And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Joel 2:32a
“Charlie Kirk was a racist!” A couple of co-workers yelled this in response to a family member of mine who had commented that Charlie Kirk advocated for free speech. First and foremost, it should be noted that we live in a country that allows people to yell such stuff freely. We are each blessed with freedom to believe what we want and share those beliefs with others. Praise God.
That said, it is interesting when people exercise freedom in order to share falsehoods. To support this claim of racism, one of the co-workers gave a link to an article by an attorney from the Race, Racism, and the Law website, entitled “Charlie Kirk, White Supremacist, Dead at 31”. Spoiler alert: nowhere in that article does the author demonstrate that Charlie Kirk had ever said or done anything racist. (Notably, the article does not include a single quotation by Kirk.) The assertions exhibit guilt by [distant] association and emotional blathering. The article suggests that because Kirk was a white Chrisitan conservative, he was a white supremacist. Ironically, such claims promote the very sort of racism being complained about. It would seem that this co-worker had succumbed to this false narrative, apparently because it was written by someone with credentials and published on the internet. A critical reading reveals it as clever-but-false propaganda.
I could offer more than a dozen problematic elements, but here are just a few: 1) “On race, Kirk was blunt and dismissive.” This is patently false. Charlie Kirk repeatedly gave a platform and microphone to anyone who wanted to discuss race. It would be difficult to find someone more welcoming of discussing social topics. 2) “He denied the existence of systemic racism.” This is patently false. I witnessed Kirk ask many people to define institutional racism and then sought to explore with them the degree to which it existed and affected culture. He aligned with Thomas Sowell in regarding many government programs as institutionally racist in character – extending racial disparity and inhibiting harmony. Regardless, a low view of institutional racism is not inherently “white supremacist” (ask Sowell). 3) “[Kirk] vilified critical race theory as dangerous indoctrination”. While this is true, it is certainly not evidence of racism. One only need watch Bishop Patrick Wooden’s celebrating Chloe Adams, who took a stand against critical race theory in her science program, to see that opposing the treachery of CRT does not make one racist. 4) In a bizarre line of reasoning about hostility within Kirk’s organization, the article claims, “then–national field director, Crystal Clanton, was exposed for texting, ‘I hate black people. … End of story.’” The fact is that Clanton denied sending such a text – there is no record of it. Moreover, Judge Clarence Thomas, who had known Clanton personally, stood up for her character.
Why do so many people jump onto the “Charlie Kirk is a racist” bandwagon? I dunno. Perhaps it is easier to cling to a false narrative that suits one’s own agenda than to align with God’s view that we are all created in His image. Paul denies institutional racism within God’s Kingdom when he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek” (Galatians 3:28). When God said that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32), He meant EVERYONE who calls on Him, regardless of race. Kirk understood this so he called ALL to repent and believe. So did Voddie Baucham, who died in a medical emergency last week. Baucham had said, “Sometimes God is glorified when sick saints get well. But more often than not, God is glorified when sick saints die well.” Baucham and Kirk made God’s call known and they died well.
Unfortunately, because of personal agendas, not all will hear the call.
The Lord said, “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear” (Zechariah 7:13). Not all will die well. Let me close with quotes from these godly men who recently passed. Voddie Baucham: “You are going to hear a rumor one day, that Voddie Baucham is no more. Don’t you believe it, don’t you believe it, don’t you believe it, because though I die, I will rise with Christ. It will not be the end of me because Christ is raised, and I too will be raised with Christ.”
Charlie Kirk: “Jesus defeated death so you can live.” Don’t fall for the false narratives; respond to God’s true call.
Live for Christ, die well, and live in God’s presence for eternity.
