Behind identity politics is a spirit hostile to traditional Christianity, analyzing people as victims rather than sinners. The Christian doctrine of particular salvation is also at odds with identity politics, since it cuts across identity groups, and involves the exclusion of part of humanity from final salvation (i.e., that part which does not receive God’s saving grace).

Woke or “identity politics” has become a severe problem for orthodox Christians. It involves accepting the non-negotiable requirements of identity groups, as defined by critical theory. In particular, it involves accepting sexual behaviors Scripture defines as sinful.

Behind identity politics is a spirit hostile to traditional Christianity, analyzing people as victims rather than sinners. The Christian doctrine of particular salvation is also at odds with identity politics, since it cuts across identity groups, and involves the exclusion of part of humanity from final salvation (i.e., that part which does not receive God’s saving grace).

The problem is compounded in contemporary America by large corporations actively supporting woke agendas. A striking example (and possibly a turning point) was the gutting of Indiana’s newly enacted Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015 to exclude conscience objection from homosexual behavior. This was the result of corporate pressure on a Republican governor and legislature, resulting in their effective surrender of this legislative effort to protect religious consciences.

The Claremont Institute sponsored two panels to discuss what can be done about woke corporations on May 18. The first considered how corporate America, which in the past was a conservative force, has become a force for the radical left, which stands completely opposed to capitalism.

Arthur Malikh, Executive Director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life, noted in introducing the panel that the Left has held conferences on how to influence the American establishment for decades. There have been “hundreds of them,” he said. Now they don’t need conferences anymore, because “they are in a consolidation stage.” At the same time “in recent decades, American corporations went from being more or less patriotic, to being globalist.” Now there are large corporations supporting “revolutionary causes.” Conservatives in the last 30 years have endeavored to give “corporate America everything it wanted,” from open markets to measures reducing the power of labor unions, to allowing many illegal immigrants into the country, which increase the work force and depress wages. “Corporations got all that they wanted, and then they went woke.” Part of the conservative world still refuses to see this, considering that the free market is working.

Malikh observed that the Left now controls America’s most prestigious “institutions, much of the press, much of the federal bureaucracy, much of the security state, the universities, K-12, the culture industries, big tech, Fortune 500s, and perhaps even the military.”

David Azerrad, the first panelist, observed that out of 3,500 publically traded companies, there was only one of those examined that had no diversity and inclusion training. Big business has “joined the media, Hollywood … the mainline Christian churches,” regarding the full leftist agenda of “climate change, gun control, anything having to do with women, so-called people of color, and the so-called LGBTQ.” Azerrad observed that in response, conservatives and libertarians are “scratching their heads.” Supporting the leftist agenda is indeed good for business, but conservatives often do not understand why. Woke companies know that they will not be boycotted or otherwise attacked by conservatives, but they may be attacked by the Left if they do not support its agenda, or do anything contrary to its agenda.

He noted exceptions: Chick-Fil-A was supported by the conservative public against the Left’s activism, and Target “received pushback” due to its new rest room policy, but in general, the Right is quiescent with respect to corporate wokeness. He believes the overall position of the Right in American society today remains “way too libertarian.” By contrast, “everyone is afraid of social justice warriors.” He noted a recent tweet that “if you go woke, you won’t go broke, but if you go anti-woke, you’ll get broken.”

Azerrad observed that corporate management is not merely afraid of social justice warriors, but of the woke among corporate employees. He noted that it was the employees at Mozilla that insisted on the firing of Brendan Eich (who had contributed a small amount to a referendum for traditional marriage). Employees who object to wokeness in their companies are at risk of being fired. By complying with the demands of activists within and without a corporation, one can at least attempt to “be left alone to run your business.”

Another reason corporations go woke is to justify their money and power. Since the equality of persons is a presupposition of classical liberalism, there is the question of why inequality of money and power exists. Historically, this was explained by a doctrine of meritocracy, in which those who are most competent in their work rise to the top. While conservative America continues to believe this, it is no longer an acceptable explanation for the leftist activists powered by critical theory. Differences in status must be the result of bias. Support for extremist groups and implementation of leftist ideology in the hiring, firing, and indoctrination of employees thus will “legitimize your privilege.”

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