4 Reasons Why We Need To Bring Back The Phrase "WWJD "
The Morality of Our Future and Society Depends On It
In the 1990s, the phrase WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) was a powerful cultural phenomenon that transcended religious circles.
Thanks to the Christian group DC Talk, which popularized it through their music and merchandise, the phrase stood as a reminder for anyone to reflect on their actions in light of Jesus’ teachings.
From the WWJD bracelets, to the keychains, and other paraphernalia, the whole goal of the phrase was to encourage people to consider how Jesus might respond to various situations in their lives, and inspiring them to make choices that align with their faith and morality.
Unfortunately, as morals and Christianity have declined in our modern era, this once-prevalent phrase has faded from the collective consciousness. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans identifying as Christian dropped from 78% in 2007 to 65% in 2019.
Additionally, surveys indicate that fewer people now adhere to traditional moral values, with only 32% of adults saying religion is very important in their lives, down from 56% in 1952. This decline in religious and moral values is a cause for concern and a sign of significant societal changes.
Author’s Note: In my article Spiritual Perspective Part One, I show how religion can lead to tremendous financial success, so seeing that religion is not essential shows how our economic situation may worsen.
The erosion of communal values and the increasing focus on self-gratification and relativism have further contributed to the decline in the influence of such guiding principles. Here are four reasons why we need to bring back the phrase so that we may regain a sense of community and shared values.
Reason One: We Need To Rediscover Jesus
The debate over whether Jesus was a historical figure or a symbolic character is ongoing. Some theories, including those explored by esoteric scholars like Manly P. Hall, suggest that Christianity was initially intended to teach people about the metaphysical aspects of reality.
According to this view, many religious teachings contain hidden esoteric knowledge to guide individuals toward a deeper understanding of spiritual truths. My good friend
at the Wisdom Tradition talks about this in great detail and one of my favorite articles is titled, “The Politics of Early Christianity.”Many factors contribute to these perspectives:
For one, there are many translations of the Bible.
Two, there’s the political component of the Roman Church.
Third, censorship and the Protestant movement versus the Roman Church have an impact.
With all of this playing a role in the origin of the religion, Jesus’s existence needs to be investigated from all angles and not simply accepted. If not, we suffer from what I like to call “blind faith” and fall under its guise and become a victim of this religious weapon.
Recommended Listening: Religion As A Weapon
However, the general takeaway is that Jesus’s character should be modeled after. He showed us how to treat our fellow humans and overcome adversity, but he also stood up for what was right—which may be at odds with the “He Gets Us” campaign. At the end of the day, the individual promoted a model that we should live for, and this WWJD motto helps bring that into focus.
Reason Two: A Guiding Light in Everyday Situations
Imagine you’re a 20-year-old college male out with your friends at a local bar. Suddenly, you see one of your classmates with her friends that you’ve been trying to talk to for the longest time. Both parties meet, and you are within walking distance of your classmate.
However, you’re overcome with fear, nothing comes out, and you’re frozen in time. The phrase WWJD would also be applicable here. By reciting the words, you realize that there’s nothing to be fearful of and you have the spirit of peace and courage. You muster up the boldness to speak to your classmate, which ends up being a fantastic conversation. This example is the power of the phrase because it empowers us to overcome the spirits of fear and doubt we might face.
Now, someone would say that Jesus would never have been in the bar in the first place, and this goes back to point number one—just who Jesus was and how we can model our lives after him. Jesus went to the bar and hung out with sinners because there was nothing wrong with fellowship. Fellowship with your fellow man is not sinning, and we must remember we are to be the ‘light of the world,’ so we must be in the world.
There is no sin in mustering up the courage to show someone how you appreciate them, especially if this is from a place of pure love and not lust.
This was one example, but another is the upcoming election. Would Jesus blindly vote for either party? Or would the character of Jesus, who drove the Pharisees from the temple, revolt against the current voting practices since they provide no real solution? By asking 'What Would Jesus Do?' in this context, we can consider the ethical implications of our political choices and strive to align our actions with Jesus's teachings.
Recommended Reading: Why We Need To Stop Voting For Presidents
Reason Three: The Power of Imitation
The
has a video showing babies can mimic other humans within 45 minutes of birth. This early ability to imitate highlights the profound importance of imitation in human development. As Iain McGilchrist states in “The Master and His Emissary,” imitation is arguably the most important human skill, enabling the development of both bodily and mental skills.In situations where our egos hinder us from believing in our abilities, imagining ourselves in someone else’s shoes can provide clarity and direction. The phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) becomes powerful in this scenario. By invoking this phrase, we can mirror an individual who is ascribed to be the model of humanity for us.
