Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Isolated News

When I heard the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I was both sad and angry. I was camping in the remote mountains of Idaho, cut off from the endless flood of social media and 24/7 news. I had no cell service, no internet—just my thoughts. It was isolation from media madness, yet my mind kept racing in shock and sadness.

As someone who both respected Charlie’s content and was a news hound, I felt starved for information. I wanted to be in the know. The silence was painful. Alone with my thoughts was, in one sense, good. It was just me and the stark reality of a senseless death. Shock and awe over the murder of an innocent father in the very public arena of an open college campus.

Did it have to come to this?

Options of Civil Debate Versus Murder

My first thought was—why? Why take the life of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, a husband, and a brilliant young man who had inspired a generation to serve both Christ and the nation? Were there no other options? I can think of one.

Instead of pulling the trigger, the shooter could have faced the “firing line” of civil debate and asked Charlie tough questions—in person and in public. Charlie Kirk would have welcomed it. He loved civil debate and would have gladly faced those questions with candor, kindness, firmness, conviction, and blunt honesty. But no. The shooter chose to target rather than talk. It was an act of pure hatred rather than facing fears and concerns through civil, public debate. Charlie emphasized mutual understanding rather than violence. Yet by silencing his voice, Charlie’s message has only been amplified to over 100 million people worldwide.

Hatred turned into public murder never defeats a cause; it only strengthens it. The bear has been poked. It is out. Charlie now has a voice he never imagined possible. Gen Z and other generations have witnessed something akin to the Dallas shooting of November 1963. Charlie was not an elected U.S. President like John F. Kennedy; however, in the age of social media and digital content, Charlie’s message may surpass that of past presidents. In some respects, it already has. The attempt to silence him has backfired, fueling a movement that will not be silenced.

The Movement Is Lit

A bullet cannot kill an idea or a calling. It never could and never will. Once a meta-strong idea takes root, it carries the Kevlar strength of permanence—especially the Turning Point USA focus on youth, strategy, American exceptionalism, civil debate, mutual understanding, free enterprise, the Judeo-Christian worldview, free speech, and most of all, the power of the risen Savior Charlie so loved: Jesus Christ.

Historical Accuracy & “Democracy”

What we say and how we say it—on all sides of the political aisle—matters. So does historical accuracy. Inaccurate name-calling dipped in hyperbole only fuels animosity and resentment.

Labeling people as fascists, Nazis, or white men of a certain religious persuasion is not helpful. Even the constant cry of “threat to democracy” is historically misleading and ambiguous. As Charlie often reminded students, the word democracy is not mentioned in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Federalist Papers. America is, at its foundation, a representative republic with democratic elements. Yes, America has democratic practices, but its guiding principle is that of a constitutional republic. The republic provides the checks and balances that safeguard against the dangers of pure democracy.

Winston Churchill once said:
“Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government—except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

When asked what kind of government the new Constitution had created, Ben Franklin famously replied in 1787, outside the Constitutional Convention:
“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Thomas Jefferson once said:
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”

James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, wrote in Federalist No. 10 (1787):
“Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”

The Founders generally favored a constitutional republic over pure democracy because they feared unrestrained majority rule would lead to instability, tyranny, and the erosion of individual rights. They built checks and balances, separation of powers, and protections for minorities precisely to guard against those weaknesses.

Yet today, amid the shouts of “Defend Democracy” and “XYZ is a threat to democracy,” we rarely hear calls to “defend the constitutional republic.” And yet, a constitutional republic is the very mechanism that protects democracy. Democracy cannot defend itself—especially if the very term has been redefined and misunderstood.

Charlie A Fascist?

It is no surprise that Charlie was a strong supporter of President Trump. In fact, the Turning Point USA election strategy was instrumental in shifting much of the Gen Z voter block toward the MAGA movement in the 2024 election. Charlie’s organization was a force that helped the Trump reelection cause.

And, on the progressive political and media side, both Trump and Charlie are often accused of being Nazis. Even the shooter’s bullet casings had, “Catch this, Fascist!” written on them. Sad and shocking, but true.

A friend of mine is 103 years old and a Jewish Holocaust survivor. He spent 4 years as a Nazi slave and prisoner of war. I once asked him if President Trump was a Nazi. His emphatic answer: “Trump is not a Nazi”. And, my guess is he never voted for Trump.

Case in point: Do you think my friend knows what a Nazi is? Indeed, he does.

By logical implication and fact, neither was Charlie Kirk. In fact, Charlie often asked his Nazi accusers during public debate, “When and what did I exactly say that proves I’m a Nazi?” Charlie never got a sound answer. Never. Only silence. It’s thus how we are taught to think rather than what we are taught to think that matters.

Ideological, lazy, and easy name calling that is devoid of accurate historical evidence, context, and substance is the the problem and not the solution. No matter your political leanings, we can all do better on this one.

The Celebration of Assassination

The celebration of Charlie’s death by some progressive politicians, parts of the media, and certain celebrities and pundits was almost as shocking as the event itself. Really? How can anyone celebrate the public murder of another human being—let alone a young, intelligent, innovative, and kind-hearted father and Judeo-Christian apologist who inspired an entire generation of students and adults? It is beyond reason. It is a sad display of hatred and misunderstanding, one that has led many to question the very foundation of progressive ideology. For many Americans, these celebratory comments became the tipping point. And yet, some Americans still don’t see the callousness of this harsh and surreal celebration of murder. I have no words for this mindset. Perhaps, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” is all I can rest in.

Granted, many progressives condemned the assassination—and I applaud them. Thank you.

Still, the full grasp of reality has been lost to others. I am at a loss for words to describe these “celebrations of violence.” Such comments are beyond logic, beyond reality, beyond basic human decency and compassion.

The Blood of the Martyr Is the Seed of the Church

History is filled with martyrs: Stephen, James the Apostle, Peter, Paul, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Cecilia, Lawrence of Rome, Sebastian, Thomas Becket, Jan Hus, William Tyndale, Hugh Latimer, Maximilian Kolbe—just to name a few.

Charlie has now joined that list. For him, Jesus Christ was far more important than politics or Turning Point USA. God called him for a time and a place, and Charlie used it wisely. He always said he wanted to be remembered, above all, for defending his Savior and his faith.

Thank you, Charlie, for your courage, conviction, and your listening ear to all who challenged you. I am so sorry, Erika Kirk, for the loss of your husband and the father of your two children. Your public proclamation of forgiveness was beyond words.

On that fateful day, at 12:23 p.m., September 10, 2025, in Utah, Charlie heard two things: the gunshot, and then the words of his Savior: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Stuart Atkins

About the Author
Stuart Atkins is a retired marketing professional with over 25 years of experience in the high-technology industry and a former adjunct professor of marketing at Cal State Fullerton, where he taught for 17 years while also operating a small digital marketing agency. He holds an MBA and two degrees in theology and has written books on business and theology. He writes on Christian apologetics, history, economics, and worldview issues, drawing on both academic study and decades of professional experience. He is the founder of ChristianProofs.com.