As language evolves, a word, phrase or expression can enter the mainstream and create confusion about its original meaning. For example, first “woke” meant to wake up, or be awake.
In 2017, the new meaning of “woke” was added to the dictionary as: “Aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice). Nowadays, “woke” refers to being aware or informed in a political or cultural sense, mainly regarding issues of the marginalised.
“Woke” is derived from AfroAmerican lingo, meaning alert to racial prejudice and discrimination.
Recently “woke activism” went further when Piers Morgan, on his British TV programme, grilled the Church of England which is considering altering the Christian prayer “Our Father” towards genderless.
The discourse and “woke culture” do not impact Judaism and Islam which has a simple approach – either you accept our theology or we reject you. For example, there is no conflict with homosexuality as authentic Jews and Muslims reject the idea and the debate. Christians differ from Jews and Muslims who historically accept the Creator as genderless and separate from Creation.
Monotheism is clear that Allah/ Yahweh/God is a singular Creator without partners and also not man or woman.
Therefore the Christian prayer of “Our Father who art in Heaven” is under attack as “woke activists” claim the word “Father” is a gender dictate, paternalistic, misogynistic and God must remain genderless.
Piers Morgan accused the Church of England of desperation to please the “woke activists” and prepared to discard centuries of traditions and now struggles to survive the “Our Father” attack.
Ironically, the debate encircling the Church of England is deeper than many think. In truth, it questions the Trinity of Christianity that was agreed on at the conference of Nicaea in 325AD and supported by the Roman emperor, Constantine. This is where the notion of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit was created by popular vote. The meeting in Nicaea was necessitated by the Arian Church leaders from Eastern Greece who claimed that Jesus was important but just another prophet of God and not divine. The Arian Church were exiled for heresy and Jesus Christ was later decreed part of God.
If the Church of England submits to altering the “Our Father” prayer, then “woke activists” may ask: if Jesus is the son of God, does that propose that Mary is God’s wife since Mary gave birth to Christ?
Christians need to think deeply as “muscular liberalism”, the fundamentalist wing of liberalism, is on the war path and it does look like Christians and Christianity itself seems to be in the way. The debates around gender may just be the beginning of a wholesale attack leading elsewhere.
* Cape Muslim Congress councillor Yagyah Adams.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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