Woke orthodoxy

Richard A. Sokerka

Silence is golden, and technology companies are making the phrase their mantra when it comes to religious groups on social media.

Alarmingly, according to a white paper issued by the Napa Legal Institute, religious groups and figures have been silenced by tech companies at a rate of about one a week.

Religious groups that speak on certain topics are at risk of being removed from social media platforms.

“It seems likely that religious groups and individuals will face mounting threats from tech companies. Their views on marriage, sexuality, life, and other moral issues are unpopular among the Silicon Valley set,” Josh Holdenreid, vice president and executive director of Napa Legal Institute, said in a March 28 opinion essay for the Wall Street Journal, “Big Tech Censors Religion, Too.”

In January, Bishop Kevin Doran of Ireland tweeted: “There is dignity in dying. As a priest, I am privileged to witness it often. Assisted suicide, where it is practiced, is not an expression of freedom or dignity.” Twitter removed this message and banned Bishop Doran from posting further. While the company reversed its decision after public opposition, others haven’t been so lucky.

Books from specific publishers are often targeted, such as Catholic TAN Books. One of its authors is Paul Kengor, who wrote an anticommunist tract called “The Devil and Karl Marx.” TAN Books can’t advertise his work on Facebook or that of Carrie Gress, who wrote a book on “rescuing the culture from toxic femininity.” Facebook has also banned ads for Kimberly Cook’s book, “Motherhood Redeemed.”

“Big tech’s unpredictable de-platforming of faith-based organizations and their leaders has become so frequent that faith-based organizations can no longer rely on continuous service from these companies, particularly social media providers,” said the white paper. “Faith leaders must respond decisively to the changed landscape.”

“Organizations centered around important cultural and policy issues are at greater risk of de-platforming,” said the white paper. “For example, pro-life organizations, pro-family organizations, Christian organizations addressing issues related to human sexuality, and faith-based news organizations have been targeted more often than organizations that run tutoring programs or soup kitchens.”

Last October, a third-party Facebook fact-checker claimed the Susan B. Anthony List made “misleading claims” about Joe Biden’s position on late-term abortions. The claim interfered with the pro-life political group’s ability to run its paid political ads on Facebook before Election Day. So, “the group went on a media blitz, securing both a reversal and an apology,” Holdenreid said.

“When posts are removed, ads are blocked, and accounts are banned, public pushback and media criticism often lead tech companies to rethink their actions,” he said.

The white paper advised religious groups “not to dilute their religious message or succumb to pressure not to share the truth. We need the truth more than ever, and the efforts to de-platform highlight that. Rather than acting out of fear, organizations should be prudent and plan ahead.”

Holdenreid went even further: “Religious groups should refuse to silence themselves, change their views, or otherwise back down. Censorship is a symptom of a national collapse in civic culture. Curing the deeper disease will take all the courage and conviction we can muster.”

Big tech’s woke orthodoxy has not only adopted values that are antithetical to the Catholic faith, but also violated our religious liberties.