Ken Ham is proud to announce that Answers in Genesis will be celebrating a non-Woke Christmas.
It wasn’t that long ago that woke was just a word I used in the context of “waking up” after being asleep. Now the word woke has permeated our culture with various meanings, including believing in what are called “progressive” (actually anti-God) values.
Over the past couple of years, many organizations and companies have been described as becoming “woke,” which usually means they have greatly restricted or abolished freedom for those with a truly Christian worldview. And in recent times, we’ve seen considerable backlash against various companies because of their woke positions (which often result in pushing a transgender ideology, etc.). But really, the woke agenda is driven by a secular/anti-Christian worldview based on man’s word rather than God’s Word!
As I often remind people, believing in a literal Genesis 1–11 is the key to being “woke-proof,” as Genesis 1–11 is the foundation for marriage, gender, and, in fact, everything! I tell people that Answers in Genesis is a “non-woke” organization and our Ark Encounter and Creation Museum are “non-woke” attractions.
As the culture becomes more secular, woke, and permeated by moral relativism, Answers in Genesis and our two attractions exist like a beautiful oasis in a desert environment increasingly devoid of biblical truth.
Well, isn’t that nice. AiG finds comfort in reducing the Bible to one page at the beginning of the book, and discouraging people from exploring further. After all, if they read the New Testament they might be introduced to a radical Woke character who encouraged tolerance and change. Although, if you browse YouTube, you might find a lot of loud evangelical preachers who are trying desperately to tell listeners that Jesus wasn’t actually tolerant, and that his values, and yours, are more properly founded in hate.
Right now, I’m seeing a lot of journalists joining Ham in repudiating “woke”. It’s silly. They don’t understand what “woke” is or that the Democrats were not particularly “woke” in the last campaign, so I’m seeing claims that “woke” fueled dissension, and that the liberal side was focused on arguing identity politics.
And so this narrative of succumbing to “Big Woke”, according to the American journalist Jack Mirkinson, “bears virtually no resemblance to the actual campaign we all just suffered through”. Woke talking points were a key part not of Harris’s campaign but of Trump’s – he said that Harris suddenly “became a Black person” to capitalise on her race, and his campaign spent millions on ads about transgender rights. Welcome to the culture war – where only the right is really fighting, and the other side is helping it out by punching itself in the face.
Except that Harris ran a centrist campaign, and liberals don’t argue about pronouns — if I’m told what pronoun someone prefers, I accept it and we’re done. The only people fighting over pronouns are the far right weirdos who want everyone to conform to their dogma and stereotypes, like Ken Ham.
I’m going to continue to be “woke,” as long as that means aspiring to a just and equitable world. If that means accepting a “secular/anti-Christian worldview,” then so be it — it’s a stance I’m already comfortable with.
mathman85 says
And, of course, the fascists were (and always are) engaged in identity politics—primarily white identity politics, in this case.
Snarki, child of Loki says
I hear that Trump’s pronouns are “Your Majesty”, but I’ll go anti-woke and instead use his birth-pronouns of “whining man-baby”.
raven says
Is the War on Xmas on this year?
A bit early since we haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet.
The War on Halloween didn’t happen this year for some reason.
Probably because most people were dealing with reality and real issues.
The election, the genocides in Gaza and Ukraine, inflation, our steadily falling standards of living, and so on.
mordred says
Earlier today I read an article about local history claiming that during the 30 years war the area I now live in did not actually lose 50%-60% of it’s inhabitants as I had read elsewhere, it was “over two thirds”.
Is that what Hammy means when he talks about Christian Freedom? Does he think the 17th century was better for not having woke, anti-God values guiding the people?
StevoR says
@ ^ mordred : “Christian freedom”means their freedom topersecte and oppress everyone else ramming their ideology down everyone else throats whilst doing whatever they like no matter how cruel and abusive and theoretcially uunChristian.” IOW they have the freedom to bully at wil land we have the “freedom” to put up with it or else. Its very Orwellian and blatantly hypocritical but, well, that’s them ain’t it?
.***
Seen on an fb meme recently – “woke” is simply human rights ie substitite the word wok for Human Rights and it becomes pretty clear.
StevoR says
That’s “Woke” not wok natch – sorry brain’s just stir-fried about now.. Definitely past my bedtime here. Not that that’s unusual or that I’ll be able to sleep when I’m there..
