A "Harry" Situation

God is calling His people to be distinct, to adhere to His principles, and to stand strong in the face of
shifting cultural winds. 1st Peter 3 offers this encouragement:
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

There is hope that can be found through the truth of God's Word, providing us security and stability in a world that does not offer hope.  We can have confidence in the Lord, who empowers us to speak boldly and wisely about what He has taught us and what He has done in our hearts.  Even though there are many who do not hold to the principles of Scripture, we can be convinced that God's way is best and He will enable us to walk in it.

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In Romans 1, Paul delivers a stark appraisal of those who had rejected God, even though His
presence was clearly known. These truths continue to be applicable for today's culture, which is being confronted with a question: is this really what you want? We can read:
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

The world of Harry Potter has always been problematic for Christians - the presence of wizards, incantations, magic, and spells has been viewed as contrary to a Christian worldview perspective, yet the popular franchise of books and movies has been widely accepted and the subject matter viewed as symbolic by some.

Author J.K. Rowling has been the center of controversy recently for her comments on transgenderism.  The Blaze reports that she said:

"Trans people need and deserve protection. Like women, they're most likely to be killed by sexual partners," she wrote.

"So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman – and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside," she explained.

Uh-oh - you see where this is going.  Rowling, as the article pointed out, "...had previously been a hero in LGBT circles for declaring that Albus Dumbledore, one of the central characters of the Harry Potter series, was gay."  Not any more, it seems - she has been excoriated on social media.

One critic wrote, "Do NOT read #JKRowling 's transphobia manifesto. I already did it for you. Every line is misinformation, fear mongering, misgendering, othering, ignorance, far right language/dog whistles, and pure hate. It's not just ugly..."

John Stonestreet of Breakpoint pointed this out about responses to Rowling's falling out with the trans agenda: 

After all, as Rowling would later tweet, if biological sex isn’t real, like the T’s claim, “the lived reality of women globally is erased…” That will be an increasingly important truth needing to be said, but to quote Rowling again, “It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

Co-stars in the Harry Potter movies, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, have all spoken out in favor of transgenderism and have been critical of Rowling's comments.

Brandon Showalter points out at The Christian Post: "In December, Rowling spoke out in defense of tax researcher Maya Forstater — a woman who was ousted from her job for writing on Twitter that men who identify as transgender are not women — following an employment tribunal ruling where the judge said Forstater's views were 'not worthy of respect.'"

It is certainly stunning how the transgender movement has swept the world.  Just this past Sunday, according to CBSNews.com:

Thousands participated in a rally and silent march for black trans lives in Brooklyn Sunday. Organizers of the Brooklyn Liberation event say they believe police scanners estimated that 15,000 people dressed in white and demonstrated.

The event was organized by groups including The Okra Project, which provides meals to black trans people, and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, named for the black trans activist who was a prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.

Pictures circulated of that large crowd in front of the Brooklyn Museum.

And, just yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that the word "sex" in civil rights law can be interpreted as meaning "sexual orientation" or "gender identity," opening up a new front for the advancement of the LGBTQ in employment decisions, and perhaps, as it's been pointed out in other areas as well.

Writing for The Stream, Jonathon Van Maren states:

If you had told me back in 2007 that the LGBT crowd would eventually declare J.K. Rowling Public Enemy Number 1, I would have laughed at you. Back then, she was raking in accolades from the gay rights movement for declaring that Dumbledore of the Harry Potter series was gay. In the years that followed, she was reliably left-wing on all issues, from abortion to same-sex marriage. Like other celebrities of her wealth and status, she took the requisite shots at Donald Trump on Twitter. Her credentials were impeccable.

But that was then and this is now. The LGBT movement has surged past the redefinition of marriage, abandoned their commitment to free speech and gone to war with biological reality itself. No longer is it enough to be cool with gay marriage. It isn’t even good enough to celebrate Pride Month. Now, you must believe that biological men can become women simply by identifying as such. Biological men who identify as women are women, we are being told. Those who disagree are being purged from the progressive herd.

These abhorrent and unbiblical ideas continue to grow mainstream, and yesterday's Supreme Court decision will no doubt contribute to the institutional acceptance of practices that are Biblically incorrect.  And, the LGBTQ activists will no doubt continue to silence Christians who are committed to living out Scripturally faithful lives.

So, we have the choice: to cave to the cultural winds and wave the white flag of surrender, or surrender more wholeheartedly to the God who promised persecution for faithful believers, but who has promised to be with us when we encounter trials.

Even though the culture is trying to dictate one worldview, which is based on humanist, secularist principles, we can know that we still have the best answers to the needs of the human heart.  People are struggling now, and the peace we radiate and the confidence in God that we demonstrate can communicate powerfully the hope that is within us.