Charlie Kirk Warns American Church: We're Raising a Generation to Curse Their Parents and Abandon Faith

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Charlie Kirk Warns American Church: We're Raising a Generation to Curse Their Parents and Abandon Faith

[Audio Only] Charlie Kirk delivers a stirring warning to Christian leaders about the infiltration of wokism, post-modernism, and deconstructionism into American churches. Speaking at a gathering of ministry leaders in Colorado Springs, Kirk connects the breakdown of the parent-child bond to the Ten Commandments, argues that the American church founded the nation through courageous pastors like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield, and calls for the complete excommunication of heretical ideologies from Christianity. He challenges pastors to stop being afraid of the Bible, reveals the FBI's targeting of pastors who pray outside abortion clinics, and shares why he believes America stands on the verge of another Great Awakening. Kirk also explains how Turning Point USA has witnessed thousands of young people, many who have never heard the gospel, giving their lives to Christ at political conferences, proving that politics can be a gateway to evangelism rather than a barrier to faith.

Categories: Interviews
November 29, 2022

The Crisis of Honor: A Generation Taught to Curse Their Parents

Charlie Kirk opens his presentation by connecting the current cultural crisis to one of the Ten Commandments that directly involves our country and includes a promise. He emphasizes that honoring your father and mother is the only commandment that says "you may live long in the land of which you are in." According to Kirk, an entire generation has been raised not just to dishonor their parents, but to curse them.

Kirk explains that incentive structures now exist that encourage young people to deconstruct and push back against their parents' beliefs. He notes that in the original Hebrew, to honor your parents actually shares the same root as the word meaning "to treat heavily" or "to treat seriously," while to curse them shares the root meaning "lightly." The contrast is striking: heavy versus light, honor versus curse.

Kirk frequently encounters left-wing students who tell him their parents don't understand what they've just learned at university. His response? "It's probably a good thing they don't know what you just learned at University." He argues that totalitarians and Lucifer himself know they can destroy America by wrecking the bond between parent and child.

Does the Bible Call Us to Care About Our Nation?

Some pastors have told Kirk that nowhere in the Bible does it say Christians should care about their nation. Kirk challenges this assertion directly, pointing to Jeremiah 29:7, which commands believers to "demand the welfare of the nation that you are in because your welfare is directly tied to your nation's welfare."

He highlights biblical figures like Daniel, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Esther, and Mordecai who all fought for God's purpose in secular government, serving as counselors to kings. Kirk asks pointedly: Is the American Church currently the counselor to the king? His answer is a resounding no. Instead, there exists a divide where many Christians claim it doesn't matter what happens to America.

Kirk presents a sobering reality: 80% of all money that funds ministries worldwide comes from America. If America falls, there will be a vacuum filled with chaos, evil, and discord the likes of which we've never seen. He calls out the ingratitude of those who say they don't care about the nation's fate.

A Call to Action: No More Silent Pastors and Ministries

Kirk addresses what he sees as a powerful room of ministry leaders and donors, issuing a direct challenge: "We're not going to put up with another Pastor or Ministry that doesn't speak out against this stuff. I don't care how nice they are."

He acknowledges that many people excuse certain pastors or ministries by saying they do good work in particular areas. But Kirk insists the question must be: Are they speaking out on the issues that matter right now, or are they pandering to a broken culture and broken world?

Kirk believes that if the room of ministry leaders, funders, and board members gathered and organized, it could change the landscape overnight. The strategy would involve lifting up leaders like Dr. James Dobson who have been boldly speaking truth for decades, while understanding that boldness comes with slings and arrows.

The "Jesus Is Coming Soon" Excuse

Kirk addresses an argument he increasingly encounters: people who claim Jesus is coming soon (perhaps next Thursday), therefore they don't have to engage in cultural or political battles. While Kirk jokes that his eschatology is "pan-trib"—it's all going to pan out in the end—he actually believes Jesus might be coming soon. But rather than being a reason to retreat, Kirk argues this should motivate believers to do more.

"What do you want to be caught doing when Jesus returns?" Kirk asks. "You want to be twiddling your thumbs?" He emphasizes the need to lean in and be salt and light. As Barry McGuire says, salt and light are the two things that change the environment they encounter—they don't pander to those environments. Light makes dark lighter, and salt literally changes the environment it comes in contact with.

The Left's Big Bet: Taking Over America by Silencing the Church

Kirk reveals what he sees as the left's strategy, explaining that George Soros and the World Economic Forum are pumping money into a specific bet: they can take over America because they believe they can get the American church not to care. He notes they say this out loud, which is why they try to accuse believers of being "Christian Nationalists."

Kirk presents two possible futures. One path involves doing nothing, sitting on our hands, accepting that it's not clear which way to go, accepting FBI raids on pastors' homes as normal, and just doing our own thing. The alternative is a different course of action: doing what the American church has always done.

The Church Founded America

Kirk emphasizes that we don't talk enough about how the American Church founded America. From Jonathan Mayhew to Jonathan Edwards to George Whitfield, it was courageous pastors who founded America and gave the founding fathers the courage and theological and moral clarity to write the Declaration of Independence and fight the Revolutionary War.

