I'm Not a Charlie Kirk Christian

In the wake of the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, I’ve been sitting with a swirl of emotions:

• Shock at the horror of yet another act of violence in our country.

• Sorrow for his wife, children, and all who loved him.

• Outrage that we continue to refuse meaningful action on guns.

• Dismay that so many hold him up as the picture of what it means to be a Christian.

Because I am a Christian, too. And I spend much of my life talking with people about what following Jesus really means.

When I think about Charlie Kirk and Christianity, I can’t help but echo the words of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

(note: any quotes or statements from Kirk mentioned below are followed by a date of at least one episode of his podcast that he expressed such sentiments, as there have been quotes wrongly attributed to him.)

Kirk once dismissed empathy as “a made-up, new age term” that “does a lot of damage." (October 12, 2022). I see it differently. I believe empathy is at the very heart of Christianity.

Jesus constantly modeled empathy:

• He wept with Mary and Martha when their brother died (John 11:35).

• He had compassion on the crowds who were harassed and helpless (Matthew 9:36).

• He restored dignity to those cast aside — lepers, tax collectors, women, foreigners.

To be Christian is to share in the suffering and joy of others, to “weep with those who weep” and “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15).

Kirk repeatedly made statements that demeaned Black women (July 13, 2022), LGBTQ people (April 1, 2024), Muslims (June 24, 2025), and other marginalized groups. Yet Jesus consistently stood with those on the margins. From the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) and the bleeding woman in the crowd (Mark 5) to the lame (John 5) and to the leper (Luke 5:12-16).

The gospel calls us to love the neighbor others overlook and to recognize the image of God in those the world excludes.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is a national tragedy. It should never have happened — just as no politically motivated killing or attack should ever happen (including the two assassination attempts on Trump, the burning of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro’s home, the assassination of Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker, Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the rising number of reports of threats against federal and district judges). Violence is never the answer, and it's certainly not the way of Jesus.

We as a country cannot keep saying, “This is not who we are.” It is exactly who we have become — a nation where political hatred, easy access to weapons, and dehumanizing rhetoric have combined to deadly effect.

Kirk’s death, tragic beyond words, does not change my critique of his version of Christianity. I believe he misunderstood the gospel. And I have no doubt he would say the same about me.

But here’s the truth: neither of us has it completely right. To be human is to miss the mark — to sin, to fall short, to see only in part (1 Corinthians 13:12). I know that I don't always get it right, but I trust that God’s grace is big enough for any mistakes and wrong turns I make along my journey of faith. I like to believe Kirk knew that, too.

I believe God came down earth fully human and fully God in the form of Jesus Christ because God knows we humans are incredibly fallible creatures. I believe our goal as followers of Christ is not to "get it right," but to love like Jesus loved. I just don't see how we can be too far off the mark by practicing expansive, inclusive, extravagant love. Jesus told us that they will know we are his disciples by our love. (John 13:35). How else are they gonna know?

I simply cannot believe in a version of Christianity that calls us to demean other people, encourage violence against those who aren't like us or to exclude anyone from the community of Christ.

I am convinced that if we hold fast to our commitment to empathy, to love and to non-violence, we could go a long way in preventing tragedies like the shooting deaths of school children, grocery shoppers, concert goers and even notable political figures.