A reader recently sent me an email with this question, “Why is corporate America falling in line with woke culture, and what is the Biblical perspective for Christian business owners?”
Wow, talk about a hot topic!
To answer the question, let me first say it is my belief those in corporate America who support the current form of the woke movement are doing so because they want to appear to do so. But, as you will see in the examples that follow, their support lies on a hypocritical foundation.
Second, you need to understand that the woke movement has spread far beyond corporate America; it has infiltrated our culture.
And third, the current form of the woke movement is based on a secular worldview, which is antithetical to a Christian worldview.
Getting Woke
If you’re anything like me, you’ve heard the term “woke” bandied about with increasing frequency during the last year. But maybe, like me, you aren’t sure what it means to be “woke.”
As I looked around for answers to the question, I found the woke movement has spread over the past few years. It took root and found willing supporters in liberal academia who spread the message of being woke down through our high schools and eventually to kindergartens. The woke movement spread to the C-Suite of our major corporations, the highest levels of our government, and even into our religious institutions.
As I researched, I found the woke movement wasn’t always the way we see it today. In fact, it started quite differently.
A Little Woke History
The woke movement traces its roots to 1860. Then, the term “wide awake” described a movement started and promoted by the Republican party objecting to the spread of slavery. Over time, the phrase “wide awake” described someone aware of social issues and particularly racial issues.
In 1938, a song by Black American folk singer-songwriter Huddie Ledbetter warned Black Americans of racially motivated threats. He said, “I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there—best stay woke, keep their eyes open.”
From the 40s and into the 1950s, woke came to mean ‘well-informed’ or ‘aware,’ especially regarding political or cultural issues.
Reframing the Meaning of Woke
A shift in the meaning and intention of the woke movement occurred early in the 21st century as liberal progressives appropriated the term and redefined the movement.
Following the death of Michael Brown in 2014, leaders who claim to be trained Marxists in the Black Lives Matter movement used the term “woke” in support of critical race theory. Critical race theory divides everyone into two groups, the oppressor and the oppressed, and seeks to divide people along racial lines. Members of the left-wing group Antifa also adopted the woke term in their support of Marxist ideology.
What began as a movement focused on the civil rights of black Americans in the 1940s, the woke movement has been co-opted by Marxist progressives. The proponents of the woke movement seek division by focusing on all manner of identity-based social justice causes like gender, trans vs. “cis” gender status, sexual orientation, and of course, race. If you agree with their positions, you are considered “woke,” but if not, you aren’t.
The Woke Divide Widens
The ideological division has grown since 2014, coming to a head throughout 2020 as the country remained shut down due to the COVID pandemic.
Examples of the impact of the woke movement exist in government, business, schools, ad churches. New examples are popping up daily, but here is a sampling of the most egregious examples from the past few months.
Disney, Netflix, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, AMC, CBS, Sony, and Viacom
In May 2019, executives from Disney, Netflix, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, AMC, CBS, Sony, and Viacom threatened to close their production facilities in Georgia if the state enacted a bill banning abortion when the fetal heartbeat can be heard.
This is a clear example of blackmail for political purposes. Furthermore, the media companies’ stance against Georgia is hypocritical since all these companies do business in countries where human rights are limited or non-existent.
Urban Terrorism
Since 2020, major cities like Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and others have endured weeks of protests from woke leftists railing against the status quo. Some cities like Portland and Seattle had entire areas of the city taken over by protestors. Wanting to appear “woke” and sympathetic to the protestor’s cause, mayors and governors told the police to step aside and let the protestors destroy billions of dollars worth of personal property.
MLB, Delta, Coke, Merck & Co, American Express, Cisco, Microsoft, & Others
In early April 2021, Stacey Abrams, a voting rights activist in Georgia, blatantly lied about the recently passed Georgia Voter Integrity law’s details and impact. President Biden picked up on Abram’s news release, expressing his disapproval of the bill, saying the bill was a “blatant attack on the Constitution” and “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.”
Not to be outdone, executives from Delta, Coke, Merck & Co, American Express, Cisco, Microsoft, & several other companies publicly condemned the bill. They all echoed the comments of Biden and Abrams nearly verbatim.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred also condemned the bill. Manfred announced that the All-Star Game would be moved from Atlanta and given to Denver to punish Georgia. Losing the All-Star game is estimated to cost Georgia over $100 million.
The problem with all this political and corporate posturing is that it is based on false information. Had they taken the time to read the bill, they would know it makes voting easier, not harder. Furthermore, the law Georgia adopted is similar to laws in existence in nearly half of the country.
California Coed Prisons
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB-132 into law effective January 1, 2021. SB-132 requires the California Department of Corrections to allow inmates to choose the facility where they prefer to serve their sentences based on their self-identified sexual preference. So far, 261 men have requested a transfer to women’s prison facilities.
A Department of Corrections spokesman says the bill will “improve safety, help prevent sexual abuse and create a more respectful environment for the incarcerated transgender, non-binary and intersex community.” Maybe, but what about the women being forced to serve their sentences next to violent, predatory males. What could go wrong? Local prison officials say they anticipate the need to set up maternity wards to care for the women who become pregnant after the male inmates arrive.
California Students to Pray to Aztec Gods
In March 2021, the California Department of Education issued curriculum guidance for all schools to include an “Ethnic Studies” class. Based on Marxist Critical Race Theory, the curriculum calls for students to chant to Aztec gods for human sacrifice and cannibalism in one exercise. Meanwhile, another exercise openly calls for genocide against white Christians.
