I am sorry to hear yet another person died. But I am devastated by all the children that die in school shootings and are traumatized for life. Charlie brought this upon himself by spewing hate in the name of false Christianity. Please quit pushing religious beliefs on this country. This is a free country for the time being and let people believe or not what they want. Republicans spew hate constantly hiding behind Jesus
If saw it. Spewing hate. The Republicans are afraid of Obama, because if Trump tries to run again, that means any past President can run and trump will be afraid.
He may 💩 himself again! He’s scared of the very prejudice that he holds so close! If it were the case, where he’d try a third term OBAMA WOULD WIPE HIM OUT PF THE WHITE HOUSE! I’m sure Obama wouldn’t be so hateful. And jealous, as to remove dirty pants portrait!!!!!!
He has made the white house from a place of dignity to a disgrace. Oh he is saving us money by putting in a gold ballroom that is not needed and the next President will have to change back to something tasteful by spending more money And don't get me started on the poor rose garden. He is an embarrassment to the United States and the world. A FELON and Sexual Predator. He is really a man with mental health issues. Hate hate hate is all that does out of his trap
Any response to this appalling situation must be complex, and nuance is an early casualty in a culture war: well done you for trying to offer a balanced comment. Mine may seem less so, but I speak from a different kind of anger and another part of the world: I'm a UK pastor and this needs saying. American evangelicalism has parted company with what the Church elsewhere recognises as Christianity. It's mutated into almost the opposite, a demonic travesty of the real thing. God is love. Blessed are the peacemakers. Love your enemies. Do not bear false witness - especially when that is as consequential as lying about climate change, which Kirk did repeatedly. You guys need to find ways of getting that through to Kirk's supporters even, it seems, his grieving widow. She spoke about "spiritual warfare" almost as though it's what she wants: the rest of us Jesus people want peace, but if war she must have let this also be said: Kirk was categorically NOT on the side of the angel.s
Pastor, do you know other pastors who feel similarly and have said so online? I think knowing how the Church outside of the US views people like Kirk would help some of us with conservative family members.
You said it very well. I am afraid of the evangelical faith in this country. They preach hate and everything is a sin. Demonic is correct. Keep doing what you are doing to help this world
I'm not a god-believer, but I am encouraged by your observation, Pastor: Evangelicals are more and more evolving into religious warriors. Their 2016 partnership with Trump demonstrates in a bigly way, and showcases what can go wrong (and has over centuries past) when religion is married with government. For those Christians who do favor love over hate (e.g. your example "Love your enemies"), BRAVO! The more of us who focus on love--in spite of whatever differences we might--rather than hate, the better off we will all be.
Well said. Here are the YouTube channels of a couple of 'reformed' Mormon women and they are well worth a listen in order to understand that vile Christian nationalist cult:
I think Charlie Kirk's assassination is awful and should've never happened. At the same time im not surprised it happened. He downplayed gun violence and then became a victim of gun violence. It's like choosing not to wear your seat belt and then being surprised you've been ejected from your car during a car crash. We've had ample opportunities to try and prevent something like this from happening.
What has not been said is that this was an internecine (right on right) killing. This is such an important fact that it's extraordinary it has not been made public. Instead, Trump and others immediately blamed the left. That is normally sufficient to end a career, but the criminal in the White House seems to be untouchable.
If this is ANYone's fault, we can just LOOK at what Laura Loomer posted right before he got shot. SHE accused him of turning on Trump when he said the Epstein files should be opened! THEN, as soon a he was shot, she took down the posts she made about it and posted something BLAMING DEMs!!!! That LYING freako is ALWAYS staring trouble! Let his death sit ON HER HEAD. I'm so sick of the LIES. The LIES are what's killing this country.... I've been saying it for over 10 years!
I agree that "assassination" is a bit grand and that was my immediate reaction to the media reports using that particular noun. However, according to CURRENT dictionary definitions, the term is being used correctly. It will never feel right for me in this particular instance. To me, this tragic murder just isn't on a par with the assassination of JFK or of Martin Luther King, Jr. It seems, to me, to be a deliberate attempt to "elevate" this murder in an effort to stir up further violence, to "justify" further violence against their primary targets. But then I am not American, so I see the world differently ...
I say call it what you want. It was political violence and it was very wrong. Now, I did not like most of what he said, and it was harmful to the country FOR SURE but he's dead and now we must try to behave ourselves and brace ourselves.
