I have just finished the Methodist Church’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training. It was compulsory - mandatory they said! It is a course designed to make us think like “them”. There are multiple choice questions on many of the pages and the “correct” answer has to be ticked before you can continue. Even if you don’t agree with “their” answer, you have to tick to say you do agree - no diversity of opinion allowed!
There are videos to be watched (fast-forwarding doesn’t work!) You can watch these on mute - there are subtitles.
But there is no Bible, there is no theological rationale.
It gave me nightmares. I fear I may be excluded from this inclusive church because my views are biblical and therefore diverse.
So I thought I would make my own, biblical, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. It goes like this:
Equality - "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3: 23)
"no one living is righteous before you". (Psalm 143: 2)
Diversity - "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers - none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6: 9-110
Inclusion - "anyone who comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6: 37)
"by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation". (Revelation 5: 9)