StevoR says
Any chance we can convince Trump that that’s a huge criticism of him and get him to pettily retribute himself and smite Ken “Not -the-astronaut-one” Ham for that?
Also IF only huh? If fucking only..
Also “the” culture” sungular ‘the’, huh? Which culture? Whose culture? Maybe even arguably what culture? Not that I can talk when it comes to grammar I know but..
shermanj says
wachet auf! We are fully awakened to the evils stalking the land: xtian terrorism among the most dangerous. That canned ham is waaaay past it’s discard date.
There are too many bigoted, ignorant forces trying to destroy public education. If a public school is failing, the decent person knows you apply resources to make it succeed, you DO NOT destroy it. But, this society is so enthralled by using violent destructive methods to ‘solve’ problems you must see how that hastens the onslaught of the New Dark Ages.
alfalfamale says
Ken Ham says “moral relativism” is bad. So, hurting an innocent baby is bad but torturing and killing all the babies with a world-wide flood is good ‘cuz God did it.
Matt G says
Anti-woke and pro-bigotry are synonymous. And the Bible is rife with bigotry.
submoron says
as any fule kno santa is an anagram of satan
Jaws says
Given that the argument method of theocrats everywhere (sorry, xtians, you’re not unique; you’re not even special) is the false dilemma: I choose “woke” over its obvious alternative, “comatose.”
nomdeplume says
I was watching a youtube debate with Hovind and Grayson Hawk yesterday, and was reminded yet again that Hovind sounds exactly like Trump in style way content is presented – mad-brained word salads bearing no relation to reality. Ham ditto.
Reginald Selkirk says
To a first approximation, “woke”, as used by rightists translates as insufficiently racist. Cue Ham insisting that while he is not woke, he is certainly not racist. I have no benefits of a doubt left to give him.
nomdeplume says
I define Woke as anything that has improved in human society and culture and economy, and in attitudes to the environment, in the status of women, in politics, in child-raising – since the Middle Ages.
dangerousbeans says
Remember that woke was originally African American English and originally meant roughly “to be aware of the systemic racism in America”
So a bunch of white people suggesting different definitions is a bit iffy
brightmoon says
Every job I’ve had since I started working has had a xmas tree and sometimes other religions symbols as well put up for the holidays. I always used to send season’s greetings cards to my non Christian friends
M'thew says
@StevoR
You’ll get no traction telling Ken Ham that he is against human rights – they are the work of the devil anyway, because the Bibbel clearly states what rights everybody has, women, children, LQBTQI people, people of non-white “races” (never mind that the stories in the Bibbel are about Semites and other peoples in the Middle East, who aren’t white according to a good many g*d fearing Christians). If only everybody knew their place in society according to the Bibbel, there would be no need for any “wokeness”. That’s his complaint.
cartomancer says
dangerousbeans, #16,
I’m no expert on mid 20th Century US Black language use, but I have heard from people who seemed to be well informed that the original use of “woke” was in a much more practical and immediate sense than that. It was less “having an intellectual awareness of systemic racism” and more “adopting a heightened state of alert and knowing who you need to keep an eye out for in everyday life”.
unclefrogy says
@19
change the phrase “and more” to “there fore” and you finish the complete idea expressed in the slang vernacular of the street “Woke”
I hope I live to see the day when that jerk leaves the earth for his reward in “the after live”.
raven says
Well, sure.
That is a happy thought for Thanksgiving.
It will make the world a slightly better place but not by much.
Bigots are like weeds, there is always going to be another one to replace him.
drew says
Strange for Ham to admit that being anti-God is progress.
What’s next? Hovind inviting atheists to whack him?
StevoR says
@ ^ drew : Well, I don’t think we really need an invitation there… At least in one metaphorical sense of that word.
Kagehi says
@9 alfalfamale
I said it before – an abortion only charges the batteries of “the devil’s” cell phone, killing untold numbers of babies in a flood, or ordering their heads bashed in on rocks, for the glory of god keeps Heaven’s light on, and stop it from falling from the sky. Duh!
birgerjohansson says
When it comes to Trump, Ken Ham and their ilk I want to go full Peter Stormare in his film role as the Devil as he confronts John Constantine (aka Hellblazer), saying “I have prepared a whole amusement park for you in Hell”.
dangerousbeans says
@cartomancer
yeah you’re right. i found some discussion of the history of woke after typing that, and it seems like it developed the political meaning over time
I think my point still stands, that we should try to understand the history and not accept these attempts by white culture to redefine being woke