Except for your first sentence, I agree with you. The reason that I disagree is that word choice has meaning and has power. In this instance it is being used to make him into a "martyr for the cause" which, of course, incites more violence.
We stand on the brink of a disaster that can bring the country down in a carnage unprecedented in our history. We can passively witness this or actively prevent it from happening. Contact your
'Unprecedented carnage'? Your country fought a bloody civil war over hate and bigotry. People of colour have been murdered, enslaved, and/or discriminated against for all your country's history. First nations people were subjected to genocide. There is nothing unprecedented about what could follow Kirk's murder. It is simply the latest chapter in the story of a nation that since its founding following a European invasion has lived and breathed ignorance, fear, and bogotry. America cannot even bring itself to stop the self inflicted harm of a ridiculous and outdated belief about gun ownership. There are countless precedents for what is happening and will continue to happen in the USA.
I appreciate what you share but I have fear that leaders who can make a difference will remain silent or continue saying rhetoric to make this division wider causing more harm. The worst has come to America! How sad.
100% ! ! Violence, be it rhetorical or action begets violence. Jefferson said,"Without the occasional revolution a democracy dies." IPSO FACTO ! And ours is long overdue. Not by any means a call to arms but, a call, not only for our nation but, in fact humanity. A revolution for a step in our specie's evolution. A step away from the nauseating military parades and shows of murderous hardware and might. Simultaneous with children starving, loosing parents, grandparents, siblings, homes, education and communtities. Steps furthering humanity from humanity. Pandering to the lesser, more horrid aspects of that humanity. The likes of vlad and bb the baby killers. The levelers of civilizations. We, as a species have not evolved any further than primates whacking each other over the head with sticks. The "higher, most developed species"? Me thinks not at all...
Why do you say a revolution is long overdue? The last revolution in Britain was 1688, although that was more a palace coup than a revolution. The last bloody revolution was 1648. The secret? Tolerance and flexibility.
I said,”Not a call to arms.”. A revolution need not, and should prefer not to be violent. But a call for the unification OF THE PEOPLE against what we now suffer as shown in this subject matter.☮️
No, it started way before Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. It started with all the other mass shooting that for some reason we are still unable to pass some reasonable gun laws. We hide behind the 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms. I get it but enough is enough!
'This kind' of rhetoric did not begin long before CK. 'This kind' of double talk and "LIES" and Hating came with Trump, and he has 'encouraged' that with his coded dog whistles.
Charlie's wife could have written a beautiful and unifying speech. Instead she did one of Trump and his thugs "we're coming after you" speeches. Pathetic.
It is true that CK helped create the environment that led to his death. It's not futile to point that out, or to highlight the indifference of Trump to the deaths of his political rivals. That should spark a serious conversation among conservatives about the society they want to live in.
The bigger picture is that a gun culture of violence is immoral and inhumane. Your culture of VIOLENCE=THE UNIVERSAL SOLUTION is what needs to be addressed here, NOT "just" that of "POLITICAL VIOLENCE". Don't lose sight of the bigger picture. PLEASE.
That's true. We've tried for decades for more restrictions on who can or cannot own a gun, and BRIBE $$$$$$$ and the way that the NRA ALWAYS LIED, would always get in the way for COMMON SENSE gun laws. >:''(
I would love for corporate money and lobbyists to be removed from the political picture but with all the corrupt Supreme Court Justices in lifetime positions, republican leaders greedily slurping up any offer from the wealthy I don't see how from here.
I am sorry to hear yet another person died. But I am devastated by all the children that die in school shootings and are traumatized for life. Charlie brought this upon himself by spewing hate in the name of false Christianity. Please quit pushing religious beliefs on this country. This is a free country for the time being and let people believe or not what they want. Republicans spew hate constantly hiding behind Jesus
Only two groups of people that try to force their beliefs on everyone. Religions and Republicans...which are rapidly becoming one entity.
You hit the nail on the head with that comment. Dangerous times
And Jesus WEEPS. </3
Yes Jesus does weep. He preached kindness tolerance and that we were all created in his image. I am afraid living in this world
Janice, the children are dying in school shootings don’t get as much coverage. Could you imagine?
It is very sad but unless you are a republican male you are expendable. I never thought the United States would be so divided.
Sad shit did you see the racism Megan Kelly knocking Obama?
