DEI Is in the DNA of the Gospel. Erasing It Erases Everything

The Trump administration is eliminating the language of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from federal agencies. Gone are terms like “equity,” “gender,” “LGBT,” “inclusion,” “discrimination.” The goal? To crush “woke ideology” and reassert “traditional values.” But let’s ask a deeper question. What happens if you remove DEI from the Bible? Because if we did, we wouldn’t just be editing Scripture—we’d be gutting it. ⸻ Diversity is the DNA of the Gospel The New Testament is built on a radical idea: the kingdom of God is for everyone. Jesus went out of his way to reach the people society left behind: Samaritans, Gentiles, lepers, women, children, tax collectors, Roman occupiers, and the poor. He crossed boundaries and shattered hierarchies. In Acts 2, the Spirit descends on people from “every nation under heaven.” That’s not assimilation. That’s divine diversity. ⸻ Equity Wasn’t “Woke”—It Was Holy Jesus didn’t preach personal wealth and divine favoritism. He flipped tables in the temple. He told the rich to sell their possessions and give to the poor. He praised the widow who gave her last coin. In Acts 4, the early church shared everything so “there were no needy persons among them.” The Bible doesn’t use the word “equity.” It lives it. ⸻ Inclusion Wasn’t a Footnote. It Was the Mission. The gospel is a story of inclusion from beginning to end. Jesus dined with sinners. He defended women caught in adultery. He healed outsiders and praised the faith of foreigners. He forgave the criminal next to him on the cross. Paul made it plain in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” That is inclusion. Bold. Unapologetic. Revolutionary. ⸻ Without DEI, the New Testament Falls Apart Take DEI out of the Bible and what do you lose? No Good Samaritan. No Ethiopian eunuch. No women at the tomb. No grace for the thief. No Gentiles in the church. No shared bread. No open table. You’re left with a religion of the pure and powerful, not a gospel of grace. ⸻ So What Is This Really About? When leaders seek to erase DEI—from government, schools, or sacred texts—it’s not about theology. It’s about control. It’s not about protecting faith. It’s about weaponizing faith to enforce silence and submission. So let’s be honest: If you strip DEI from the Bible, are you defending Christianity—or are you using it to justify oppression? Because the Jesus I know? He broke the gates. He didn’t build them.