Is Charlie Kirk in heaven?

By Cassy Benefield | FāVS News Columnist

Young, politically-conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10, and his assasination has exposed the divisions in our country yet again. At the same time, his death has revealed the divisions in my heart toward those who mourn his death and those who do not.

Kirk is well known for his inflammatory speech against many culturally sensitive topics like race and DEI measures. For example he said on “The Charlie Kirk Show” that Supreme Court Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson is not qualified for the job and only got the position due to affirmative action. 

He’s also blamed DEI programs for aviation issues in the nation, saying in 2024, “I’m sorry, if I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”

Charlie Kirk’s inflammatory rhetoric targeted multiple communities

He has also spoken virulent words against the LGBTQ+ community, trans women in particular. On his show in 2024, he said the decline of American men and low testosterone rates are the reasons why trans women can walk into female locker rooms. 

He continued and said if strong men would have taken care of these trans women like they would have in the 50s and 60s, they would not be in female locker rooms.

Trans woman, journalist and trans activist Erin Reed took that to mean lynching. Definitely violence was involved in Kirk’s statement. 

These are just several culture war issues Kirk used his free speech to antagonize his listeners and reinforce harmful ideologies. Many say this freedom to speak inflammatory words is what he died for. 

There are websites that list more of his comments, which changed over time. Kirk reportedly got less secular and further to the extreme right and religious in tone after he became a loyal Trump supporter, someone he was not a fan of originally. 

With the country divided as it is so much today and with political values the all-important identity of our time, I knew responses to his death would be good, bad and ugly. My social media feed did not disappoint. And seeing these responses helped me confront some things in my own heart.

Conflicted responses reveal our own hearts

On the one hand, I have seen art or AI depictions of Kirk in the arms of Jesus or of him entering heaven passing his baton to a person behind him. I have seen a 30-second clip where Kirk gives a version of the gospel message I would agree with presumably at one of his “Prove Me Wrong” college campus events.

Honestly I have a hard time with these responses because what I know of him in the political realm seems to contradict the way of Jesus I follow.

On the other hand, I have seen angry posts from both sides of the political aisle using this moment as another way to continue stirring up political violence, using language full of military and war imagery about what is coming. 

I see hate multiplying more hate, and I note in myself I’ve shared similar sentiments against Kirk over the years. I’ve responded to his hateful language with my own animosity.

I also witness posts that honor his humanity and his family in the time of such a shocking and horrific death on someone so young who had so much life yet to live — who had the possibility and hope of growing more like Christ over the years.

But even those posts inspired polarizing reactions — again revealing divisions and ugliness that have become the air we breathe these last several years.

All this led me to a thought-experiment where I could show how all of us, including Christians such as myself, get Jesus wrong.

In my imagination, on the day of Kirk’s death, I saw Jesus in the crowd listening to Kirk’s speech. With grace and truth, he pleaded with Kirk on a spiritual level, “With your tongue, Charlie, you praise me, and with your tongue, you curse human beings, who have been made in my likeness. Out of your mouth comes praise and cursing. Charlie, this should not be.” (James 3:9-10)

Salvation by faith, judgment by works

At the same time, Jesus comforts the brokenhearted in that same audience, especially those who were hurt by Kirk’s verbal blows. He comforts them by saying he will defend them in front of Kirk. (1 Peter 2:23) Then, he instructs the hurting not to slander Kirk in return, but to be peaceful, considerate and gentle toward him and everyone else. (Titus 3:2)

I also saw Jesus with Kirk that day as he passed from this life into the next. I don’t know if he is in heaven. Only God knows. But by the word of Kirk’s testimony over the years, I believe he is because our shared view of salvation in God comes by faith in Jesus, not by our works. With that said, Kirk’s works will still face judgement.

So in my mind, when Kirk died, he was present with Jesus. And while Kirk’s sins were forgiven at the cross, his works were examined by Jesus in that moment to see if they were done in God’s name or done for Kirk himself. Because he fell short of Jesus’ word of truth, as we all do, he will suffer some kind of loss of reward.

I imagine Jesus saying to him, “Did I not say, Charlie, that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless and thoughtless word they have spoken?” (Matt 12:36) 

When that realization hits, I can see Jesus taking Kirk in his arms and wiping the tears from his eyes as he begins to fully understand how his words were not spoken in Jesus’ name. Rather, they were spoken in Kirk’s name to build up his own kingdom, not the kingdom of God.

After Jesus is done wiping away his tears, Charlie Kirk moves into the person he was created to be on earth, as all believers will.

Imagine what kind of person he is now. Imagine what kind of person we would be today if we took this thought experiment and applied it to ourselves — whether we are believers or not. 

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.

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