The Silencing of Truth
Pastor Leslie Chua
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. ”
“Ah, you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
On 10 September 2025, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated. He was killed by a single gunshot to his neck while holding a public event at Utah Valley University, which was attended by more than 3,000 people. The incident stunned the entire nation.
Charlie Kirk, aged 31, was a well-known and highly influential public figure known for his defence of conservative beliefs and values. He frequently engaged in robust public debate with people on the liberal left.
____________________________________________
Charlie Kirk’s death exposes the wide rift in American politics as well as the depth of the cultural divide in the U.S. Fascinatingly, his death also reveals the state of Christianity in many places, including Singapore
____________________________________________
Kirk’s assassination created a storm in both the U.S. and the West, as well as in many other countries. The reactions are varied. Conservatives mourn his death, while many on the left side of the political divide celebrated. It bears testimony to Kirk’s effectiveness in championing conservative and good old-fashioned traditional values, especially among the younger generation. The progressive left sees him as a formidable threat and his death as a good riddance.
Charlie Kirk’s death exposes the wide rift in American politics as well as the depth of the cultural divide in the U.S. Fascinatingly, his death also reveals the state of Christianity in many places, including Singapore.
____________________________________________
I believe that we must talk about it because it has implications on our Christian stewardship of truth, both the gospel truth as well as commonsensical truths. The matter also has eschatological implications for believers living at the time when Christ’s return is near.
____________________________________________
I learned several days ago that Christians in Singapore were divided in their opinions of Charlie Kirk. The debate on the issue of Kirk has caused division in some churches. Given that, some pastors believe that it is better for Christians not to talk about this matter.
I disagree. I believe that we must talk about it because it has implications on our Christian stewardship of truth, both the gospel truth as well as commonsensical truths. The matter also has eschatological implications for believers living at the time when Christ’s return is near.
Some people call Charlie Kirk a martyr. Interestingly, a preacher asked me whether Charlie Kirk is a martyr. Is Charlie Kirk a martyr? What is my opinion on this matter?
I will use my response to this question to address why I believe we must talk about the Charlie Kirk issue and why his death has implications for Christians regarding truth, especially in the light of Christ’s soon return.
My short answer is that Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He is a martyr for 2 reasons.
A Cultural Martyr
Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He is a cultural martyr.
Those who argue that Kirk’s assassination is a purely political matter fail to discern the cultural mess in American society. For decades, the rot has been worsening rapidly. It reached a tipping point in the last few years.
____________________________________________
Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He is a cultural martyr.
____________________________________________
Kirk spoke truth to a corrupt and failing culture. He defended traditional truths that had been held by diverse societies worldwide throughout human history.
He spoke truth concerning genders, that a man could not be a woman and a woman could be a man. He also spoke against abortion, arguing that it was the murder of unborn babies and that these babies had the right to live.
____________________________________________
Essentially, Kirk defended traditional commonsensical values. In the West, these are commonly known as the Judeo-Christian values. These values have served as the foundation of Western civilisation, and they have brought about civility, liberty, human rights, property rights, and tremendous success and prosperity.
____________________________________________
Kirk was also critical of cultural Marxism and the woke culture. He was like the prophet Isaiah, calling out those who called evil good and good evil, and put light for darkness and darkness for light.
Essentially, Kirk defended traditional commonsensical values. In the West, these are commonly known as the Judeo-Christian values. These values have served as the foundation of Western civilisation, and they have brought about civility, liberty, human rights, property rights, and tremendous success and prosperity.
The way Charlie Kirk went about presenting his position was to engage those on the other side of the aisle in honest conversations and robust debates. He was frank and upfront, but he was not rude. He treated his adversaries with respect. Even respected liberal commentators concede that Kirk was a nice guy and a decent human being.
____________________________________________
Essentially, Kirk’s murder is the silencing of truth. It is the silencing of universal truths and commonsensical truths. It is the silencing of Judeo-Christian truths and values.
____________________________________________
Charlie Kirk was very knowledgeable and incredibly wise for someone his age. Few could match him in debates. But in a broken culture that has gone increasingly woke and where free speech is rebranded as hate speech, disagreement is recast as violence, and debate is dismissed as danger, he was much hated. And he had to be silenced.
Essentially, Kirk’s murder is the silencing of truth. It is the silencing of universal truths and commonsensical truths. It is the silencing of Judeo-Christian truths and values.
Given that, Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He is a cultural martyr.
A Christian Martyr
Charlie Kirk is also a Christian martyr. I have no qualms labelling him as such.
In his initial years, he focused largely on political and cultural issues. But in the last few years, he had been telling people to be a good husband, to be a good father, and to be responsible to their families.
____________________________________________
Charlie Kirk is also a Christian martyr. I have no qualms labelling him as such.
____________________________________________
He quoted Scriptures, and he spoke biblical truths frequently. Biblical truths are blended with universal and commonsensical truths in his speeches and conversations. He also proclaimed Jesus Christ unapologetically. He probably came to a point where he realised that preaching good to a culture without preaching Christ was short-changing his audience.
Kirk was doing all these things in the public square.
Pastors preach in the safety of their own church pulpits. Even then, many pastors refrain from talking about sensitive cultural and biblical issues that the Scripture requires God’s people to take a firm stand on, such as same-sex marriage and woke ideologies. Nowadays, pastors are considered courageous when they take a firm stand on hard biblical truths.
