The Indecent Oath of Office: Wokeness Acts as a New Religion in Recent School Board Ceremonies

In the history of American public service, the solemnity of oath-taking has long been a ritual reflecting the gravity of the responsibilities entrusted to our elected officials. However, in two recent episodes that could be dubbed “The Indecent Oaths of Office,” Karen Smith, a Democratic school board president in Pennsylvania, and Democrat Karl Frisch, the first openly LGBT member elected to local office in Fairfax County, Virginia, decided to degrade the ceremony by swearing in on a stack of sexually explicit books.

Now, these aren’t your run-of-the-mill book club selections; these are tomes that will cause even adults to blush, much less the impressionable minds of minors.

Included in the salacious stacks for both Smith and Frisch was the book Flamer. Fox News reports that Flamer was “written by award-winning author and artist Mike Curato. Released in 2020, Curato’s work is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel set in 1995. It tells the story of a character who is bullied at a Boy Scouts summer camp for ‘acting in a manner considered stereotypical of gay men.’ The graphic novel includes characters discussing pornography, erections, masturbation, and an illustration that depicts naked teenage boys.”

One can’t help but wonder what message these public education officials are trying to send as they place their hands on what can only be described as a literary homage to the sexual revolution, a celebration of the radical LGBTQ agenda, and even a nod to pedophilia. Is this who we have become as Americans? Have we, like Esau, traded our birthright of the Bible and Christianity for the poisonous porridge of pornographic books aimed at children? 

It appears that for Smith and Frisch, and thousands more public school officials like them, the sexual revolution isn’t just a historical chapter but a guiding principle — perhaps even a quasi-religious doctrine. The question then arises: Have we reached a point where wokeness has become a religion with its own set of (un)holy books, and are these the sacred texts of this new faith?

A major account on X (formerly Twitter) that has worked to expose this radical wokeness, called Libs of TikTok, tweeted, “School board President Karen Smith of @CBSDSchools chose to swear her oath on a stack of “banned books.” Some books include pornographic content including promoting p*rn, ped*philia and graphic depictions of sexual acts. These are the people in charge of your kid’s education.”

Not only was this stunt embarrassing for its hallowing of sexually immoral content, but it also reveals the deeply dangerous worldview of women like Smith, who is now in charge of children’s education in the third largest school district in Pennsylvania, and men like Frisch, now the vice chairman of the Fairfax County school board.

For a nation built on the values of the Christian faith and the principles enshrined in its founding documents, principles of virtue, honor, and justice, their choice of oath-taking paraphernalia is more than just a quirky anecdote. It’s a visual representation of a shift away from the foundational ideals that have shaped our great nation. The values of faith, family, and a solid education have long been the bedrock of American society, yet here we are, witnessing an oath of office taken on literature that seems more intent on promoting a sexualized and degenerate libertine worldview than upholding the virtues of responsible governance.

Wokeness, with its simultaneously rigid orthodoxy to the sexual revolution and adherence to a constantly evolving set of norms, is beginning to resemble a religion unto itself. In this secular theology, certain books take on a sacred aura, and adherents swear oaths on them as if consecrating themselves to a higher cause — the cause of perverting our nation’s youth. The irony, of course, is that this newfound religion of wokeness often professes an allegiance to diversity and inclusion while sidelining those who don’t subscribe to its dogma.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that the battleground of ideas extends far beyond the classroom. The choices made by those in positions of authority within our education system have a profound impact on the values instilled in the next generation. Are we to believe that the sexual revolution, with all its complexities and controversies, should be the primary guiding light for shaping the minds of our youth?

In the end, it’s not just about Smith and Frisch and their choice of oath-taking pornographic material. It’s about the values we hold dear, the traditions that have defined us, and the direction we want our society to take. While some may see this incident as a footnote in local politics, or an embodiment of the culture war (which it is), it also serves as a metaphorical canary in the coal mine, warning us of the potential consequences when wokeness morphs into a quasi-religious fervor, complete with its own canon of “holy” books — which again, are books celebrating levels of sexual immorality and perversity that had no place in polite society, let alone the public school system, just a short 20 years prior.

Americans must not forget the importance of preserving the values that have stood the test of time — values that have nothing to do with sexually explicit literature and everything to do with the enduring principles that built this nation, the principles of the one true Christian religion. As Proverbs 2:6 reminds us, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

This is the divine wisdom that should guide our leaders in upholding the moral fabric of our society. This is what we should take oaths on and for — not smut. For broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the path to life.

The Church must be involved in public discourse and influence. That’s why we write — so our readers can be equipped to understand and pursue righteous change in the world. For more timely, informative, and faith-based content, subscribe to the Standing for Freedom Center newsletter.