Has America's culture of "wokeness" effected the Anabaptists?

[seinetsodumm]

If we call things as Scripture labels them then wokeness seems to be a good thing. Eph 5:14

Perhaps you mean awake? Or wakefulness? which according to https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dic ... akefulness is defined as "the state of being wakeful." I think there's a difference.

[barnhart]

Forgot the definition of being woke:

The quality of being alert to and concerned about social injustice and discrimination.

By this definition it would be in line with a long tradition of Christian social action from Abolition, bans on Sati and foot binding, medical care for the poor and the erection of hospitals, sugar boycotts to strangle the slave trade ECT...

One of the four corners of Bebbington's quadrilateral of evangelical faith is action, a rejection of passivity in the face of suffering. As the famous Menno Simmons quote says "True evangelical faith cannot lie sleeping..."

[temporal1]

Forgot the definition of being woke:

he quality of being alert to and concerned about social injustice and discrimination.

Such a loaded topic. I don't particularly want to get into a long argument, but at that risk I'll share a few thoughts.

I think as a believer, I should already be alert to those around me. After all Jesus said to "Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus story about the good Samaritan makes it clear that love should extend to those around me, even those of different social class/ethnicity. However, that awareness should flow out of a living relationship with my Father. In my relationships with those around me, treating them fairly and with love should always point back to my relationship with God and should draw them towards relationship with God. I don't see that in the modern woke philosophy and I don't see that coming through at large in the message of the woke Anabaptism. Instead, what I hear coming through is a message of tolerance. That is a dangerous place. I think meeting physical needs can be a great place to start, being aware of "social injustice" (who really determines that definition anyways - there's something about the mob mentality of wokism that seems evil to me) can provide opportunity. But lets not get sidetracked, Jesus is the answer here.

Well said.

In Colossians 2:8 Paul says to not be taken captive by false philosophies. I would say that “wokeness” might come in that category.

Genesis teaches that all humans are equally part of one human race. Although we may have different skin tones, languages, or ethnicities that distinguish us, we are all human beings who are made in the image of God. Wokeness seems to point the finger at skin color. However, it isn’t skin color that is the problem, SIN is the problem. If someone is demeaned and mistreated because of their skin color, they have been wronged and sinned against. Woke ideology turns humans against one another, and results in individuals being judged by the color of their skin and status in society rather than the content of their character or their status in the eyes of God.

i rarely refer to The Urban Dictionary, but it seems appropriate for today’s politicized use of the word,
it offers history and a few meanings:

The Urban Dictionary / Woke
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Woke

A Catholic response:

July 2022 / Fathers of Mercy / Wokeness is as old as the Bible itself. The remedy is even older. /

Description:
July 2022
“This Homily was given by Father David Wilton, C.P.M. of the Fathers of Mercy at the Chapel of Divine Mercy in Auburn, KY. on July 24, 2022.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“The Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy, which was founded in 1808, originally under the title of “The Missionaries of France.”

The community was founded for the purpose of re-evangelizing the people of France after the Catholic Faith had been subjected to years of attacks and persecution during the French Revolution.

It is now exclusively an American community. The Generalate of the Congregation is located in Auburn, Kentucky.

The primary apostolate of the Fathers of Mercy is to conduct parish missions and retreats throughout the United States and other countries when called upon.

The congregation also staffs rural parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky.

For myself, wrt present politicized use, i don’t believe i’ve used the word,
when i see it, i equate it with a warning, “trouble ahead, trouble intended”.

The internet enables hijacked language.
There’s LOTS of it. It can happen quickly, hijacking Christian language, principles, beliefs, practices, are all favored targets.
Christians are EASY targets.

Be cautious. Try to be steady in Faith. Try not to be misused.

- - - - - - -

Regarding churches, this is an example of “spectrums” of beliefs, which i believe now affects all groups, includng Anabaptists.
Some groups EMBRACE hijacked language+practices, others resist it.

Many are horrified at churches they once attended in trust and love, now finding them unrecognizable.
This has been a prominent fact in churches, i believe becoming undeniable in the 1990’s, when two things happened simultaneously: First, the Catholic Church priest scandals became public AND, due to the internet, for once in history, could not be denied and swept under the rug. Second, these scandals (not just in Catholic Churches) opened doors for activists promoting WIM and homosexuals in ministry.

Abuse is not new.
The nature of the relentless internet removes former very effective methods of denial and dismissal.

Decades on, the destruction isn’t over. Sin hurts, it has a high price.
Earlier today, i was reading about the sorry state of ELCA. To repeat, now unrecognizable in what they embrace+promote.

God have mercy.

[Ernie]

Forgot the definition of being woke:

The quality of being alert to and concerned about social injustice and discrimination.

By this definition it would be in line with a long tradition of Christian social action from Abolition, bans on Sati and foot binding, medical care for the poor and the erection of hospitals, sugar boycotts to strangle the slave trade ECT...

One of the four corners of Bebbington's quadrilateral of evangelical faith is action, a rejection of passivity in the face of suffering. As the famous Menno Simmons quote says "True evangelical faith cannot lie sleeping..."

On its face, the definition looks harmless and even praiseworthy.
The difference with 21st century "wokeness" is that it turns goodness into political posturing, and without a moral foundation, it defends and justifies immoral behavior which the Bible condemns.

[Ken]

The internet enables hijacked language.
There’s LOTS of it. It can happen quickly, hijacking Christian language, principles, beliefs, practices, are all favored targets.
Christians are EASY targets.

The actual hijacking of language that is going on here is on the part of the right which has hijacked an obscure term "woke" and turned it into an slur against any random thing they don't like on the left that they don't like but can't quite define. The term has the added advantage of sounding racial without being overtly racist.

It is effective, I'll give them that. But it will fade away like CRT already has because it doesn't actually really mean anything specific.

[mike]

Whatever it is, it’s really good

[Szdfan]

The actual hijacking of language that is going on here is on the part of the right which has hijacked an obscure term "woke" and turned it into an slur against any random thing they don't like on the left that they don't like but can't quite define. The term has the added advantage of sounding racial without being overtly racist.

It is effective, I'll give them that. But it will fade away like CRT already has because it doesn't actually really mean anything specific.

Before “woke” was a slur, it was “political correctness.”

[HondurasKeiser]

The actual hijacking of language that is going on here is on the part of the right which has hijacked an obscure term "woke" and turned it into an slur against any random thing they don't like on the left that they don't like but can't quite define. The term has the added advantage of sounding racial without being overtly racist.

It is effective, I'll give them that. But it will fade away like CRT already has because it doesn't actually really mean anything specific.

Before “woke” was a slur, it was “political correctness.”

Perhaps they’ve become slurs because the same people labeling THEMSELVES as woke or politically correct advocated bananas ideas that they attribute to their wokeness/correctness that turn most people off.

[steve-in-kville]

Before “woke” was a slur, it was “political correctness.”

Following that same train of thought, what would have social justice warriors (SJW) have been referred to?

(Not disagreeing with you )

[HondurasKeiser]

Before “woke” was a slur, it was “political correctness.”

Following that same train of thought, what would have social justice warriors (SJW) have been referred to?

(Not disagreeing with you )

Whatever they called themselves back in 80’s and 90’s.