____________________________________________
He quoted Scriptures, and he spoke biblical truths frequently. Biblical truths are blended with universal and commonsensical truths in his speeches and conversations. He also proclaimed Jesus Christ unapologetically. He probably came to a point where he realised that preaching good to a culture without preaching Christ was short-changing his audience.
Kirk was doing all these things in the public square.
____________________________________________
As for Charlie Kirk, he preached, discussed, and debated in the public square where his audience was predominantly hostile to his message. They were the liberals, progressives, and people from the far left.
Charlie Kirk did what all pastors and believers ought to be doing out there in the public arena. He was the salt of the earth and the light of the world and the witness of Christ and His gospel.
Kirk did his work and fulfilled his calling wonderfully because he was clever, motivated, and skilful. But above all, it is because he was bold. He spoke truth courageously because of his strong convictions that truth could not and must not be silenced.
Despite numerous death threats, Charlie Kirk kept speaking. For upholding truth, for his conviction, and for his incredible effectiveness, he was killed.
____________________________________________
Charlie Kirk did what all pastors and believers ought to be doing out there in the public arena. He was the salt of the earth and the light of the world and the witness of Christ and His gospel.
____________________________________________
Given all this, I cannot understand why Christians would consider Charlie Kirk, his message, and what he has done controversial. Perhaps it is due to their ignorance of what this young man had done. Maybe they believe that Christians should not bother with politics and culture. Or maybe, they disdain Kirk’s robust style of engagement during his debates.
As far as I am concerned, Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He is a Christian martyr.
The Silencing of Jesus
No one should be shocked by the murder of Charlie Kirk. The silencing of truth is to be expected. It happened throughout human history. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, the embodiment of truth, was not spared two thousand years ago.
King Herod attempted to kill the infant Jesus when he got wind that the Messiah-King was born. In doing so, he massacred all the baby boys two years and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity.
Throughout the three and a half years of His public ministry, Jesus encountered fierce opposition. The scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees tried to stop Jesus from preaching the gospel truth. When they failed to cancel Him, and Jesus’ influence grew by the day, they decided to silence Him once and for all.
Besides the religious leaders, the Roman authorities were wary of the inconvenient truth that Jesus was supposedly the King of the Jews. Rome had previously put down several bloody Jewish insurrections before Jesus burst onto the scene proclaiming the kingdom of God was here.
____________________________________________
Satan is in the business of silencing truth. He has been doing that since the beginning. Truth is jarring to the devil. He cannot tolerate it. When his web of lies and deception comes under threat, he would not hesitate to kill.
____________________________________________
Like the Jews, the Romans also understood Jesus’ gospel message. God was going to set up His kingdom soon. The implication is the overthrow of Rome.
Rome would not tolerate the slightest suggestion of a revolt. It would silence Jesus at the slightest hint of a potential uprising. Though Pontius Pilate found no fault in Jesus, he nevertheless sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion. Why? Because the religious leaders threatened him. They told him that he was no friend of Caesar if he took no action against the self-proclaimed King of the Jews.
Satan is in the business of silencing truth. He has been doing that since the beginning. Truth is jarring to the devil. He cannot tolerate it. When his web of lies and deception comes under threat, he would not hesitate to kill.
A Prophetic Message
To me, the silencing of Charlie Kirk is a prophetic message to the church.
Leading up to the rapture and afterwards, the Tribulation, the days ahead will be fraught with risks and challenges for the followers of Christ.
You can expect worse cultural chaos and further erosion of good commonsensical values. Depravity will be the order of the day.
Bible-believing Christians who are determined to stand up for truth and speak truth in the public square will face increasing pressure to keep quiet.
Preaching Christ and the gospel will become more difficult. It will be branded as hate speech. Biblical truths will be considered intolerant and deemed offensive. The practice of the Christian faith will be restricted only to your own private space.
____________________________________________
Silence is not neutral. Silence in the face of lies is agreement. When you remain silent, those around you interpret it as approval. When lies spread unchecked, silence grants legitimacy. When Christian leaders choose to stay silent, they are training their flocks to silence their biblical convictions.
____________________________________________
The global government will soon emerge, and it will institute totalitarian policies that impinge on liberty, free speech, and human rights in the guise of protecting the public. It will also promote woke ideologies that run counter to common sense. Global institutions, such as the United Nations and World Economic Forum, are already doing that. They openly promote the LGBT agenda in the name of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Charlie Kirk stood against all this and more.
Can Christ followers in all good conscience remain silent in the face of such assaults on biblical and commonsensical truths
Silence is not neutral. Silence in the face of lies is agreement. When you remain silent, those around you interpret it as approval. When lies spread unchecked, silence grants legitimacy. When Christian leaders choose to stay silent, they are training their flocks to silence their biblical convictions.
____________________________________________
Decide to obey Jesus’ commissions and stand for truth courageously. We shall not be silent!
____________________________________________
How then shall we live? How will you choose to live?
Jesus gives His followers two commissions. First, He commissions us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This is the cultural mandate. Second, He commissions us to preach the gospel. This is the gospel mandate.
We are to obey both these mandates even in the face of hostilities. The days ahead leading up to the rapture will be stacked with unprecedented challenges, trials and adversities.
Decide to obey Jesus’ commissions and stand for truth courageously. We shall not be silent!