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It's Saturday, June 3, 2023.

Today’s edition covers more wokeness among American companies, the attempted censorship of The Daily Wire’s film “What Is A Woman?,” and much more.

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Of Christian Concern

MORE AMERICAN BRANDS SHOW THEIR WOKENESS, OTHERS DIG THEIR HOLES DEEPER

In one of the latest examples of “wokeness” in the corporate world, it came to public awareness this week that Chick-fil-a has a vice president of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which are buzz terms within leftist social justice ideology. The website of the Christian-founded restaurant couches their DEI policy in Christian-ish language.

In a revelation about another ostensibly conservative company, The Daily Signal reported last week that Fox News has policies allowing transgender employees to dress in alignment with their preferred gender and to use their bathroom of choice.

In other “woke” company news, yet another retailer—similar to the ongoing controversy with Target—recently came under fire for selling LGBTQ merchandise for children: Kohl’s. It was reported Wednesday that Kohl’s stock was set to reach the lowest point since 2020 amid the controversy.

Target itself took more blows this week with a rap song titled “Boycott Target” topping iTunes, and JPMorgan downgrading the retailer’s stock, which is “on its longest losing streak in 23 years.” Reports also came out that Target’s vice president of brand management, Carlos Saavedra, is treasurer of the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), to which Target has donated upward of $2 million.

Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch likewise continues to face difficulties, now having lost $27 billion after backlash to the beer brand’s marketing campaign with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney. Still, Bud Light will sponsor a June 24 Pride parade, and announced a $200,000 donation to the LGBTQ nonprofit National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).

Other LGBTQ controversies in the world of business include the backlash against the hit Bible-based series The Chosen after an LGBTQ flag was spotted on set in a behind-the-scenes video—reportedly belonging to a homosexual Steadicam operator. The show responded, saying in part, “we will work with anyone on our show who helps us portray or honor the authentic Jesus.” Some of the cast have also responded, coming out in support of LGBTQ pride.

Finally, a viral video taken by a visitor to Disneyland (in Anaheim, California) shows a male worker in makeup and a dress greeting guests at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. For a June 2022 opinion piece on Disney’s support of the LGBTQ movement, click here.

THE DAILY WIRE DOCUMENTARY “WHAT IS A WOMAN?” IS CENSORED ON TWITTER, THEN PROMOTED

Conservative media company The Daily Wire posted their documentary “What Is A Woman?” Thursday night on Twitter, where it was promptly censored, causing no small controversy on the platform which owner Elon Musk has promoted as a bastion of free speech online. The ensuing Twitterstorm ended with two Twitter department heads no longer working for the company, the censorship being lifted, and Musk endorsing the film with a retweet.

The film, which follows political and cultural commentator Matt Walsh as he probes the modern ideas of gender, sex, and womanhood, has now been viewed on Twitter over 100 million times. Christian attorney Bradley Pierce commented, “Definitely worth watching. My only caveat is that the film asks what truth is and then never really gets to the sure foundation of God’s word. Otherwise, excellent.” The documentary will remain available to stream for free on Twitter through the weekend (here).

Also Noteworthy

→ A Barna Group study published last month shows that most Americans, including Christians, have a negative opinion of megachurches, celebrity pastors, famous people or celebrities who are Christian, famous or well-known worship bands, and evangelicals. At the same time, most people have a positive view of Jesus Christ (71%), spirituality (65%), and the Bible (63%).

→ Pro-Life activist Mark Crosby, 73, was “viciously attacked” (graphic) last week while praying outside a Planned Parenthood, and was hospitalized with severe facial injuries. A fundraiser (graphic) for his medical expenses has raised over $41,000.

→ Australian doctor Ken Elliott, 88, has been released after seven years of captivity as a hostage to al-Qaeda. Devout Christians, he and his wife ran a 120-bed hospital in Djibo for 43 years prior to the kidnapping. He is now reunited with his family.

→ The U.S. State Department released their 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom. Christians in North Korea continue to face execution, torture, and other abuses.

