When I first opened Brandon Ambrosino’s chapter “Getting Comfortable in the Basement” from his book Is It God’s Will?, I was struck by the image he uses. He contrasts the “living room,” where faith feels tidy and safe, with the…
Two AI videos depict Charlie Kirk in heaven as a martyr
Charlie Kirk’s death has sparked a national conversation about his words. As evangelicals hail him as a martyr, others point to the harm he caused through the racist, sexist, homophobic, violence-celebrating remarks he made during his life. Pastor Howard John…
Donald Trump is the epitome of violent speech
After the murder of Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump said rhetoric from “the radical left” is “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.” Trump wasted no time fanning the flames of violence: “My administration will…
These are the helpful conversations about religion we need
The assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University is undoubtedly going to lead to a lot of conversation about our identity as a nation, the nature of our problems and how we pursue justice. One of the contexts for…
Can employers fire employees for their Charlie Kirk posts?
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, public employees across the nation are being suspended, investigated and even fired due to their social media posts about Kirk and his death. This backlash is part of a larger conservative movement to…
Will Charlie Kirk’s legacy really live on?
Jerry Falwell Sr. was a fundamentalist pastor who became engaged in politics. Charlie Kirk was a political activist who wrapped his speech in evangelical garb. There is a big difference between the two. Falwell, the legendary pastor of Thomas Road…
Was Charlie Kirk a martyr?
The idea of making Charlie Kirk a martyr never would have occurred to me because he espoused an ideology I find unacceptable and un-Christian. He didn’t deserve to die, but dying doesn’t make one a Christian martyr. The idea was…
We are all complicit in Charlie Kirk’s death
The devastating news that Charlie Kirk has been murdered at an event at Utah Valley University seems beyond belief. The evening news carried the awful news. A single bullet ended Kirk’s life. Perhaps Shakespeare’s most famous lines weigh heavily on…
Ending homelessness is a humane priority
The Trump administration recently issued a sweeping executive order on homelessness that dismantles support for the “housing first” model. The order pushes communities back toward punitive approaches, tying housing to mandatory treatment or abstinence, expanding involuntary institutionalization and even encouraging the criminalization…
The evidence-based path from protest to power
I know activists who have protested every American military action since the Korean War. They’ve spent decades hitting the streets to try and end needless death and destruction. Their moral determination is powerful, and they’ve kept resistance alive when others…
How Charlie Kirk went from college dropout to Trump influencer
From BNG’s coverage earlier this year, first published April 15, 2025: It seems Charlie Kirk — the Millennial founder of the Christian nationalist powerhouse Turning Point USA — is everywhere these days. He was part of a handful of…
Chattel slavery: Bad news then and now
I am pleading for my people, A poor, downtrodden race, Who dwell in freedom’s boasted land, With no abiding place. While I bear upon my body The scars of many a gash, I am pleading for my people, Who groan…