A “NEW RELIGION?”

By Rev. Ruth A. Sheets

There are times when reading an article I simply can’t believe what I have read, then I think about it a bit and decide maybe there is something to it and the presentation may actually be useful for understanding the opposition.

The article in question this time is “The New Religion of the Woke Left is a Faith Without Atonement” by Tripp Parker.  The article appeared in thefederalist.com.  Although I read occasional articles from “The Federalist,” it is not a favorite.  I find the articles I have read to be judgmental (as one would expect from an organization that hand picks conservative judges for the courts, even quite a few who are completely unqualified). 

This article piqued my attention because of several words:  religion, faith, woke, left, and atonement.  I didn’t expect all of those words to appear together in the same place.  Mr. Parker claims the “woke left” “does seem to resemble a religion.”  He says that should not surprise “us,” I assume meaning conservative academics.  It surprised me, though.

Parker proceeds to explain that “humans use sacred rituals and symbols as unifying forces that allow us to participate in large scale societies.” 

Then, he slithers off into the real intent of the article.  His next sentence tells us that all “non-insect creatures” participate in close kinship networks, while insects like bees have large societies (notice the reference to insects – well done).  Then, those insects share a large amount of genetic material (bring in the science).  Why the insect reference?  Is that to prove your credentials in science of some kind, or perhaps a comment on how much you appreciate the Lefties?  But of course, Parker must tell us that humans are different, we can choose who will be siblings with us.  We recognize those siblings through the “sacred”  you know: “a rock, an ancestor, even a god,” and we organize around that “sacred artifact.”

OK, now, here comes the “Left” into it.  Parker claims the Left has increasingly rejected Christianity (as if that is a sign of anything real), and thus, need something to fill “the void – it’s inevitable!” because we humans need that unifying force; we can’t help it, according to Parker.

At this point, it occurred to me that the article has the flavor of a documentary, studying the Woke Left the way early anthropologists studied chimpanzees before Jane Goodall came along.  The author doesn’t really know what he is talking about, but he has assumed some things he just has to remark on, also hoping to inform his own group just what those creatures are like in their own language. 

Parker proceeds to tell us that the Woke Left is a religion.  He says that even without a supernatural element the Lefties have all the necessary religious trappings:  a core set of beliefs you cannot question, myths that are not subject to “normal” academic inquiry (the 1619 Project), sacred texts (White Fragility), an idea of original sin (being born white and male), rituals (self-flagellation – whatever that is), symbols (he doesn’t describe those), heretics (J.K. Rowling), and de facto priests and prophets (doesn’t name them either) “to enlighten, then initiate us into this new religion.”

He continues by claiming that the Woke Left wants to force everyone to adopt their new way of viewing the world.  But despite this near perfection, there is one truly holy thing missing – atonement.  Huh!         

Parker has now tied the Lefties to Christianity  even though he previously told us the group has left Christianity.  If that is the case, what does the new Woke Left religion need with atonement?  He asks what they do if they sin (original or otherwise), how do we make up for that; “how can they balance the scales?”  He tells the Left a price has to be paid for their sins.  Really, why?  The Woke Left is supposed to have to make some kind of sacrifice because of the horrible things they did in their past life, you know, before the Woke. 

Jimmy Kimmel is one of Parker’s targets because he once hosted a sexist racist show.  Hosting a funny honest show now cannot possibly make up for that past according to Mr. Parker, so Kimmel can’t be part of the Woke Left faith.  Says who?  Then Kimmel is accused of being a Progressive!  O heavens!  What a sin!  And, horror of horrors, Kimmel called out a Republican Representative (Parker doesn’t say who) for not having a soul.  I say that a lot when I hear the appalling things those mostly white Christian men say in hearings and Fox News interviews about their fellow citizens.  They claim Christianity.  Where is their atonement or do they just get to claim they’ve made their sacrifice in private? 

It appears the Woke Left are supposed to “repent” somehow while not calling out those who are doing actual harm to their brothers and sisters, Christian or not.  That’s rather hypocritical, I’d say.

Then, as if that were not enough, the Lefties are accused of getting people fired (the equivalent of human sacrifice in the past).  This means that the ones being fired (whoever they are) did nothing to deserve the firing or whatever public shaming they received.  It is all the fault of the Woke Left, that horrible cult.  Parker ignores the very very many times Christians have fatally accused folks of all kinds of things:  worshipping wrong, being witches, being uppity women or Blacks, not being servile enough, committing crimes they didn’t actually do, whistling at white women, and on and on.  Then there are the actual acts committed against those ancestors and their descendants:  constructing statues of traitors to intimidate a whole people and let another people believe the Civil War was a good cause, destroying whole Black or Native American communities because . . ., denying housing to people because of their color, setting up scams to rip off poor people, wearing sheets and hoods to cause murder and mayhem (boys will be boys, I suppose). 

None of the “shaming” done by the Woke Left even comes close to what has been done by folks on the Christian Right.  Where is their atonement or is that only for the “new religion?”  What actions should a group being oppressed by a more powerful religion do, just knuckle under and go along?  The ancestors of the Woke Left did that for generations, only now and then being able to break through and force some concessions.

One thing this nation knows well, if you are used to being entitled and to being seen as the most valuable group, when you don’t get what you want, it feels like oppression.  And, like the early anthropologists, you are reading the situation wrong.  You, the oppressors are blaming the oppressed for wanting some of the power and rights you have and not being properly sorry for it.  

I understand your fear.  You are used to being in charge of just about everything and now, for the first time you’re not, and I think, somewhere in the depth of your faith, you know you are wrong and have been wrong for a long time.  White isn’t automatically right.  Male isn’t the head of anything.  Straight isn’t godly in itself, and rich is just having more than you need while you leave others to suffer.  That is pretty scary. 

You want no stones thrown at you while you are constantly winding up to toss stones at so many others.  You claim Jesus while you denounce nearly everything he stood for – you know, love your neighbor as yourself, do unto others . . . , love your enemies, blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, etc.

Perhaps Mr. Parker and those on the Christian Right would do well to step back a minute or two (if you can spare that time from your judgment jags) to listen to the Woke Left.  Instead of being defensive at every turn, acknowledge you have participated and continue to participate in the oppression that has awakened the Woke Left.  The Woke Left is not really a new religion.  It is a movement of people who expect a nation of many races, genders, and religions to live up to its promise as described in the Constitution and its amendments and the Declaration of Independence.  OK, that’s pretty WOKE!

And, Oh, by the way, Christian Right, don’t forget to take the log out of your own eye before you go after the mote in someone else’s eye.