Talking to Your Children About Charlie Kirk's Assassination and Standing for Truth

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Hello friends. Today's podcast question is a timely and heavy one. It asks: "How do I talk to my kids about things like the death of Charlie Kirk and the threat of persecution for standing up for truth and not being ashamed of the gospel in a hostile world? I want to start the conversation with them and help them process it biblically without causing fear."

This is a really important question that I think many of us are thinking through this week and in the coming weeks. There are really two parts to this question we need to address. First, how do we talk with our children about Charlie Kirk's assassination? Second, how do we help our children stand up for what is true and not be ashamed of the gospel in the face of persecution?

That's what we're going to explore today on the Foundation Worldview Podcast, where we seek to answer your questions so that you can equip the children God has placed in your care to think critically and biblically, understanding that the Christian worldview is true. I'm your host, Elizabeth Urbanowicz, and I'm grateful you've joined me today.

In all honesty, I know I'm coming to this question a bit late. Many of you have probably already had one or more conversations with your children about Charlie Kirk's assassination, and if you have, that's great because these conversations are really important. This podcast is coming out a bit late—these events happened almost a week ago—because I am still very much in the process of processing, grieving, and sorting out my own thoughts.

I am nowhere close to being done with the process of grief, learning more about the situation, and thinking through how to make sense of this and move forward. So my thoughts on this podcast won't be as clearly sorted out as I would like them to be. They won't be as clearly organized or concise as they typically are on Foundation Worldview podcasts. I ask that you give me an extra measure of grace as you listen, because this probably won't be as well thought out or concise as most episodes. However, I'm recording this now because it's my prayer that this episode will still benefit, value, and bless those who listen and watch.

How Do We Talk With Our Children About Charlie Kirk's Assassination?

For regular Foundation Worldview podcast listeners, you probably remember that a little over a year ago I discussed how to talk with our children about tragedies and natural disasters. I proposed four questions we can ask ourselves to determine how to discuss different difficult and tragic events with our children:

1. What is the purpose of bringing this event to my child's attention?
2. What would be the results of completely shielding my child from such information?
3. How much detail does my child need to know?
4. How can I frame this tragedy in a way that points my child back to the gospel?

Let me walk us through answering these four questions regarding Charlie Kirk's assassination.

Question 1: What Is the Purpose of Bringing This Event to My Child's Attention?

This was a political assassination. While it was murder—the tragic taking of human life—it was also a political assassination that will forever shape our country's history. It's important that our children know about this.

This is different from an event like Hurricane Helene, which caused mass destruction and took precious human lives of equal value to Charlie Kirk's. However, our nation wasn't necessarily shaped forever by Hurricane Helene because natural disasters happen as part of living in a fallen world. While we grieve these things appropriately and send aid when we can, a hurricane doesn't necessarily shape a nation the same way an assassination does.

This event reveals the state of our country and reflects the current climate in our culture, where some people think murder is the right solution when they disagree with ideas. Yet this situation should also inspire us toward greater courage to stand for what is true, because Charlie Kirk wasn't just taking a stance for different political agendas—he was taking a stance for topics grounded in the Christian worldview.

In an interview where Charlie said what he wanted to be remembered for, he said he wanted to be remembered for courage and for his faith. That is what we should remember him for.

Question 2: What Would Be the Result of Completely Shielding My Child From This Information?

I know the person who wrote this question wants to talk with their children about this tragedy, but some listeners might be thinking they should completely shield their child from this event.

If we have a child who is four or older, completely shielding them is virtually impossible. Even if we don't discuss it in our homes and don't send our children to school, they're going to hear about it from others their age who have been exposed to it—whether at church, soccer practice, on the playground, or at school.

If we don't start the conversation, they're going to learn about this tragic event from others, and we don't want to miss the opportunity to be the ones who frame the conversation for our children. Additionally, if we don't talk with our children about this, we miss the opportunity to teach them about Charlie Kirk's incredible gospel-centered courage.

Question 3: How Much Detail Do They Need to Know?

This question only you as the parent can answer, because it depends on your child's age and temperament. I'll offer some templates for possible conversations with children of different ages, but you know your child's temperament. We don't want to share information that will cause our children to fear. We do want to be honest with them and help them see that Jesus is greater than any earthly security.

Please remember that you are the person God has placed in your child's life to be their primary disciple-maker. You know them best. If I recommend something that would be too much information for your child or would cause them to fear, please adjust these conversations to fit how God has designed your child and what you know is best for them.

For Children Ages 4-7:

"Right now, a lot of people in our country and around the world are feeling sad. There is a man named Charlie Kirk who would talk with people about important ideas, and some people did not like the true things that Charlie talked about. One man got so angry with Charlie that he decided to kill him. So Charlie is now with Jesus.