→ Right-wing Jewish activists protested an evangelical prayer meeting near the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday, chanting insults, spitting on Christians, and smashing windows at the Davidson Center. Among the protestors was the deputy mayor of Jerusalem. Ten demonstrators were reportedly arrested.

→ The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to honor a drag group called the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award during a June 16 Pride event. The Major League Baseball team disinvited the group after criticism owing to their religiously offensive schtick, but re-invited them after receiving opposing backlash from LGBTQ advocates.

→ Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologized on Tuesday for sharing a faith-based video on Instagram which explained why Christians should boycott Target and Bud Light.

→ Southern Baptist entities run by Kevin Ezell and Russell Moore allegedly coordinated to file an amicus brief that contains clear falsehoods in the ongoing lawsuit McRaney v. NAMB, according to new legal filings in the case. Read the Capstone Report about it here.

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content by Christian creators.*

→ “Gooder Than Transing Kids”: On an episode of Holy Post Podcast, Phil Vischer (of VeggieTales fame) referred to a certain Oklahoma pastor when he said, “With a name like Dusty Deevers, you should be writing country music, not statements on Christian Nationalism.” Pastor Dusty Deevers responded by writing and performing a country song about Christian Nationalism. (Tweet/Video)

→ Pride Month Gospel Tracts: The anti-abortion ministry Abolitionists Rising has produced a number of provocative, LGBTQ-targeted evangelistic resources, including a quad-fold tract titled “Love Hasn’t Won Yet,” which appears at first glance to be LGBTQ propaganda, but actually confronts the reader with the reality of sin, particularly the cultural sin of abortion, and shares the gospel. (Tract)

→ Kirk Cameron’s New Anti-Pride Children’s Book: Actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron released his second children’s book on Thursday, June 1, in opposition to Pride month. The book is titled “Pride Comes Before the Fall.” (Book)

→ Everyday Life In The Early Church: Christian History Institute has released the latest edition of its quarterly magazine Christian History, the theme of which is “Everyday life in the early church.” The magazine is free to read online. (Magazine)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

Holy, Common, Clean, and Unclean (Part 1)

Leviticus 10:10 commands ancient Israel, “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean . . .” The four adjectives in this verse (holy, common, clean, and unclean) are essential in ancient Hebrew thought, and in understanding the link between their faith and our own. 

The first adjective is holy. Holiness and its pursuit is the theme of Leviticus, as seen in God’s repeated refrain, “Be holy, for I am holy” (11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8). What is holiness? Commentator Mark F. Rooker calls it “separateness” or “otherness.” Pastor Greg Livingston calls it “the sum of [God’s] infinite being.” Pastor John Piper defines it as God’s “infinite value as the absolutely unique, morally perfect, permanent person that He is.” 

In each of these cases, it has something to do with being different from everything else—which makes sense, since our verse presents holy as the opposite of common. God is utterly different, and He calls His people to be different as well.

The second adjective is common. Since this verse has the only occurrence of the word translated “common” in the entire book of Leviticus, scholar Gordon J. Wenham suggests it’s either:

• the umbrella over the two groups “clean” and “unclean,” or 

• synonymous with “clean” (as a middle state between “holy” and “unclean”).

It would make sense as synonymous with clean, since Leviticus implies throughout that most objects and people start off clean by default (which would make clean the most common state).

Clean and unclean, then, are the third and fourth adjectives. “The basic meaning of cleanness,” Wenham explains, “is purity.” By contrast, then, uncleanness is impurity. 

Summarizing the system outlined in Leviticus, Wenham observes that what is clean can be made unclean by pollution or made holy by sanctification. Also, something unclean can be cleansed, and something holy can be profaned. So, Levitical law established in ancient Israel a kind of hierarchy of all things (holy, clean, and unclean), and established that an object or person could be moved higher or lower in rank by certain actions (sanctifying, polluting, cleansing, and profaning).

Next week we’ll discuss examples, before drawing a powerful connection to the ministry of Jesus and the significance of these concepts for us.

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