The Black Robe Regiment gave over 50,000 sermons across the Eastern Seaboard that laid an amazing framework for the Founders to declare that our rights come from God, not from King George. Every Great Awakening, every time America has been falling or slipping, it has been pastor after pastor, awakening after awakening, that rises up and steps up.

Kirk believes we are on the verge of another Great Awakening and Revival, and this generation desperately needs it. But he warns it's going to be different than any other awakening. It won't be about skinny jeans or pastors cursing from stage to seem cool. It will be about bold truth, preaching word for word from the Bible, going verse by verse and chapter by chapter.

Pastors Must Stop Being Afraid of the Bible

Kirk makes a bold statement: "Our pastors have to stop being afraid of the Bible." He recounts seeing a sermon where a pastor said they don't really talk about Leviticus and Deuteronomy at their church, preferring to focus on the New Testament. Kirk expresses disbelief at this selective approach, asking how such pastors can fail to understand the harmony of scriptures and how God created a beautiful story for all mankind to resonate with.

He points out that the founding fathers weren't afraid of the Old Testament—they put Leviticus on the Liberty Bell with the inscription "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land." John Adams spoke fluent Hebrew, and 55 out of 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Bible-believing, church-attending Christians.

For apathetic Christians, Kirk poses a challenging question: Why do you get to receive something that Christians sacrificed for but you think you don't have to do anything? That's not being a good steward—that's being ungrateful and just casting aside the greatest political document ever created and the American family that kept the country alive and strong.

If Not the Church, Then What?

Kirk asks realistically: If it's not for the American Church, what else is going to turn this country around? He acknowledges that many people have anxiety about the nation right now, but warns that if the church sits idly by long term, the opposition will run over believers, and we know how that ends.

But Kirk also notes that the other side can do math. They know that if the church rises up, things get out of control for them. If evangelical Christians alone start actually getting their congregations to vote and spreading this message, the people pushing unspeakably evil issues won't know what to do. That's precisely why they must do everything possible to keep believers complacent and silent.

A Generation Yearning for Truth

Reflecting on his years working on college campuses, Kirk describes a generation that is yearning for truth—things that are clearly stated and do not change. He distinguishes between two types of knowledge: practical knowledge (things that change) and eternal knowledge or wisdom (things that never change). Christians don't just have a good story to tell; they have the only story to tell.

Kirk makes a controversial statement: "I don't think you're allowed to be afraid as a Christian." He also doesn't think Christians are allowed to be apathetic or cynical. While acknowledging he might be "woefully optimistic," Kirk argues that if you truly believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior, how could you be apathetic, cynical, or afraid? True boldness of faith means having conviction and being willing to fight for liberty—which is not man's idea but God's idea—and that can spread like wildfire.

The Pastor Summit and the Goal to Abolish Wokism

Kirk describes a recent Pastor Summit where 400 pastors and wives from across America gathered to discuss these critical issues. When asked what success looks like for him in the church space, Kirk provides clear parameters.

He draws a comparison to chapters of heresy in American Christianity, such as the 1820s when John C. Calhoun wrote extensively saying the Bible supported slavery—a heresy that was wrong and evil. Throughout American history, pastors eventually got a spine and rose up against such heresies, excommunicating these lies from the church and Christianity.

Kirk's goal is simple: "We want to make wokism, post-modernism, deconstructionism, and the pushing back of the inerrancy of scripture an unconscionable heretical belief." If any pastor, board member, or donor promotes these ideas, they should be put into the fringes of American Christianity. The mission is to abolish wokism in the American church.

How the Enemy Infiltrates Churches

Kirk explains the playbook: The enemy knows what he's doing with diversity, equity, and inclusion ideology. They start to infiltrate big churches, and soon there are conversations questioning whether the Bible is really true. It happens fast. Questions arise like: Did Noah's Ark really happen? Maybe we don't have to teach that part. Or perhaps Jesus was actually a Marxist revolutionary and we've been reading the Bible through the wrong lens—a white colonialist lens.

The same framework that wants people to deconstruct their patriotism and country goes straight after the truth itself. But Kirk emphasizes that truth corrects error, and truth sets people free. This is what makes the current moment so exciting—it's the greatest opportunity for evangelism in the last 50 to 100 years.

Politics as a Gateway to the Gospel

Kirk shares an amazing testimony from Turning Point USA's work. The organization hosts students from all backgrounds—many Christians and many who are not Christians. At their massive conferences featuring speakers like Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, and Laura Ingraham, they hold an optional worship service on Sunday morning at 7 AM (after many attendees were likely making "interesting decisions" the night before).

Thousands of young people show up to these optional worship services, and hundreds give their lives to the Lord who have never heard the gospel before. Kirk emphasizes: "Only politics got them in the room." Christians have been told repeatedly that politics turns people off, but Kirk calls this "rubbish."