Carl Jung emphasized the impact of role models, noting that “an attitude or frame of mind is by no means always a product of volition; more often it owes its peculiarity to mental contagion.” When we imagine how Jesus would act in our situation, we engage in a form of imitation that can transform our attitudes and behaviors. This process isn’t just about copying others exactly. It’s about creatively putting yourself in their place, which surprisingly helps you become your unique self.
By consciously choosing positive role models like Jesus, we can counteract negative influences and foster a life-promoting attitude. As McGilchrist explains, “We will become what we imitate.” Therefore, adopting WWJD as a guiding principle inspires us to internalize and express our highest moral values uniquely, motivating us to strive for the best in ourselves.
For more insights on the power of imitation, refer to the full transcript of the video “The Power of Role Models—How Imitation Promotes Self-Transformation.”
Reason Four: A Moral Compass for Today's Society
As mentioned earlier, there has been a noticeable decline in morality in the country, which is evident in various aspects of society. This moral decline is partly rooted in how we’ve been conditioned to perceive the world through the lens of propaganda, historical narratives, and education systems that serve specific agendas.
The modern education system, for example, originates in the Prussian model from the 1700s, designed to instill obedience and loyalty to the state. This model influenced the American education system significantly, with figures like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie shaping it to produce a compliant workforce rather than independent thinkers. Their “philanthropic” foundations funneled substantial resources into creating an education system emphasizing conformity and consumerism over intellectual and moral development.
Rockefeller’s University of Chicago and Carnegie’s Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching played pivotal roles in this transformation, aiming to mold obedient individuals who could fit seamlessly into industrial society. As revealed by authors like John Taylor Gatto and Seth Godin, this system was less about empowering students and more about ensuring they became compliant factory workers and consumers.
Recommended Reading: How Millennials Were Set Up To Fail
By understanding these historical influences and educating ourselves on the true character of Jesus and his teachings, as presented in canonical and non-canonical texts like the Book of Thomas, we can reconnect with an ancient model of living that emphasizes moral integrity and spiritual wisdom. This connection to the past provides us with the tools to address the challenges of the present with deeper insight and morality.
Reintroducing Jesus' teachings into our lives helps counteract the systemic conditioning we’ve experienced, allowing us to gradually bring morality back into our world. By doing so, we can transform our society, fostering a culture of compassion, justice, and ethical behavior.
Recommended Listening: Why Gnosticism Is The Christianity Needed Today?
Conclusion
These are the four reasons I’d argue we need to bring back the WWJD phrase. Growing up as a christian, I appreciate and see the value that the practice brings. Religion itself is an amazing concept that helps humanity tap into the spiritual nature of reality. As humans, we yearn for a knowing of the spiritual, and Christianity, like other religions, helps us do that.
However, just like all things positive, they can be tainted and used for nefarious purposes. As mentioned, we all talk about the faith, but do we truly know its origins? Do we understand how this religion spread throughout the world? Are we familiar with the origins of the propaganda techniques used for conversion (e.g., the sinners’ prayer?)?
There is so much to discuss within the concept of religion; however, as we sift through the good and the bad, the lies and the truth, let’s cling to the positive aspects of the faith—and that’s exactly what this phrase is. This four-letter phrase helps us transcend our ego and the thoughts given to us by our society and elevate ourselves to ask, what would this model of the Divine do in my current situation?
Thank you for your time and attention in reading this article. Please share it with someone to see what their thoughts are on this.
Let me know if you have any questions or feedback in the comments. Until next time, Ashe!
Franklin O’Kanu
I was raised in the Baptist church and I'm so grateful for that foundation of spirituality, even though I left when I was in high school and never went back, bc I moved to Micronesia and then to Germany after I graduated. My grandparents were Japanese and followed Buddhism. I started looking into it and other schools of religion when I was 17 or 18, as well as the history of the Christian Church, which was mostly Catholicism and the very dark aspects of it. The church of my childhood seemed so innocent and well-meaning and I couldn't reconcile it with this new knowledge. Buddhism seemed more sane and not so politicized, intolerant and immersed in worldly things. The teachings of Jesus were used as a brutal cudgel to keep the masses in line. The Church became more powerful than the monarchy and just as manipulative and ruthless. I went through a period of being turned off by Christianity and my perceived hypocrisy of it's current state. I would like to return to the innocence and virtue of it, but I'm not sure how. I don't agree with some of it's tenets and it seems it's an all or nothing set up. WWJD?
I said this to myself just a couple of days ago. We need to bring back WWJD? I need to teach this to my grandchildren!