Is Charlie being with Jesus good news or bad news? That's right—Charlie being with Jesus is really good news. Now, many people are feeling sad right now because they miss Charlie and because it was wrong for someone to murder him. But Charlie's death has helped many people see how important it is to help others see what is true."

My goal with this conversation is to talk honestly with children ages 4-7 in language that won't overwhelm them while helping them see that while this is a tragic situation, there is hope in Christ—where Charlie's hope was, where his current hope is, and where our hope is as well.

For Children Ages 8-12:

"Right now, a lot of people in our country and across the world are feeling sad. There was a man named Charlie Kirk who would go to different colleges and try to help the students there think about what they believed and whether their beliefs were true. Charlie was a Christian, and he tried to help others understand that the Bible is true and should affect the way we see everything.

But this made a lot of people angry. The Bible tells us that the truth often makes people angry. Without knowing Jesus, humans love darkness, and one person became so angry that he shot Charlie, and Charlie died. Because Charlie knew Jesus, Charlie is now with Jesus. This is great news for Charlie, but many people are still feeling very sad because Charlie was murdered for his beliefs, and that murder was evil. However, Charlie's death has given many people the courage to follow in his footsteps and speak the truth without fear."

I hope you see that same format of being honest with our children in developmentally appropriate language while making sure they see the hope of the gospel. Again, these are model conversations—you know your child best.

Question 4: How Can I Frame This in a Way That Points My Child Back to the Gospel?

I've modeled part of that in the conversations above, but there's more we can do after this initial conversation. Ask your child if they have any questions. Listen—your child might receive this information and move along unaffected, or they might have many questions. Affirm their questions and answer them.

Whether your child has many questions or none, I recommend taking them to Scripture to anchor this tragedy in the truth of the gospel.

John 3:16-21

First, read John 3:16-21 with your child:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God. And this is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

Ask them: "According to this passage, why do people hate the light? Why do people hate the truth?" Discuss how the light and truth expose our sin and reveal that we are sinful, and as sinners, this makes us angry.

Then ask: "What does this passage reveal is our hope?" Our hope is that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to rescue us from our sin—to rescue us out of the darkness we are all born into.

Revelation 21:1-4

Next, read Revelation 21:1-4:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'"

Ask: "When Jesus returns, what's going to happen?" Talk about how he's going to make all things new, get rid of sin and death forever, and dwell with us forever. Explain that this is why it's so important for people like Charlie and for people like us to speak what is true. We should want everyone to hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus. We should want everyone to see that the ways of the world lead to destruction, but Jesus shows us the true and only way to God.

Prayer

Finally, I recommend praying with your children. Pray for:

• Charlie's family as they grieve the loss of a husband, father, and son
• Our country, that the truth of the gospel would spread and expose the darkness for what it is
• Many in our nation to find true hope and true peace in Jesus
• The justice system in our country to deal justly and give out just punishment for this evil crime
• The man who murdered Charlie, that he would come to know the truth of the gospel and have eternal life with Jesus, even while receiving just punishment for his evil crime

How Do We Help Our Children Stand for Truth and Not Be Ashamed of the Gospel?

I want to remind you again—I'm asking for extra grace as you listen to this podcast. I've thought and prayed through this a lot, but I'm still working through all of this myself.

As I've been thinking through this, I've been reflecting a lot on Charlie's life. The first time I was exposed to something Charlie Kirk said was in 2016 when a friend sent me a video of him being interviewed. After watching it, I texted her back saying, "This young man is saying a lot of true things. However, he is anchoring these things in libertarian politics, not actually where they stem from—the Christian worldview. And he also just seemed pretty arrogant. Just take it with a grain of salt. Be careful."

From there, I would see his face pop up on different social media posts or in the news. I'd watch things here and there, but then in 2021, I watched an interview with Charlie and noticed a dramatic shift in who he was and how he presented himself. Suddenly his answers were not just rooted in secular libertarian policy—he seemed to have a very thorough understanding of Scripture and how all the things he had been advocating for were deeply rooted in the Christian worldview.

From then on, whenever I watched his videos, I noticed he was still very bold and oftentimes aggressive, but he was much more humble. He was much more thorough in answering questions from a biblical worldview. He was also much more interested in caring about the person he was engaging with, not just their ideas. He seemed to have a genuine concern for the person. He boldly walked into situations he knew were very dangerous.

As I've been reflecting on and processing this, I've been thinking about my own life and asking: Am I truly willing to stand up for what's true?

One situation I've been mulling over is back in 2023 when I first had the idea for our God's Good Design curriculum here at Foundation Worldview. I had been thinking about what was happening in our nation and around the world regarding unbiblical and unreality-based views of sexuality and gender. I thought I could present God's design to kids systematically, firmly grounded in Scripture, in a way that would transform how they view themselves, how they view God's design for them as male or female, and how they understand sexuality and marriage.

