Wokism (Part 1) - Social Justice (Part A)

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Wokism (Part 1) - Social Justice (Part A) Definitions 1. Woke adj. – = WEAK adj. in various senses. a. Pliant, flexible (only OE.). b. Lacking in strength, vigour, endurance, or courage; inferior physically or morally. c. Lowly in status or degree; insignificant. (OED) 2. Wokely adv. – Weakly, feebly, poorly. (OED) 3. Wokeness – 1. Weakness, debility; (in OE. also) lowliness, inferiority. (OED) 4. Woke adj. – aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) (merriam-webster.com) 5. “Woke means being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice. In mainstream use, woke can also more generally describe someone or something as being “with it.”” (dictionary.com/e/slang/woke/) 6. “WHERE DOES WOKE COME FROM? Figurative woke—being socially and politically awake, or aware—starts in (sic) emerging in Black English at least by the 1940s. A 1943 article in The Atlantic quoted a black United Mine Workers official from 1940 playing with woke in a metaphor for social justice: “Waking up is a damn sight than going to sleep, but we’ll stay woke up longer.” By the 1960s, woke could more generally mean “well-informed” in Black English, but it still strongly aligned with political awareness, especially in the context of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950–60s and appearing in the phrase stay woke. The term was notable enough to prompt a 1962 New York Times article commenting on black slang, titled “If You’re Woke You Dig It.” (Ibid) 7. “Woke is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination". Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities, such as sexism, and has also been used as shorthand for some ideas of the American Left involving identity politics and social justice, such as white privilege and slavery reparations for African Americans. “The phrase stay woke has history in AAVE as far back as the 1930s, in some contexts referring to an awareness of the social and political issues affecting African Americans. The phrase was uttered in lyrics of recordings by Lead Belly in mid 20th century and post-millennium by Erykah Badu. “The term emerged in the 2010s, and, increasingly, it meant not only racial consciousness but also that of gender, as well as other discriminated identities, originally in the American context. During the 2014 Ferguson protests, the phrase was popularized by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists seeking to raise awareness about police shootings of African Americans. After seeing use on Black Twitter, the term woke was increasingly used by white people, often to signal their support for BLM, which some commentators have criticised as cultural appropriation. Initially, this wider adoption spread primarily among the young or the millennial generation. As it spread internationally, the term was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2017. “By 2020, however, members of the political center and right wing in several Western countries were using the term woke in an ironic way, as an insult for various progressive or leftist movements and ideologies perceived as overzealous, performative, or insincere. In turn, some commentators came to consider it an offensive term with negative associations to those who promote political ideas involving identity and race. Since then, derivative terms such as woke-washing and woke capitalism were coined to describe, for example, companies who signal support for progressive causes as a substitute for genuine change.” (Woke, Wikipedia, 6-12-2023) “While the term woke initially pertained to issues of racial prejudice and discrimination impacting African Americans, it was appropriated by other activist groups with different causes. While there is no single agreed-upon definition of the term, it came to be primarily associated with ideas that involve identity and race and which are promoted by progressives, such as the notion of white privilege or slavery reparations for African Americans. Vox's Aja Romano writes that woke evolved into a "single-word summation of leftist political ideology, centered on social justice politics and critical race theory".” (Ibid) “By 2019, opponents of progressive social movements were often using the term mockingly or sarcastically, implying that "wokeness" was an insincere form of performative activism. British journalist Steven Poole comments that the term is used to mock "overrighteous liberalism". In this pejorative sense, woke means "following an intolerant and moralising ideology".” (Ibid) 8. For the purpose of this study, I will use Aja Romano’s definitions of woke: a "single-word summation of leftist political ideology, centered on social justice politics and critical race theory." Ideologies under the umbrella of Wokism. 1. Social Justice 2. Critical Race Theory (CRT) 3. Gender Identity 4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) 5. Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Social Justice 1. Definition A. Social Justice n. – 1. Fair treatment of all people in a society, including respect for the rights of minorities and equitable distribution of resources among members of a community. (dictionary.com) B. “Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fulfill their societal roles and receive their due from society. In the current movements for social justice, the emphasis has been on the breaking of barriers for social mobility, the creation of safety nets, and economic justice. Social justice assigns rights and duties in the institutions of society, which enables people to receive the basic benefits and burdens of cooperation. The relevant institutions often include taxation, social insurance, public health, public school, public services, labor law and regulation of markets, to ensure distribution of wealth, and equal opportunity.” (Social justice, Wikipedia, 6-12-2023) 2. Social justice is just another term for socialism. 3. The Bible commands fair treatment of all people. A. We are not to be respecters of persons or show favoritism in judgment (Deut 1:16-17; Deut 16:18-19; 2Ch 19:5-7; Pro 24:23-25). B. All are to be held accountable to keep the law of God and are to be punished equally for breaking it. i. A man is not to be left unpunished because he is rich or poor (Lev 19:15). ii. A poor man is not to be looked upon with favor just because he is poor (Exo 23:3, 6). iii. Countenance v. – To look upon with sanction or favour; to favour, patronize, sanction, encourage. iv. Masters and servants are both under obligation to obey the word of God (Eph 6:5-9). v. God will punish all equally for sin, regardless of their race, gender, or status (Rom 2:5-11; Col 3:25; 1Pe 1:17). C. We should not give preferential treatment to the rich, especially in the church (Jam 2:1-9). D. In Christ, men and women of all ethnicities and social stations should be treated equally as it pertains to loving them and keeping God’s commandments toward them (Gal 3:28; Gal 5:6 c/w 1Jo 5:2 c/w Rom 13:8-10; Col 3:11). 4. The only way to equitably distribute resources in society is through the free market. A. Those who work and earn money or goods are entitled to them (Pro 27:18; 1Co 9:7). B. Those who are lazy and do not work are not entitled to anything (2Th 3:10; Pro 13:4; Pro 19:15; Pro 21:25). C. Those who work to produce goods or services are recompensed for their labor either by their employers or their customers. i. The more productive a man is, the greater the portion of available wealth he is entitled to. ii. The less productive a man is, the lesser the portion of available wealth he is entitled to. D. Every man must get it through his head that nobody owes him anything unless he has worked for it.