Not all Christians are called to actively go out and confront opposition the way Charlie Kirk did. However, all Christians are called on to “always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
One of the things many Christians were uncomfortable with about Charlie Kirk was how he was often overtly political in the way he approached his debates. But was he really? Yes, he definitely did talk a lot about politics, and in many cases was explicitly partisan. But even with that, his primary purpose was not partisanship. It was, rather, to express a biblical worldview in every area of life – including politics. A large part of his platform for doing that was definitely politics, but he also did it in the arena of family, media, education, arts and entertainment, business, and even church.
On June 29, as Kirk was being interviewed on a podcast called “The Iced Coffee Hour,” the host, Jack Selby, asked him what he most hoped to be remembered for “if everything completely goes away.” In reply, Charlie said, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing; most important thing is my faith.”
One of the truly fascinating things about Charlie Kirk, was that he was willing to talk about anything with anybody – literally anything. He would go to college campuses (or anywhere else, for that matter) and have an open mic where both supporters and detractors could come, talk about any subject, and ask him any question.
In doing that, there was definitely a partisan element to his interactions. He was an unabashed Trump supporter and strongly came down as a Republican. And he was heavily criticized by many people for that. Beyond that, much of the criticism aimed at him related to that fact that he mixed in his Christian faith with his political positions.
But here’s the problem: It so happens that much of the partisan divide in America actually does occur along a corresponding religious divide. If you look at the platforms of the two major political parties in America, one is God friendly and the other is unabashedly not God friendly (and in many cases actually anti-Christian).
To illustrate the divide, below are 15 recurring topics that Charlie Kirk frequently debated or addressed publicly. This list is based on media coverage of his debates, public appearances, podcasts, and commentary. Not exclusively of course, but for the most part, Democrats are on one side of the debate and Republicans are on the other side. Correspondingly, for the most part, non-Bible believers are on the same side of the debate as the Democrats, and Bible believing Christians are on the side the Republicans are on.
Abortion / Reproductive rights
Free speech / censorship
Higher education / “college is a scam” / value of a degree
Race, affirmative action, and “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)
Gender, feminism, and transgender issues
Gun rights / Second Amendment / gun violence
Immigration / border security / “the great replacement” narrative
Climate change / energy policy / fossil fuels
Foreign policy, especially U.S. aid to Ukraine / Russia / globalism
Religion, Christianity, church & state
Creationism / evolution / intelligent design
Media bias / “woke media” / narratives
Cultural issues / “wokeism” / cancel culture / identity politics
Elections, legitimacy, 2020 election etc.
Freedom, individualism, small government / libertarian-leaning conservative philosophy
The fact is, every worldview and belief system in existence has a point of view regarding every one of the above subjects. While most Christians will not have a need to deal in all of these areas like Charlie did, every Christian should be able to deal with them based on a biblical worldview if there was ever a need or occasion to do so.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that for Christians the purpose for doing that is not to push a political agenda. Rather, it is always to point people to Christ in the process of expressing a biblical worldview. It absolutely is possible to use any and all of these topics as a jumping off point for Christian witness. And that is exactly what Charlie Kirk was always attempting to do. He didn’t merely argue political policy. Rather, he always tried to give a reason for his beliefs. And his reason was always grounded in a biblical worldview.
The starting point for being able to do that is to have a solid grasp of what a biblical worldview looks like. With that foundation, biblically based conversations about ANY topic becomes possible.
The Essence of Worldview Beliefs
The first thing a person needs to know is the definition of a worldview. It is not simply the way people think about the world, though it does express that. By way of definition, a worldview is the assumptions people make about the nature of reality. But what does that imply?
First, it implies that every worldview is an expression of faith. That does not mean it is not objectively true. There is some way that reality is objectively structured. It is just that you cannot get at that truth using an empirical methodology. It is a set of assumptions.
The second thing it implies is that it is the way people organize their understanding of reality – their understanding of what is real vs. what is fantasy. No one takes seriously what they consider fantasy, and they will fight to the end for what they believe is real. This is the reason people are so willing to fight against beliefs that don’t fit within their worldview. A couple of prime examples of this in modern society can be seen in the political fights between Democrats and Republicans, and the conflict between radical Islamists and anyone who is not Muslim.
There are a couple of other elements of worldview understanding that are also critical to grasp.
1. Every worldview is based on faith. This does not mean the truth about worldview cannot be known, or that it is merely a matter of a person’s personal preferences. There is a way reality objectively exists and it does not exist any other way. However, the faith nature of a worldview means that the truth about the nature of reality is not accessible using empirical science.
2. Every worldview contradicts every other worldview. As a result, it is only possible for one to be true.
The way to get at the core beliefs of a worldview is by answering three essential worldview questions. Every person in existence has a way that they answer these three questions. The answers they give define their worldview.
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality? (Who Is God?)
