Religion of Wokeism: I am diversity, please include me
New development in the religion’s practices
Christianity, Catholicism and Judaism, among other religions, have commonly recited prayers; the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory Be, The Apostles’ Creed, etc. The religion of Wokeism is no different. Before I introduce you to the religion of Wokeism’s latest holy prayer, I urge you to read the previous two articles introducing the Left’s replacement for Christianity - Wokeism, found here and here.
As a quick refresher, the term “woke” is a Critical Social Justice term that means to be critically conscious that society is constructed of illegitimate power structures (for example racism and heteronormativity), and these illegitimate power structures must be discovered, critically analyzed, and denounced. It developed into an entire worldview and political movement. All over the world, in all industries and agencies, there are now committees titled, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” or DEI for short. This belief system was adopted and deployed by those who sought control and power, along with other well-meaning people that may not have realized they were participating in a new religion. The religion has its own prophets, rituals, traditions and beliefs, which were explained in the previous two articles. Many were lifted from familiar religions, creating a feel of comfort, while distorting the Christian faith.
Even the configuration of the principles of the religion are intentionally organized as D, E, and I, as opposed to EDI, IDE, IED, EID, or DIE. You might think this is trivial, but the word DEI in latin means, 1) divine essence/supreme being, 2) God, 3) God (Christian text), 4) statue of God. So to be an adherent to the religion of Wokeism, is to be “agnus DEI ,” or a “lamb of God.” In Wokeism, God is turned into these social justice tenets. To further prove the importance of this labeling, read this exchange between a subscriber responding to a previous article and myself.
You see it was important enough of a distinction that this reader, a likely adherent to Wokeism, felt it necessary to clarify the order in which the acronym for Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity were written. No believer wants their God’s name misspelled right?
Now we have a new submission to the cannon of Wokeism. It is a prayer disguised as a poem titled, “I Am Diversity, Please Include Me,” by Charles Bennafield. Here is the prayer in its entirety.
The very first line: “I’m present in every place you go,” Christians might recognize from Jeremiah 23:23, which says, “Am I a God at hand,” says the Lord, “and not a God afar off?” (Revised Standard Version, or RSV), or “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?” (New International Version, or NIV). So right away, the poem places their God-like figure, DEI, in the place where God of the Bible is: everywhere, almost word-for-word.
Line two says, “Depending on your lens, I’m friend or foe.” James 4:4 states, “Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (RSV). “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (NIV). Once again, we see a direct parallel. Depending on your lens, if you view things in a worldly manner, he is a foe. If you view things through a spiritual or biblical lens, God is a friend.
The poem continues, “I’m present when two or more are together.” At this point the parallels are undeniable. According to the RSV, Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” NIV, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Continuing with line 8; “I’m invisible at times and yet all over the place.” John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God.” (RSV). Proverbs 15:3: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place.” (RSV). Psalm 139:7-12, “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! If I take my wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness if as light with thee.” So, we see God is invisible yet everywhere, just as the Wokeist DEI is, according to this poem.
“Learn about me, improve my underrepresentation,” says the poem in line 15. Matthew 11:29 says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” (RSV) Matthew 28:19 continues, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” In Mark 16:15, it is said, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” (RSV). Here we see the references to learning from Jesus and then improving Jesus’ “underrepresentation” throughout the world.
The poem continues, “I exclude no one. I am strengthened by all.” Romans 2:11 (RSV), “For God shows no partiality.” Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written. “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” The second part of this line of the poem illustrates the difference between the faith of Wokeism and Christianity. To Wokeism followers, DEI is strengthened from humans. For Christians, the faithful are strengthened through God.
Bennafield goes on, “And to many, I reflect hope and inspiration.” Yes DEI, or God, does reflect hope and inspiration. Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (RSV). Romans 8:24, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.” (RSV). This ties into a previous line, about the invisibility of God, where God reflects hope for a believer even without being seen.
Continuing on, “Your lives and companies will continue to change, thus the need for Diversity and Inclusion will also remain.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” The book of Ecclesiastes describes how nothing under the sun is new, all is vanity and in the end all that matters and remains is the Lord. To “Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, RSV). So as our lives and companies change, in all things under the sun, the need for “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,” or DEI, God, remains.
Almost every line from this Wokeism prayer is a rehash of Christian scripture. As Wokeists recite this poem, you can envision a Christian reciting the Lord’s prayer. It is just another example of the forming of a new world religion, one that elevates man and governments as its Lord, God or its DEI. When you see media and some apocalyptic leftists lashing out at the thought of a second Donald Trump term, or the constant pushback on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, you are not seeing politics as usual. You are seeing adherents to Wokeism reacting to their religion under attack. DEI committees in all levels of government and businesses are being removed as people see the folly and waste. For true Wokeism believers, having their religion go from state-sponsored and enforced to discarded goes much deeper than politics.