If saw it. Spewing hate. The Republicans are afraid of Obama, because if Trump tries to run again, that means any past President can run and trump will be afraid.
He may 💩 himself again! He’s scared of the very prejudice that he holds so close! If it were the case, where he’d try a third term OBAMA WOULD WIPE HIM OUT PF THE WHITE HOUSE! I’m sure Obama wouldn’t be so hateful. And jealous, as to remove dirty pants portrait!!!!!!
He has made the white house from a place of dignity to a disgrace. Oh he is saving us money by putting in a gold ballroom that is not needed and the next President will have to change back to something tasteful by spending more money And don't get me started on the poor rose garden. He is an embarrassment to the United States and the world. A FELON and Sexual Predator. He is really a man with mental health issues. Hate hate hate is all that does out of his trap
Hahahahahhaha he’s such a miscreant pos
It's time to ignore it now and move on. DO NOT BE DISTRACTED! RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES
Ditto!
Any response to this appalling situation must be complex, and nuance is an early casualty in a culture war: well done you for trying to offer a balanced comment. Mine may seem less so, but I speak from a different kind of anger and another part of the world: I'm a UK pastor and this needs saying. American evangelicalism has parted company with what the Church elsewhere recognises as Christianity. It's mutated into almost the opposite, a demonic travesty of the real thing. God is love. Blessed are the peacemakers. Love your enemies. Do not bear false witness - especially when that is as consequential as lying about climate change, which Kirk did repeatedly. You guys need to find ways of getting that through to Kirk's supporters even, it seems, his grieving widow. She spoke about "spiritual warfare" almost as though it's what she wants: the rest of us Jesus people want peace, but if war she must have let this also be said: Kirk was categorically NOT on the side of the angel.s
Thank you Pastor. You are spot on. Now if only a majority of American clergy had that courage to speak out.
Thank you. Spot on. 100%.
Pastor, do you know other pastors who feel similarly and have said so online? I think knowing how the Church outside of the US views people like Kirk would help some of us with conservative family members.
You said it very well. I am afraid of the evangelical faith in this country. They preach hate and everything is a sin. Demonic is correct. Keep doing what you are doing to help this world
I'm not a god-believer, but I am encouraged by your observation, Pastor: Evangelicals are more and more evolving into religious warriors. Their 2016 partnership with Trump demonstrates in a bigly way, and showcases what can go wrong (and has over centuries past) when religion is married with government. For those Christians who do favor love over hate (e.g. your example "Love your enemies"), BRAVO! The more of us who focus on love--in spite of whatever differences we might--rather than hate, the better off we will all be.
Well said. Here are the YouTube channels of a couple of 'reformed' Mormon women and they are well worth a listen in order to understand that vile Christian nationalist cult:
- https://www.youtube.com/@lifetaketwo7662
- https://www.youtube.com/@alyssadgrenfell
There are probably others.
This particular video talks to what Charlie Kirk's hate-filled wife said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4WlfKOT9U8&ab_channel=Life%2Ctaketwo%21
I think Charlie Kirk's assassination is awful and should've never happened. At the same time im not surprised it happened. He downplayed gun violence and then became a victim of gun violence. It's like choosing not to wear your seat belt and then being surprised you've been ejected from your car during a car crash. We've had ample opportunities to try and prevent something like this from happening.
All the children murdered in broad daylight and this is a defining moment in America!?
Agree...not a defining moment.
What has not been said is that this was an internecine (right on right) killing. This is such an important fact that it's extraordinary it has not been made public. Instead, Trump and others immediately blamed the left. That is normally sufficient to end a career, but the criminal in the White House seems to be untouchable.
If this is ANYone's fault, we can just LOOK at what Laura Loomer posted right before he got shot. SHE accused him of turning on Trump when he said the Epstein files should be opened! THEN, as soon a he was shot, she took down the posts she made about it and posted something BLAMING DEMs!!!! That LYING freako is ALWAYS staring trouble! Let his death sit ON HER HEAD. I'm so sick of the LIES. The LIES are what's killing this country.... I've been saying it for over 10 years!
"Assassination" is perhaps a bit grand. Some say "murder" is more appropriate. Your thoughts?
I agree that "assassination" is a bit grand and that was my immediate reaction to the media reports using that particular noun. However, according to CURRENT dictionary definitions, the term is being used correctly. It will never feel right for me in this particular instance. To me, this tragic murder just isn't on a par with the assassination of JFK or of Martin Luther King, Jr. It seems, to me, to be a deliberate attempt to "elevate" this murder in an effort to stir up further violence, to "justify" further violence against their primary targets. But then I am not American, so I see the world differently ...