These are just a few examples of the woke movement in action I found when I researched the topic. But unfortunately, as I said before, the progressive Marxists have spread their cancerous version of the woke movement into politics, business, schools, and churches.
Update Disney Snow White
Since I first wrote this article, there have been new examples of continued harassment by the “woke” crowd almost daily. This example stood out, so I had to add this story about Disney’s release of Snow White.
It seems a crowd of woke protestors is going after Disney because the prince kisses Snow White! If you remember the story, Snow White is presumed dead after being poisoned by the evil queen. As she is laying in her glass coffin, the prince bends over and kisses her saying goodbye to his true love. The woke crowd is up in arms because Snow White did not give her consent to the kiss. It will be interesting to see if Disney caves and rewrites the ending to Snow White.
What is The Christian Response?
I hope from these few examples you agree that the woke movement in its current form is based on a secular worldview inspired by Marxism; it is not a Christian worldview.
A Christian worldview is defined by unity in Christ. Therefore, Christian values regarding sexual morality, gender identity, race, work, property, economics, liberty, family, law and order, education, and culture all directly oppose the woke movement.
So, what can you and I do, given this secular attack on our culture?
First, and always most important, when dealing with a difficult situation, come to the Lord in prayer! Pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)!
Second, seek His wisdom (James 1:5).
Third, be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within you (1 Peter 3:15).
Dr. Rex M. Rogers published an article in August 2020 that provides six suggestions for how Christians should prepare for and respond to the woke movement.
- Be informed about the issues,
- Be able to apply your Christian worldview to these issues,
- Be humble in speaking the truth in love, with gentleness and respect,
- Be forgiving as Christ forgave us,
- Be aware that suffering, harassment, and possibly persecution could come your way for what you believe,
- Be confident and strong in the Lord, for He is Sovereign.
Edmond Burke wrote in part, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Evil surrounds us in this fallen world. Christian leaders, we cannot afford to be good men and women who do nothing!
More Articles
I have written several articles on values. You can find them by typing “Values” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #242: An Instructive Letter from My Back-to-the-Future Self
- #228: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
- #188: Your Values Aren’t Your Values Unless They Cost You Something
- #187: The Principled Patriot Who Refused to Kneel
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. What is your experience with the woke movement? Have you been affected personally or in your organization by woke capitalism?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because people like you share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Personal Development | Values
My wife, son, and I just had a conversation over this. Specifically my son’s experiences at university. The indoctrination by professors. The silencing of anything counter to the woke narrative. The growing racial divide thanks to identity politics. So much for the free exchange of ideas and free speech. Any ideology that silences opposing views must be a fragile, insecure ideology.
I think your conclusion is spot on! “Any ideology that silences opposing views must be a fragile, insecure ideology.” I am especially concerned for students (from colleges on down to grade school) who are being subjected to this indoctrination. The academic forum should be about the freedom to think and question various points of view without feeling like you’ll be “cancelled.”
+I never heard of the woke movement until the MLB pulled the all star game out of Georgia. I have read over your article several times this week and thought about it. I understand woke a little better after reading your article, Ron. I think Dr. Rex Rogers is right on with his six points in dealing with this. It seems like a lot of things are rapidly happening in our country right now to destroy it. The woke movement is just one more thing to come along and mess everything up.
Hi Steve, The examples of the woke movement and critical race theory keep piling up. I just read a piece this morning about a group that wants a quote by Lincoln about freedom removed from the VA Buildings across the country because they say it isn’t inclusive enough! The good news there does seem to be mounting pushback–several states have legislature enacted or pending that will outlaw teach critical race theory in kindergarten and grade schools.
Thank you Ron for revealing these secular ideas. I did not know anything about them. Although, seeing companies and organizations with false understandings, take actions against laws seems like in Georgia, really demonstrates hate.
Had no idea about the CA ethics exercises for our children to chant to Aztec gods. Happy that it has been rejected so far, but people are still fighting to implement it. The new media is not talking about these issues. Recently, in another state, two two black girls were required to pick cotton from a box in an all white classroom. Very demeaning and disrespectful to children.
We need more understanding, harmony and prayer before we take action.
Glad you point out the antidote by applying biblical principles and values.
Correction…..
CA Ethics was adopted by CA Education Dept March 2021, optional for schools to use or not.
Upon checking, the CA Ethics did not write about Aztec gods, but chanting to oneself about “self-reflection and action”.
Another person falsely inferred the curriculum said Aztec gods and human sacrifice/genocide.
(Reference Snopes on Twitter)
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/california-ethnic-studies-genocide/
Sorry Ron, spoke before I checked facts.
Thanks for the double-check, Jim! What scares me about where we are going as a society is that this curriculum was even allowed in the first place (optional or not), especially since the schools have been doing everything they can to keep Biblical principles out of the classroom!
We need to be on guard about everything. Test the spirit.
We need to prepare our children (grandkids) and discuss it with them to help them be founded in the Bible in lite of these other ideas of influence.
Amazing, this was an issue in my past, but only when going to college with liberal non-biblical issues. And I do not think they were as extreme as today. We did learn about Marxism/Communism/socialism et al, but that it is contrary to the US constitution and not accepted in our country.
I know what you mean Jim! The idea that we would be dealing with these issues in this country is frightening, indeed. I pray for our children and grandchildren and the country they will live in.