Did you ever notice that everything about the “woke” culture is based in fear? Their leaders use fear (and shame) to manipulate and control people. They control their followers through fear of being canceled if they say anything not in lockstep with the woke newspeak narrative.
Why does this culture cancel those who don’t agree with their narrative? Because they are afraid of civil discourse. So, in order to shut you up, they will simply paint you as homophobic, transphobic, acephobic, xenophobic, and on and on. (Remember when you were “Islamophobic” after 9/11?)
And some of them are racismophobic.
Notice the common denominator here. Phobia.
But their demonizations have nothing whatsoever to do with actually caring about what they accuse you of; it has more to do with using fear to silence and shame you. And they want to silence you because they are deathly afraid you will start thinking for yourself.
Traditional liberals, who once were the champions of free speech, have been silenced by this woke cult that absolutely fears free speech.
This culture uses fear by telling you that the world will end in a few short years if you don’t adopt their extreme climate policies. But do their leaders actually believe their own narrative? All we have to do is see these virtue-signaling hucksters traveling to their elite “climate” summits in their private jets and gas-guzzling motorcades to know that they don’t. (See article: “Elite Hypocrisy on Display at Glasgow Climate Summit.”)
“Climate change” is their weapon of choice to make you fearful so that they stay in power (and get rich).
The truth is, this woke cult is afraid of you.
For instance, the following professor confesses that he’s terrified to give (*gulp*) “conservatives” equal space for discussion in his classroom.
Everything is an existential threat to this culture of fear.
They’re afraid that if those who don’t agree with them get their way, then democracy will end. In fact, these neo-Marxists seem to obsess over “democracy” (see post: “Democracy and other slogan manipulations.”). But do they actually care about democracy? Well, if you’re determined to cancel all opposition so you can essentially have one-party rule, what is that called? (See my post: “CRT and the New Fascism.”)
But the Kingdom culture is the opposite. Everything about God and His kingdom is based on love. And His perfect love casts out all fear.
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 NIV*)
Did you get that? There are NO phobias in His perfecting love.
It’s His love that makes us see our own worth. We find each another, in all our glorious diversity, in His love.
It’s in His love where we find our strength and courage. God says: “Do not be afraid!” “Take heart!” “Be courageous!” “I am with you.” “I will never leave you nor forsake you!”
Fear also has to do with cultural punishment (being canceled, shamed, fired, etc.) But the one who fears these things simply has not been perfected in His love.
God IS love. And Love does not coerce, tear down, or manipulate with fear…
4 Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. (1 Cor.13:4-8 TPT)
The antidote to the culture of fear is God’s culture of love.
Which culture do you want to be part of?
While it does take courage to love, don’t be afraid; Love is with you and always for you. To quote one of my favorite songs, “Prophesy Your Promise”: “Fear can go to hell; shame can go there too. I know whose I am, God I belong to You!” Amen.
In My Father's House 
Amen, Mel. Fear is a liar, always. The only good thing about fear might be confronting it and letting God deal with it. Make God bigger then our fears!
Amen. When we see God, and who we are in Him, fear is a mouse with a microphone. 🙂
This is fascinating in so many ways. First, I wonder if “traditional liberal” isn’t an oxymoron. Do with that as you wish. Second, until COVID, I was an adjunct professor, and I never feared any students in the classroom, whether conservative or moderate or liberal. I expected them to be respectful to me and to each other. But I had students very much against George W. Bush and others very much for him; students very much against Barack Obama and others very much for him; students very much against Donald Trump and others very much for him. We all spoke to each other, listened to each other, and got along just fine. (And, most of the time, I let them speak and did not reveal which way I felt about these leaders.) Yes, in the current climate of fear, we Christians are well-equipped to respond with the perfect love of God which casts out all fear. And those who won’t listen are responsible for their own problems. J.
Yes, putting “traditional” and “liberal” in the same title is a bit a contradiction in terms! But in our current cultural climate where the radical neo-Marxist left seems to have taken over, they are quite traditional or moderate by comparson. This is why many liberals are joining conservatives against the woke ideeology. We probably have to separate them them now. We have liberals and leftist activists.
You sound like what a professor should be in our colleges and universities, teaching students how to think and not what to think, regardless of their political affiliation. I suspect many, if not most, professors would want to be this way. It seems the political activists have taken over the narrative. They are indoctrinating their students with their ideology instead of equipping them for their future. And some professors who push against it are being pushed out by these ideologues.
Good observation of how much Woke ideology and powerplay is based upon fear! Its crazy how it scared so many people into it
Fear is a powerful motivater but not a good one. People are manipulated by it precisely because they’re not actually racist but they won’t want to be accused of being one. Like with Socialism, it plays on their sense of fairness and compassion. But it does so in a terribly dark way. Constantly living in fear makes for a sick society, which is why God’s love is the antidote.
Well stated with also the hope that comes from God!