The Culture Wars – Winning by Losing

          Evangelicals are losing – big time.  Just last week, a Supreme Court justice refused to exempt Hobby Lobby from a healthcare mandate requiring companies to provide abortion-inducing drugs for their employees.  As a result, this Christian-owned company must now provide these drugs – or face a fine of 1.3 million dollars a day!  As one blogger rightly noted, Hobby Lobby may become “The First Martyr Under Obamacare.”   

            Also last week, Louie Giglio, under intense pressure from gay-rights groups, decided to withdraw from praying at the Presidential Inauguration.  Gay activists had objected to statements Giglio had made some 20 years ago calling homosexual activity a sin – and decrying efforts to normalize homosexuality.  Giglio now spends much of his time fighting human trafficking and said he’s not interested in also fighting the gay agenda.  “Neither I, nor our team,” he said, “feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking . . .  to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing.”            

            Some Christians are disappointed with Giglio’s response – and disheartened by the ruling concerning Hobby Lobby.   But, I wonder if these figurative examples of publicly crucifying Christians just might backfire on liberals.  And perhaps we Christians, by losing the culture war, just might win.

            After all, liberal activists didn’t gain the upper hand in this fight by offering stellar arguments.  Instead, they won by portraying themselves as victims and we Christians as the victimizers.  This strategy, as it applies to gay rights, is described in great detail in the 1989 book, “After the Ball.” The authors write, “In any campaign to win over the public, gays must be portrayed as victims . . .  so that straights will be inclined by reflex to adopt the role of protector.”  

            However, if gay rights and pro-choice activists continue to strip Christians of their rights, this narrative will become harder to sell.  That is, if we Christians refuse to retaliate and instead, turn the other cheek.  I’m not saying we retreat from our convictions.  In fact, I urge Giglio to affirm that he still holds a biblically orthodox view of homosexuality, which he still has not done.  But, let’s remember that walking away from a fight – or even forfeiting a company – sends a message. And, this message exposes the true identity of the real bullies in this fight.