It’s disconcerting to see that in the cultural landscape today, simply agreeing with what the Bible teaches regarding marriage, gender, or the value of life can make one a “hater.” But for Christians, this is nothing new it’s the same conflict Christians have endured throughout history. The only difference now? The term “hate speech” has become an expedited means of stifling biblical conviction. But as Charlie Kirk’s situation illustrates, there is a means of standing on truth without compromising compassion.
1. The Charlie Kirk Example: Anchored in Truth and Love
Franklin Graham put it simply: Charlie “stood unapologetically on Scripture, but he did it in a way that reflected Christ’s compassion.” He did not approach debates to embarrass, but to point people to God’s Word. Even when critics clipped his words to paint him as harsh, the full conversations revealed a consistent posture firm conviction paired with genuine care. As Bob Russell reflected after Kirk’s assassination, “Though he is dead, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). His testimony is a reminder that courage and kindness are not opposites.
2. Why Culture Calls Truth Hate
We’ve reached a point where entire sections of Scripture are labeled as dangerous. Affirming God’s plan for sexuality or life in the womb can lead to censorship or penalty. Isaiah’s warning “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20) seems torn from today’s news headlines. Bill Watkins describes how love and hate are not opposites; indifference is. “Only an uncaring ‘love’ does not hate, and such a ‘love’ is no love at all.” To love someone in God’s economy is to care enough to resist what kills them.
3. The Unchanging Standard vs. Shifting Morality
Cultural morality blows with the wind what is applauded today can be reviled tomorrow. A study by the Cultural Research Center indicates that although 71% of Americans say they believe in “traditional moral values,” fewer than half base those values on the Bible. Rather, 42% say “what you feel in your heart” is the better moral compass. But as Matthew 24:35 assures us, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” God’s truth is not so easily swayed by trends.
4. Learning from the Persecuted Past
From Daniel in Babylon to Christians under Roman domination, history is replete with instances where God’s people proclaimed truth in ungodly environments. Daniel’s strategy respectful, obedient, and not wanting to water down God’s message represents the balance today’s Christians require. He did not celebrate Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat; he prayed for the king’s repentance (Daniel 4:19, 27). That is the same kind of spirit required when addressing a culture prone to distorting motives.
5. The Misrepresentation Strategy
One of the most ancient strategies against truth-tellers is the misquoting of words out of context. It was done to Charlie Kirk; it was done to Jesus when Satan used Psalm 91 and quoted it to tempt Him (Matthew 4:6). Misquoting out of context is designed to illegitimize the speaker before the message can be listened to. Knowing this keeps believers firm when their words are used against them.
6. Resilience-Building in Adverse Weather
Christian psychological resilience begins with understanding where their identity comes from. As Ephesians 6:10-11 calls them to do, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God.” That is to protect against both the temptation to strike out (truth without love) and the fear that produces silence (love without truth). Travis Agnew cautions that protestors offer truth without love, enablers offer love without truth but Scripture requires both.
7. Staying Present in, Not Absent from, Culture
When the world retaliates, Jesus’ instruction remains: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Bob Russell warns against engaging with “worldly weapons” (2 Corinthians 10:4) or further polarizing with hate speech. Rather, believers are to vanquish evil with good (Romans 12:21), even when charged with the very thing they abhor.
8. Staying Present in, Not Absent from, Culture
Dr. Bruce Ashford calls the healthiest posture “Christianity in and for culture” engaged enough to grasp it, differentiated enough to turn it back to Christ. That excludes the bunker posture of concealment from the world and the mirror posture of mere reflection of it. Each sphere art, politics, education is a field of witness.
9. Why Truth Is the Highest Form of Love
Jesus declared, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Being silent in the presence of sin is not kindness it’s complacency. Love, as God knows it, delights in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6) and warns against what destroys. Speaking that truth can cost reputation, comfort, or even safety, but as Acts 4:20 reports, “We can’t help speaking about what we have seen or heard.”
10. Anchoring Hope Beyond Politics
Christian hope isn’t in political victory or cultural endorsement it’s in the unshakeable kingdom of Christ. According to 1 Peter 1:4, believers possess “a living hope that can never perish, spoil, or fade.” That long-term focus releases them to speak courageously now because they know one day, “every knee will bow and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11).
