7 Questions Christians Should Think About and Ask Concerning Woke Claims

Given the New Left has made everything political in which there is no neutrality, and that include the personal (see The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self) I thought these seven questions mind  be helpful for believers to think about as social media, public education, entertainment and woke corporations swarms people to go with the flow of the trend of being politically woke.  I minister to young people in a very liberal part of the US, have done campus ministry even back when I was in the Marines, as a student and also an campus ministry adviser and I see this creep into among believers all the time which affects the individual’s sanctification.  

For this post I will list the seven questions and some explanation about the questions. 

These are the seven questions:

1. Are the truth claims factual?
2. Is the wrong done demonstration of sinful partiality/prejudices?
3. Does the claim of wrong-doing assume an unbiblical standard of ethics, definition of justice and philosophy of facts?
4. If the claim of wrong-doing are factually true, does this prove systematic or institutional oppression versus individual or smaller social units committing these wrongs?
5. What is meant by the term “systemic oppression/racism?”
6. Is the proposed solution a good solution?
7. Does the problem and the solution deny the power of the Gospel?

Explanation of these questions

Are the truth claims factual?

Sometimes there are woke claims that is not based upon actual facts.  This can be historical details or details of what happen in current events.  For historical examples see my articles Is Christianity a Tool of European Colonialism? or Asians coming to America to benefit from Slavery?, Discussion with a Pastor about US Constitution and 3/5 Compromise and lesson of correcting others, The Improper Use of Theologian Herman Bavinck for a Political Agenda, Antonio Gramsci is not a Marxist? Response to Joel McDurmon and Response to Joel McDurmon: Voddie Baucham’s quote about CRT is not from any school?. With current event knowing how fast rumor spread it is wise we try to collect our cool in general and see what further information comes out more clearly.

Is the wrong done demonstration of sinful partiality/prejudices?

Since this can be quite sensitive I’ll pick something that involves my own ethnic background, to minimize misunderstanding or question of my motive.  Right now Asian hate crime is discussed.  Sometimes videos go viral and its upsetting.  Now there are wrongs clearly done: punching, assault, violence, etc.  But there are some incidents that I don’t know if its done because the suspect is motivated by racism.  But when I say this I’m not saying there isn’t any racism being done in this particular action nor am I denying that racist attacks have happen in other instances.  Nor does it mean I think the assault is somehow not heinous.  But I think we need to ask these questions for the purpose of being factual.  I’ve seen enough this past year on social media of people of every ethnicity giving a clip of violence and saying look this is a demonstration of the wickedness of this ethnicity because this ethnicity has partiality/prejudice.  All the more important we ask this question.

Does the claim of wrong-doing assume an unbiblical standard of ethics, definition of justice and philosophy of facts?

For example some today think that it is wrong to say something is against the Bible or is morally wrong.  So there is a wrong view of ethics being assumed.  For instance there are those who justify riots from Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple; see my response here: Jesus’ actions at the temple justify the riots?   

If the claim of wrong-doing are factually true, does this prove systematic or institutional oppression versus individual or smaller social units committing these wrongs?

Be careful of anecdotal evidences that is used to argue for larger macro claims.  

What is meant by the term “systemic oppression/racism?”

Some use the term systematic to refer to an institution.  Some to institutions (plural).  Some refer to all of society.  Some use the term systematic as referring to the fact that something happens frequently.  Knowing what people mean helps us not only understand them better but also help all sides to think clearly of what exactly are people claiming and whether the evidence matches the claims.  

Is the proposed solution a good solution?

There are times people who are into woke ideology identify a legitimate problem.  The next question is if their proposed solution is good.  By good I don’t mean whether or not the individuals proposing the solutions is sincere and well-intentioned.  I mean the results of their policies.  Intentions aren’t the same thing as results, and the history of economics provides us too many examples of it, unfortunately.  We must ask this question with thinking also in the back of our mind if there are unintended consequences too with suggested solutions.  Our church is located in a community that can get quite rough.  Its certainly more poor than some of the neighboring towns.  I talked to a neighbor next to the church a few weeks ago who was telling me about the crimes he’s seen and how people are scared.  When he was talking it brought back my own memories living in that same city as a kid to parents of a refugee in a run down drug and gang infested apartment next to a government project.  He’s a minority and I’m from a different ethnic minority group from him and we don’t support defunding the police not because we are MAGA-hat-flag-waving-Trump-supporting-White-Supremicists-Christian-Nationalists-Q-Anon , but because sometimes there are real evil out there that hurts the community that the police does have actual restraint to these evil.  

Does the problem and the solution deny the power of the Gospel?

I think we must watch out for this since the Gospel is what saves people from hell and we shouldn’t see the Gospel denied or downplayed.  Sin, problems and difficulties will never be fully crushed this side of eternity (doesn’t mean we don’t try).  But the biggest problem man has is eternal.  Beware of those who wish to downplay the Gospel.  The Gospel also is what changes hearts of people in the present too.  Imagine having the resources to change people’s heart from the inside out and only to chuck it away for behavioral modification strategies and politics that uses tools of soft or hard coercion.