.
As stipulated earlier, I think we can guess how this ends. I think their plan, while brilliant, is doomed to fail.
Why am I so pessimistic? Let’s look at the evidence.
The brilliant folk who have put together a battle plan to push back the crazy policy of bathroom indiscrimination are the same brilliant folk who put together the best attempt to drive back the entire gay rights movement. Twenty years ago, the American Family Association strategically put together a plan to boycott Disney even as that leviathan was using its influence to promote a same-sex agenda. The AFA knew that if they could get Christians to boycott Disney, then the gay rights movement would have been set back fifty years. And, their strategy was savvy and it would have succeeded, except for one small detail. Christians would rather have their Lion King, Cinderella, and Pinocchio, than have a moral country. The AFA’s boycott went down in flames because Christians refused to give up their entertainments.
Given past history, the current brilliant plan will flame out, too. Christians like signing petitions. They like talking with forceful words. They love to hear sermons about doing something. But, every time the Left says the Right wants to make everyone wear scarlet A’s, we back down and reach for the remote.
And even if the boycott succeeds, the Christians will most likely fail. In their ever-increasing hunger for domination, the liberals couldn’t care less if Target fails. For them, ideology is more important than friends. Even though Target has signed up as a team-player, the Left doesn’t care if an ally goes bankrupt. No biggie. The executives from Target will find a golden parachute and free pass to another cushy job in a gay-friendly corporation with a commensurate sign-on bonus.
Want more evidence of the upcoming collapse of this Christian stratagem?
Look at Mike Pence in Indiana. A year ago, he signed a law that would allow Christian bakery owners to refuse to serve same-sex clients. The media and the left trained a laser-like attack on him, and within no time, Governor Pence retreated.
Take a look at the presidential race. The presumptive nominee representing the conservatives, Donald Trump, said that North Carolina was wrong. He said that the current policy of letting people use any bathroom they choose is the way things should be. Mr. Trump said that few people have complained. He said that it would be too expensive for business to add a third bathroom. He said that North Carolina is foolishly paying a price too high for their moral stand. The businessman Donald Trump looked at this moral issue as being a business decision. In the latest Republican primary, Ted Cruz blanketed the state with ads that explained that Mr. Trump was in favor of shared bathrooms. Mr. Trump won that state comfortably.
Still, I don’t believe all is gloom and doom.
Even though the temporal outcome is predictable, I know ultimately that God will win. He will win either in judgment or in blessing. Although North Carolina will probably surrender and the AFA battle will be lost, God will win.
There are other reasons for optimism. I have a friend who serves a large mission organization. One of the members of that mission’s board of directors is the CEO of a major retailer. TYears ago, that company decided to go down the path of courting gays. Their business bottom-line dropped. They hired a different CEO who changed the direction of their company and the company’s profit margin revived. I don’t mention the name of the company because my knowledge is hearsay and because I’d rather the gay community not attck that retailer.
Also, I take great solace in the historical facts surrounding the abolition of slavery in England. The late Chuck Coulson endlessly cited the example of William Wilberforce and his refusal to back down in his campaign to eliminate the ownership of human beings. As Coulson reminded us, God’s resources are not limited, and history shows that as long as Christians are unwilling to compromise, a cultural reversal is not only possible; it’s inevitable. Bottom line: Christians must value morality more than they love their financial security and worldly amusement.
I have hope because of people who understand the times like the good men and women at the American Family Association. Even though they took it on the chin in the Disney boycott, they haven’t quit. They should be an example to all of us. They remind me of the made-up story of the street preacher in Sodom. Every day the preacher preached God’s righteousness and forgiveness to all those who passed by the town square. After some time, it became obvious that no one was changing. One day, a passerby asked, “Why do you persist? They won’t change.” The preacher responded, “I used to preach thinking I could change them. Now I continue to preach so they won’t change me.” I’m not quite as pessimistic as that preacher, but I admire his persistence. I know that God’s Word won’t return unto Him void, and I am inspired by the brilliance and the tenacity of Christians like those at the American Family Association.
If you’d like to sign the petition, you may do so at: https://www.afa.net/action-alerts/sign-the-boycott-target-pledge/
Better yet, write Target a letter and mail it to:
Attn: Brian Cornell, Target CEO
1000 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
It goes without saying that you should be polite and stick to the topic.
Scott Campbell