I say call it what you want. It was political violence and it was very wrong. Now, I did not like most of what he said, and it was harmful to the country FOR SURE but he's dead and now we must try to behave ourselves and brace ourselves.
Except for your first sentence, I agree with you. The reason that I disagree is that word choice has meaning and has power. In this instance it is being used to make him into a "martyr for the cause" which, of course, incites more violence.
Murder.
We stand on the brink of a disaster that can bring the country down in a carnage unprecedented in our history. We can passively witness this or actively prevent it from happening. Contact your
officials and help prevent this disaster.
'Unprecedented carnage'? Your country fought a bloody civil war over hate and bigotry. People of colour have been murdered, enslaved, and/or discriminated against for all your country's history. First nations people were subjected to genocide. There is nothing unprecedented about what could follow Kirk's murder. It is simply the latest chapter in the story of a nation that since its founding following a European invasion has lived and breathed ignorance, fear, and bogotry. America cannot even bring itself to stop the self inflicted harm of a ridiculous and outdated belief about gun ownership. There are countless precedents for what is happening and will continue to happen in the USA.
I appreciate what you share but I have fear that leaders who can make a difference will remain silent or continue saying rhetoric to make this division wider causing more harm. The worst has come to America! How sad.
It will be Sad alright, when people begin fighting over FOOD.
I’m afraid we are at the END of politics. Our politics have failed to contain the spread of the MAGA malignancy. What’s next?
left: it was a groyper
center: it was a groyper
Groypers: it was a groyper
Tyler Robinson: I’m a groyper
MAGA Republicans: it was RADICAL LEFT TRANS ANTIFA!!!! 🤤🥴
100% ! ! Violence, be it rhetorical or action begets violence. Jefferson said,"Without the occasional revolution a democracy dies." IPSO FACTO ! And ours is long overdue. Not by any means a call to arms but, a call, not only for our nation but, in fact humanity. A revolution for a step in our specie's evolution. A step away from the nauseating military parades and shows of murderous hardware and might. Simultaneous with children starving, loosing parents, grandparents, siblings, homes, education and communtities. Steps furthering humanity from humanity. Pandering to the lesser, more horrid aspects of that humanity. The likes of vlad and bb the baby killers. The levelers of civilizations. We, as a species have not evolved any further than primates whacking each other over the head with sticks. The "higher, most developed species"? Me thinks not at all...
Why do you say a revolution is long overdue? The last revolution in Britain was 1688, although that was more a palace coup than a revolution. The last bloody revolution was 1648. The secret? Tolerance and flexibility.
I said,”Not a call to arms.”. A revolution need not, and should prefer not to be violent. But a call for the unification OF THE PEOPLE against what we now suffer as shown in this subject matter.☮️
No, it started way before Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. It started with all the other mass shooting that for some reason we are still unable to pass some reasonable gun laws. We hide behind the 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms. I get it but enough is enough!
'This kind' of rhetoric did not begin long before CK. 'This kind' of double talk and "LIES" and Hating came with Trump, and he has 'encouraged' that with his coded dog whistles.
His wife sounds as intolerant as he was
Charlie's wife could have written a beautiful and unifying speech. Instead she did one of Trump and his thugs "we're coming after you" speeches. Pathetic.
The GOP is the party of retribution.
It is true that CK helped create the environment that led to his death. It's not futile to point that out, or to highlight the indifference of Trump to the deaths of his political rivals. That should spark a serious conversation among conservatives about the society they want to live in.
The bigger picture is that a gun culture of violence is immoral and inhumane. Your culture of VIOLENCE=THE UNIVERSAL SOLUTION is what needs to be addressed here, NOT "just" that of "POLITICAL VIOLENCE". Don't lose sight of the bigger picture. PLEASE.
That's true. We've tried for decades for more restrictions on who can or cannot own a gun, and BRIBE $$$$$$$ and the way that the NRA ALWAYS LIED, would always get in the way for COMMON SENSE gun laws. >:''(
I would love for corporate money and lobbyists to be removed from the political picture but with all the corrupt Supreme Court Justices in lifetime positions, republican leaders greedily slurping up any offer from the wealthy I don't see how from here.
😪😱😪