2. What Is a Human Being?
3. What is the ultimate a person can achieve in this life? (What is salvation?)
To delve into this more deeply, we can note that there are four basic worldview categories: Naturalism, Animism, Far Eastern Thought, and Theism.
Naturalism
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality? (Who Is God?) – The only thing that exists is the natural universe operating by natural laws. There is no God or any kind of transcendent reality.
2. What Is a Human Being? – Human beings are naturally evolved animal creatures. There is no other possibility.
3. What is the ultimate a person can achieve in this life? (What is salvation?) – The ultimate a person can achieve in this life is survival and personal fulfillment. There is no such thing as objective morality (no objective right and wrong). People have to make up and enforce moral beliefs based on their own preferences and abilities.
Animism
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality? (Who Is God?) – There are many gods and/or spirits that exist in the spirit world which interact symbiotically with human beings in the physical world.
2. What Is a Human Being? – Human beings are spirit beings housed in physical bodies. The spirits of humans enter the spirit world at physical death.
3. What is the ultimate a person can achieve in this life? (What is salvation?) – The ultimate aim of Animism is to live physical life without oppression. This is accomplished by living in harmony with the gods/spirits.
Far Eastern Thought
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality? (Who Is God?) – Ultimate reality is a life force (life energy) that is both immaterial and impersonal. Everything in all of existence is made up of some expression of this life force.
2. What Is a Human Being? – Human beings are one expression of the impersonal life force that has spun away from the main body. Humans are at a particular stage in the cycles of reincarnation and appear to be material and personal. This, however, is an illusion since the life force itself is immaterial and impersonal.
3. What is the ultimate a person can achieve in this life? (What is salvation?) – Salvation occurs when the pieces of the life force that have been spun off from the main body are able to reunite with it. This is accomplished as the life force reincarnates over many lifetimes to higher and higher levels, until finally reaching a stage where it can depart the material world and be absorbed back into the main transcendent body. For human beings in this life, the ultimate goal is to live life in such a way as to accumulate good karma. This allows their life force to advance to a higher level in the next life.
Theism
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality? (Who Is God?) – There exists an objectively real God who is the creator and sustainer of the universe. The nature of the God is understood based on the beliefs of the particular theistic religion one is dealing with.
2. What Is a Human Being? – Human beings are deliberate creations of God.
3. What is the ultimate a person can achieve in this life? (What is salvation?) – The ultimate a person can achieve in this life is to know God’s will and follow it. The particular details about how to do that is dependent on the beliefs of the particular theistic religion one is dealing with.
Charlie Kirk’s Worldview
Charlie Kirk dealt with all of the topics above based on how the Bible treats them. Christians who want to express a biblical worldview in daily life also need to be able to do that. It involves understanding the concept of worldview, knowing the worldview categories, knowing how each worldview answers the three worldview questions, and dealing with the various topics based on a biblical worldview. Once a person grasps these concepts, all that is necessary is to deal with the various topics based on the values taught in the Bible. While that may seem like a lot, it is really rather simple once an individual learns the basic concepts.
Christian Theism (Charlie Kirk’s Worldview Platform)
1. What is the Nature of Ultimate Reality? (Who Is God?) – There exists an objectively real God who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The nature and ways of God are revealed in the teachings of the Bible.
2. What Is a Human Being? – Human beings are creatures who are made in the image of God, but fallen.
3. What is the ultimate a person can achieve in this life? (What is salvation?) – The ultimate a person can achieve in this life is to enter into a personal relationship with God based on the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
How This Relates to Us
Let’s conclude by harkening back to where we started. Not all Christians are called to actively go out and confront opposition the way Charlie Kirk did. However, all Christians are called on to “always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). That means we need to take to heart another verse in Scripture. In 2 Timothy 2:15 we read, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
To be able to “accurately handle the word of truth” we have to begin elevating Christian discipleship well beyond where it is now for most believers. The problem is, that takes a lot more effort than the routine activities most Christians engage. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to attend a worship service or Bible study class. It doesn’t take a lot of study and training to find a church activity you can participate in.
As good and important as those things are, however, they don’t require a lot of effort and can easily become mere mechanical actions. And when that happens, there is no spiritual growth taking place. Those are all good things, of course, and faithful Christians should definitely be involved that way.
But genuine Christian discipleship produces actual spiritual growth. And to make that happen requires intentional effort. It requires a person to read, to do research, and to participate in training opportunities in order to learn everything possible about one’s own faith, as well as about the topics that affect our ability to effectively communicate the message of the gospel. But that is not all. We must also dialog with people – people who believe the same as we do, as well as people who have different beliefs – in order to learn and share our faith. But that is also not all. A relationship with God is personal, and we must also learn to continually live in that personal relationship.
All of that requires effort and discipline. That is what Charlie Kirk did that made it possible for him to be effective in the arena God opened up for him. And that is what it will take to make it possible for you to be effective in the arena God puts you in.
It is as simple as that – and as complex as that. Now it is up to you.
© 2025 Freddy Davis