Should We Boycott Target or Just Throw Salt at the Sin?
Target may be red and white on the outside, but the company is showing its gay pride colors on the inside. Earlier this month, the retailing giant joined several other national companies to sign an amicus brief in support of gay marriage.
“As our leadership team discussed signing on, we took time to consider the bigger questions at hand. This brief is important, as the issues it addresses have significant impact on businesses. But it is more than that and we agreed that now is the right time to more directly share our views on this issue,” said Jodee Kozlak, executive vice president and chief Human Resources officer at Target, in a statement.
“It is our belief that everyone should be treated equally under the law, and that includes rights we believe individuals should have related to marriage … And at Target we are proud to support the LGBT community.”
Creationist Ken Ham is among the many who has engaged in the fierce culture war in America, which includes gay marriage. He points out that Target’s affirmation of same-sex behavior is just another sign of our Western culture’s overall decline away from a more Christian worldview that once permeated societies. He flat out says that Target’s decision is not surprising as we see more and more people who have exchanged the truth of God’s Word for a lie (Rom. 1:25).
“Of course, it’s important to note that there is no neutrality when it comes to such issues. Either you begin with God and his Word as your absolute authority, or you begin with man and his ever-changing opinions. Those who have man’s fallible opinions as their starting point and demand tolerance for their worldview are actually being intolerant of those who have God’s perfect Word as their starting point,” Ham said in a blog post.
“By supporting same-sex marriage, what Target doesn’t realize is that, rather than being neutral, it is actually taking a stand against Christians who believe the truth of God’s Word and that true marriage is only between one man and one woman.”
What do we do? Where do we go from here? Ham rightly points out that it’s important to be salt and light in a culture that embraces sinful behavior.
As our nation continues to openly embrace sinful behavior, he predicts this kind of acceptance of immorality as the norm will only increase. In fact, he goes on to say that the only thing that will stop this rapid decline is the regenerating power in the hearts of people of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Now, it’s not that we are to go out and try to change the culture! God’s Word says that we should preach the gospel and make disciples. It’s hearts and minds that will change a culture,” Ham says. “As more and more people build their thinking on the rock of God’s Word, then their ‘salt’ will have a positive effect on the culture as a whole. But if more people build their thinking on the shifting sands of man’s word (fallible human opinion), the contamination will spread further, and the culture will be increasingly hostile to the things of God.”
Some people are calling for a boycott on Target. Is that the right answer or, as Ham suggests, should be salt and light? I say throw salt at it.
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor of Charisma. She is also director of Every Nation Prayer Room in Fort Lauderdale and author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet and The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@