He points out that 75 million people voted for Donald Trump. How many of them have a ticket to heaven? How many have given their life to the Lord? Those 75 million people don't believe men can become pregnant, they believe America is a great country, and they believe in natural law. Kirk argues this is a great starting point—an interesting ministry opportunity with people already in alignment with natural law and God's commands who can then be set free from the nonsense happening in our country.

The Beauty of Creation and the Religion of Atheism

Every time Kirk comes to Colorado Springs, he says he loses more respect for atheists. Looking at the beauty of the area and claiming it was just "the roll of the dice" seems absurd to him. Kirk debates atheists frequently and considers atheism itself a religion—the fastest-growing religion in America. In certain cities, there are now more atheists than Christians, and atheists are often more committed to evangelism than most Christians on college campuses.

Kirk recounts a recent debate with an atheist in Kansas City. The conversation demonstrated in real time what happens when Christians stay silent. The atheist claimed there is no God but all that matters is leading a good life. When Kirk asked how the atheist knows what's "good," the response involved Darwinism. Kirk then asked: If you believe in survival of the fittest, why shouldn't we just get rid of Down syndrome babies in the womb like they do in Iceland? The atheist responded that it's probably a good idea.

This exchange reveals what happens when you remove morality, Christianity, and the center. Often, we take for granted that certain customs and morals are universally agreed upon. But remove Christianity and the Christian Church from society, and you see a preview of what's happening right now. The globalists understand this dynamic.

The Global Game and the Great Reset

Kirk references his conversations with Pastor Jack Hibbs about the Great Reset. There is a global game underway to destroy American sovereignty, deteriorate the currency, and implement various destructive policies. The key to this strategy is corrupting the American Church, making it weak and complacent so they can take over.

Why Politics Actually Matters

Kirk addresses Christians who claim it doesn't matter who wins elections or that politics is irrelevant. He finds this perspective privileged and entitled, noting that the FBI is literally raiding pastors every weekend because they pray outside abortion clinics. He urges people to get educated on what the FBI has been doing recently.

Kirk reflects on those "snobbish smug Christians" who in 2016 said they wouldn't vote for Donald Trump because he was the worst option—someone with a colorful life who might be braggadocious, narcissistic, and egotistical. Regardless of personal feelings about Trump, Kirk states a fact: he was used as an instrument of the Lord to repeal Roe v. Wade. Neither previous Republican presidents accomplished this. It took an imperfect vessel, much like Samson in the Bible.

Kirk points out that the Samson story is remarkable—God came to Samson while he was in a prostitute's bed, Samson took the jaw of a donkey and killed a thousand Philistines, and he ends up in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews. Why? Because Samson was willing to fight when others weren't.

The belief that politics don't matter is a uniquely modern American Christian perspective. What people are really saying when they claim politics is irrelevant is that morals don't matter. But if believers want a fighting chance at preventing churches from being labeled "non-essential" again, stopping pornography in local schools, or preventing medical mutilation of children, then unfortunately politics is the only vessel to communicate much of this.

Kirk also warns that blue states will likely try to outlaw homeschooling in the next five years, using France and Germany as blueprints. When people say courts will overturn such laws, Kirk asks: Who put the judges there who will make those decisions?

Three Types of People in This Fight

Kirk dedicates his life to this mission, traveling 330 days across America last year, doing three hours of radio every day, two podcasts daily, and giving campus lectures from Kansas City to Tallahassee. He acknowledges the work comes at a price—death threats and family put in danger—but says it's part of the game.

He identifies three types of people: those who do nothing, the fighters, and those who help the fighters. If you can't be one of the fighters on the front lines, Kirk says, then be the person who can help the fighters—be the John Hancock who supplies the munitions and resources necessary for people to fight on the front lines. The prayers and notes of support don't fall on deaf ears or end up void, because the work does wear down those on the front lines.

Kirk notes that every major media company is trying to destroy the work at Turning Point USA, yet the organization is on pace to have 1,000 high school chapters by the end of the year. He thanks supporters for making this possible and for getting in the arena alongside them to make an American awakening happen.

Churchill's Lesson: Once the Americans Awaken, Everything Changes

Kirk closes with a story about Winston Churchill, whom he calls the greatest man who lived in the 20th century. The morning after Pearl Harbor, Churchill was the only man smiling. While devastating news surrounded everyone else, Churchill walked into the war cabinet room with whiskey and a cigar, chipper and cheerful.

He proclaimed to his distraught War Cabinet: "We have won the war." Everyone thought he had lost his mind. They were losing 2,000 Royal Air Force members every day, barely got troops out of Dunkirk, faced a planned amphibious invasion, and couldn't field a suitable military to retake lost European lands.

Churchill took a puff of his cigar and a sip of whiskey at eight o'clock in the morning and explained: "I've studied the Americans for a couple decades, fought alongside them, and they're tricky people—often late to the party. But let me tell you this: once the Americans have awoken, everything changes."

Kirk applies this lesson to today: "I tell you right now, once we awaken and we get an Awakening going in America, we're going to win and they're going to lose."

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