When a news organization starts name calling, ask yourself why they’re throwing around words like racist, misogynist, fascist and Nazi? Typically, when someone starts raising their voice, pounding their fist on the table and calls somebody a name, it’s because they don’t have a legitimate counterpoint to make in the debate. It’s the last resort. If they sense their point of view is not strong enough to stand alone, they react to their emotions by disregarding the facts and fall prey to their hatred of the person they disagree with.

When Charlie Kirk’s 3-year-old daughter asked her Mom where Daddy was, Erika answered, “He’s on a work trip with Jesus.” Charlie Kirk was killed for speaking truth to our culture. He was once asked if he were to die, “How do you want people to remember you?” His answer, “I want to be remembered for my courage in professing faith in Jesus Christ.”

His mantra at all the debates he engaged in at college campuses was, “Come, all are welcome, prove me wrong and if you disagree with me, come right to the front of the line.” He unashamedly encouraged young people to follow Christ, go to church, get married and start a family. He always advocated for freedom of speech. Should a person be killed for such views? Is this now our culture?

The Rev. Rich Bitterman, pastor of Cedar Ridge Baptist Church in Galena, Missouri, posted this on his website “My Bible Thoughts With Pastor Rich” on Sept. 11, the day after Kirk was killed —

“He brought the gospel into the public square on purpose. Because the gospel isn’t supposed to stay in church basements and private Bible studies. It is meant to confront. It is supposed to offend. It was not made for safety.

“… This is what evil does when it runs out of arguments. It doesn’t reason. It kills. That’s the part that catches in the throat, not just sadness, but the strategy of hell behind it.

“The Enemy wants us afraid. He wants us to see what happened to Charlie and backpedal. He wants the rest of us to whisper … to believe the lie that faith should stay private.

“… (But) when they told Him (Jesus) to be quiet, He picked up His cross … A real one. Heavy. Bloody. Splintered. When Jesus said, ‘Follow Me,’ He didn’t hand out maps. He handed out crosses.”

Bitterman spoke of going to battle in the kind of war “that speaks both mercy and judgment without flinching. The kind Charlie died for. This world is not a friend to grace. But grace isn’t fragile.”

He went on: “I believe when Charlie Kirk’s body slumped to the concrete, his soul stood upright in heaven. Not limping. Not silenced. Not stunned. But crowned. He didn’t fall. He crossed … (When Stephen was martyred it is) The only time in all of Scripture we see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, rising to receive one of His own. I like to believe He stood again (for Charlie).

“There is no difficulty that can cancel the promise of God. There is no persecution that can derail your destination. There is no sniper’s bullet that can separate a soul from Christ. Your life is not measured by how long you live on Earth, or our political affiliation, but by how much of it was spent loving God and neighbor.”

Where do you stand?