In Memory of Charlie Kirk: A Christian Martyr

CHARLIE KIRK
1993-2025

When someone asked me the other day why the American flag was flying at half-staff, I explained that it was because Charlie Kirk had been killed. The person who asked me about it was an elderly woman who didn't watch the news except on rare occasions. And so not surprisingly, she had never heard Charlie Kirk's name before and she didn't know that he had been assassinated. And so I briefly told her who Charlie Kirk was. I said something like, "he was a Christian activist who traveled around to college campuses and talked about Jesus and conservative values." I also mentioned that he was pro-life and that he didn't believe in evolution. He was the co-founder of Turning Point USA. She asked if he was racist, and I said no, he was actually very inclusive! 

I think a lot of people are like that woman. They don't know who Charlie Kirk is. And many who think they know, actually have a wrong impression of him. I'm intentionally using the present tense form of the verb "is" because Charlie Kirk is alive in heaven today! The apostle Paul said, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). So, in this blog post I'm going to explain from a Christian perspective who Charlie Kirk is and why I believe that he is indeed a martyr: and not just a martyr, but specifically a Christian martyr. As one pastor has so accurately stated: "Charlie Kirk is now a Christian martyr in America."[1]

Charlie Kirk's assassination is a profound tragedy. And I want to express my deepest condolences to his wife and to his family for their loss at such a time as this. But as Christians, we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). We will see our loved ones again in heaven. Furthermore, I believe that God can and will use this horrific event for His good purpose: "All things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). And I think we must remember that, as Tertullian has said: "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." I want to delve into this topic in a little more detail because I've read quite a few articles arguing for and against whether or not Charlie Kirk should rightly be called a "martyr". What exactly is a martyr? And more specifically, what is a "Christian martyr"? 

I read a good article on this topic titled "Charlie Kirk, the Martyr"[2] on the Biblical Viewpoint blog, and I left a comment there explaining why I agree that Charlie Kirk is indeed a martyr, and specifically why he is a Christian martyr. In particular, I was responding to another comment by someone named Harry who took a different view. I will include his comment below to give some context, followed by my response. But before I get into those comments, I want to say that Charlie Kirk was (and is) a man of deep Christian faith, and that's how he wanted to be remembered most. "I want to be remembered for courage for my faith," Kirk said. "That would be the most important thing; the most important thing is my faith."[3] And so I want to honor Charlie Kirk's memory and his legacy by doing exactly that. I dedicate this blog post to him and to the Savior whom he loved so much and for whom he died, his Savior and mine, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 4:10).

In response to the article mentioned above, someone named Harry said: "It has been painfully obvious for a while that acts of domestic terrorism are not equally balanced across the political spectrum. One side has been openly advocating gun violence against the other side, and openly mocks them when violence occurs. They even call for violence against their own if anyone breaks from the party line they believe in. This is apparently what has happened yet again. Stephen [the first Christian martyr] was murdered because he preached the gospel of Christ, which was apolitical. In fact, Jesus repeatedly resisted pressure to weigh in on politics. [Editor's note: Yet obviously there are things Jesus taught that relate to politics, e.g. Matthew 5:1-16, 22:21; cf. Rom. 13:1-7.] He also never gained popularity by disparaging people that society views as 'less than'. The Good Samaritan is a case in point where He in fact did the opposite, as Samaritans were looked down upon by the Jews. Not to mention winebibbers, prostitutes, etc. [Editor's note: And Charlie Kirk reached out to these same groups of people on college campuses.] Thus, I would not put Charlie in the same category as Stephen." 

In response to Harry's comment above, we are all going to fall short when compared to Jesus. So that doesn't prove that Charlie Kirk is not a Christian martyr. ALL Christian martyrs fall short of Jesus' perfect example. In other words, all Christian martyrs are sinners saved by grace. So pointing out that fact doesn't prove they aren't Christian martyrs. It just proves they are human, which of course is actually a prerequisite for being a Christian martyr! In other words, no one is saying that Charlie Kirk was perfect. There's only one perfect person who has ever lived, and that is Jesus. Even Stephen, the first Christian martyr, wasn't perfect. Yet he was a Christian martyr. And furthermore on the topic of Stephen, Harry said that "Stephen was murdered because he preached the gospel of Christ, which was apolitical." But actually the reason that Stephen was murdered is not because he preached the gospel of Christ, but because he exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites! Stephen gave the Pharisees a long history lesson and then he told them that their fathers were guilty of killing the prophets whom God had sent to them, and now they (the Pharisees) were guilty of killing the Messiah that God had sent, namely Jesus. And Stephen also condemned the Pharisees for breaking God's Law and said that although they had received the Law, they did not keep it. This is why the Pharisees killed Stephen; not because he preached the gospel of Christ per se, but because he (Stephen) exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites and Law-breakers (see Acts 6:8-7:60). And furthermore, on the topic of politics, it's not accurate to say or infer that Stephen's speech was "apolitical" because in the Jewish culture, religion and politics were closely intertwined. Indeed, Jesus was "crucified under Pontius Pilate" as the Bible makes clear (Matt. 27:22-26; Mk. 15:13-15; Lk. 23:20-25; Jn. 19:1-16) and as the Nicene Creed says. For those who may be unaware, Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea serving under the Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar. The Roman Empire was the ruling political group (i.e. government) in that day. Roman soldiers led Jesus to the cross. Roman soldiers watched the crucifixion. Roman soldiers guarded Jesus' tomb. That obviously has to do with politics. So for Harry to attempt to separate history from politics is quite disingenuous and just factually incorrect. Remember, the gospel is history (His story). And therefore it has everything to do with politics. My point is simply this: Charlie Kirk is a Christian martyr! This should be obvious to anyone who knows the meaning of the word "martyr". According to dictionary.com, a martyr is "a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs." Charlie Kirk's death is therefore by definition a martyrdom because Kirk was killed precisely because of his beliefs, which included his religious beliefs and in particular his Christian beliefs. To deny this is to deny the obvious and to rewrite history in real time. And that is exactly what the political left is trying to do.

* * *

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.'" 

(John 11:25)

References:

[1] Pastor Allen Jackson, "Outnumbered" with Kayleigh McEnany, Fox News Channel (September 11, 2025). 

[2] Michael Griego, "Charlie Kirk, the Martyr" (September 12, 2025), Biblical Viewpoint. 

[3] Charlie Kirk, The Iced Coffee Hour (June 29, 2025). YouTube. www.youtube.com/shorts/TArIIjT41wA