I was getting excited about this idea, but I was also hesitant to publish materials like this. At one point in 2023, I was talking to one of my mentors, one of the people who disciples me, and I was sharing the idea for this project. I was also sharing that I was a little hesitant, so I asked them what they thought. They asked, "Why are you hesitant, Elizabeth? It sounds like a fabulous idea. This sounds like just what kids need. Why are you hesitant?"

I remember being a little embarrassed saying this: "Well, these are the kind of materials that put your life at risk in our current cultural climate. I'm actually scared that publishing something like this could cost me my life." My mentor paused and asked, "Is that a reason not to move forward with these materials?" I knew the answer right away—no.

As I created these materials, for so many weeks I went to my small group asking for prayer for peace because I was so worried that putting these materials out could cost me my life. My small group was faithful at praying for me for peace.

You may be listening to this and chuckling, thinking, "Elizabeth, Foundation Worldview is such a small organization. It's really not very likely that materials you publish are going to cost you your life." That is true—Foundation Worldview and I are not super well-known or in the public eye like Charlie Kirk. But it's still true that I was scared. Even as we move forward this fall with publishing the book "Helping Your Children Know God's Good Design," this fear has been at the back of my mind. Am I going to be safe? Am I going to lose my life for publishing materials like these?

I know that in many ways, that fear is not grounded in reality. But Charlie Kirk's assassination has made me think about these fears and ask: Why am I scared when my hope is anchored in Christ, and to live is Christ and to die is gain?

I have really been inspired by Charlie's tragic murder to be more willing to boldly speak the truth, both publicly on platforms like this podcast and in my personal life with friends, neighbors, and family, even when there's a risk of it costing me. This situation has been growing in me a greater boldness for speaking the truth without fear.

Preparing Our Children

As we think through how to prepare our children for this reality—it's scary to live in a world where somebody speaks the truth and loses their life for it (though this is sadly nothing new in this fallen world)—there are a few things we should do.

Model This for Our Children

We need to model not being scared of speaking the truth. When I say speaking the truth, I don't mean going out and not caring if you're saying things lovingly, just bashing people over the head with truth. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about using truth as a clobber. I'm talking about using truth as salt—like rubbing salt in an open wound. It stings and hurts so bad, but the purpose is healing.

We need to model this for our children by speaking truth as salt at home, at church, at our workplaces, and in the community. I think it's important that we be intentional about having at least a few relationships with people who disagree with us—people who come from other worldviews or maybe people who come from the Christian worldview but have different views on things.

This is something I think my sister and her husband are really good at. They have close friends who view things very differently than they do, but they really love these people and these people love them. They have great relationships with many different people who don't see things eye to eye with them. But they also don't shy away from talking with others about what they believe and why they believe it.

Do our children just hear us privately share our beliefs at home? Or do they also see us sharing what is true with others we love but don't agree with?

Ground Our Children in Truth

We need to ground our children in the truth. Lord willing, our children who are 12 and under are not going to need to take a firm stand publicly when they're this young. But when they are this young, we need to make sure we are anchoring them in what is true.

No one is willing to stand up in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation for something they don't believe in. Sometimes it's hard to stand up for truth in a very uncomfortable or dangerous situation even when we firmly believe something. But if we don't believe in something, there's no way we're going to put ourselves at risk for it.

While we still have our children at home with us, we need to make sure we are firmly grounding them in the truth so that truth becomes something they will be willing to take a stand for as they grow.

We need to:

• Teach our children the whole story of the Bible—not just little Bible stories here and there, but the whole narrative of Scripture
• Immerse them in Scripture and teach them how to read Scripture on their own
• Help them see that Christianity consistently lines up with reality in a way that no other worldview does
• As adults, live biblically at home and in public every day so that our children are being grounded in truth by observing how we live
• Build relationships with those of other worldviews so that our children can see what it looks like to live for Jesus and engage with and love others who do not agree with us

At this stage, it's not about having conversations with our children about "one day you might need to stand up for the truth"—though those conversations may come up. At this stage, we are building a firm foundation. The stronger that foundation is, the more likely it is that our children will be willing to stand upon that foundation, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and realize that he is worth any and every sacrifice.

Conclusion

As we adults continue to process Charlie Kirk's assassination, it's my prayer that this will galvanize us to more boldly and compassionately think, live, and speak biblical truth.

As I sign off from this podcast, my prayer for you is that the tragedy of Charlie Kirk's assassination may lead you to be even more intentional at discipling your children and living in a way that shows we are not ashamed of the gospel—for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.

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