Woke ideology permeates our culture. It has saturated our airwaves—sung in our songs, read in our novels, acted out in our films, espoused by our educators, preached by our politicians, and even (re)written into our history.

But what exactly is woke, and what makes it so powerful?

Catherine begins a new two-part solo series on woke ideology by looking at the long view of history to properly establish the platform it rests on. After all, you can’t de-platform something unless you understand what is holding it up. There is a kernel of truth that perpetuates this dangerous philosophy.

So in this episode, Catherine identifies that truth by examining the abuse of power operating in hierarchical structures throughout human history, from the Egyptian subjugation of the Israelites to the conquest of Canaan to the Hebrew occupation by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Romans. She also examines this oppressive structure in the Japanese Heian period, European feudalism, and the Indian caste system.

What is the woke answer to oppression?

Erase the hierarchy. Defund the Police. Demolish our legal system. Destroy the nuclear family. Put children on par with parents in the home.

What is God’s answer?

It is an entirely different way of doing things. Jesus said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” (Matt. 20:25-28)

God doesn’t erase the hierarchy. He turns it upside down. Those in charge must serve, not make slaves of others.

Woke cannot answer the problems it criticizes. But we’ve got to recognize the tiny bit of truth that woke ideology gets right if we want to explain everything it gets wrong.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation by Bethany Mandel

“I Was Asked To Define Woke. My Humiliation Went Viral” by Bethany Mandel in Newsweek

The Last Samurai,  Warner Brothers Picture

SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:

Colossians 3:25

Isaiah 1:17

Psalm 72:4

Zechariah 7:10

James 1:27

Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/

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