Last Tuesday, I was among those who witnessed, in person, a political assassination we can never unsee. The senseless act of violence that took the life of my friend, Charlie Kirk, has exposed a rot that is infecting and threatening American life.
In the aftermath of the seismic shockwave that swept the world following the assassination, one question has kept me up at night more than any other. How did a young man from a good family, a man with every advantage in life, become so radicalized by age 22 that he would murder a father of young children in cold blood?
Those who live meaningful lives — the kind of life Charlie lived — take for granted that everyone wants to make the world a better place. I know I felt that way when I went to Congress in 2008. I really did believe we were all fighting for the same thing, just with different ways of getting there.
‘GRADUALLY AND THEN SUDDENLY’: REAGAN SPEECHWRITER TALKS POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN AFTERMATH OF KIRK’S DEATH
But when I left eight years later, I realized that is simply not true. There really are people who hate America. They hate morality. They hate religion. They hate you and your beautiful family. They want this nation to fail.
Nihilism, a term I only grasped through real-world encounters, is a philosophy that denies inherent meaning, morality, or truth in life. Derived from the Latin “nihil” (nothing), it views human existence as absurd, dismisses moral codes as baseless and often calls for dismantling established institutions.
This extreme perspective, which risks ensnaring younger generations, is vividly explored by renowned Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. In his writings, he delves into the crisis of faith and purpose, portraying it as a profound, disorienting struggle that challenges the human search for significance.
This philosophy and the violence that stems from it is the fruit of a godless society. Its adherents don’t believe in America. They don’t believe in faith or the inherent worth of souls. They reject God. They don’t believe in the core values of the American founding and they certainly don’t revere our founding documents.
Nor do they recognize the need for basic morality. They preach tolerance, but only if you agree with them.
These people throw around accusations of fascism without truly understanding what it means. The irony is that when so-called anti-fascists lash out with physical violence, they become what they claim to be fighting against. There is no consistency in this philosophy.
It’s too simple to say this is a Republican versus Democrat problem. We all know Democrats who believe in making America better, but just disagree on how to achieve it. They still exist. But, the nihilism infecting their party is giving rise to a tolerance for violence that threatens the stability of the greatest country in the world. It threatens the welfare of our children.
We cannot stand passively by and allow this hollow philosophy to gut our institutions and destroy our rising generations. We want to be peacemakers who avoid conflict. But, we have to stand up against evil.
As we try to figure out how to deal with this, there are two things we must do immediately. First, we can all agree that there needs to be consequences for direct violence and threats of violence. No more releasing violent criminals into the streets in a fit of suicidal empathy.
Secondly, we must instill meaning and teach moral codes. I don’t suppose everybody believes in Jesus Christ like I do. We don’t expect everyone to be Christian. But, I’m worried about people who have no roots to anything. We need to instill the moral code laid out in our founding documents, whether we frame it in Christianity or some other philosophy. No one benefits from a godless society. Our kids need to be grounded in absolute truth.
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There really is such a thing as absolute truth. Charlie’s life stood as a testament to that reality. His death sealed his testimony of it. That life was a stark contrast to the godless nihilism offered by those who would celebrate his demise.
God has a true plan of happiness for His children that rests on a foundation of faith, family and freedom. Charlie Kirk didn’t just talk about those values. He lived them. He prioritized his service to God, his relationships with his family and his fight for liberty. His was a spiritual battle against nihilistic forces.
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He understood that the real enemy was never the person on the other side of the microphone, but the nihilistic belief that truth is relative, values are disposable and human life holds no inherent sacred worth. We must not allow this demonic belief to infest our politics and capture our children.
The real enemy is the meaningless void of godless nihilism threatening to swallow up our God-given heritage.