‘We’re in the old testament right now’: Chris Rock blames ‘wokeness’ for creating a less forgiving society

Chris Rock has said that his problem with “quote, unquote, wokeness” is that it leads to a world he sees as less forgiving than it needs to be, TheWrap reports.

The comedian and “Misty Green” filmmaker made the comments on the New York Times’ “The Interview” series, tying the remarks to forgiveness as a central theme of his new film. “I’m a Christian, and God forgives,” he said.

“The problem with quote, unquote, wokeness… is we’re in the Old Testament right now, and the Old Testament has no forgiveness.”

Rock said advocating for marginalised communities is valuable but becomes problematic once institutionalised, comparing it to the Salem witch hunts: “You open up a witch office, and now you gotta start lying because you got overhead.”

Despite his criticism, Rock said he believes the “Woke 1.0” era following George Floyd’s murder in 2020 ultimately had a positive impact, noting it amplified voices he may not otherwise have heard.