Part-political rally, part-religious revival and part-funeral, Sunday’s marathon memorial for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk dissolved distinctions between President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement and white evangelical Christianity.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. compared Kirk’s death to that of Jesus. Not to be outdone, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Kirk as a “a warrior for country, a warrior for Christ.” Multiple speakers referred to Kirk, who was accused of antisemitic tropes and cast Islam as an existential threat to Western societies, as a Christian martyr.
But it was the juxtaposition of the declaration by Kirk’s widow, Erika, that she had forgiven her husband’s killer (“It is what Christ did.”), with Trump’s call for vengeance (“I hate my opponent. And I don’t want the best for them.”) that drew the most attention of Utah faith leaders.
Here is what a few of them said about the memorial service:
“While I voted for him twice, much of what President Trump said at Charlie’s memorial service reminded me of how grateful I am that I put my faith and hope in Jesus, not in Donald Trump. In contrast, I found Erika Kirk’s willingness to express forgiveness for her husband’s killer one of the most Christ-like and humbling sentiments I’ve heard in my lifetime.”
— Pastor Ken Krueger, Sandy’s The Mountain Church.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Pastor Ken Krueger gives a sermon at The Mountain Church in Sandy.
“I am very thankful for Erika’s call to forgive while she is grappling with devastating loss. It echoes Jesus’ invitation to live differently, to break cycles of anger and retaliation. …I pray that President Trump’s heart might be softened to make room for forgiveness, for his sake as well as for our country’s. We need leaders willing to set ego aside and choose the path of healing so that we can lead peaceful and quiet lives.”
— Michelle Phillips, president of Community of Christ Inland West Mission Center.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Michelle Phillips, leads the Community of Christ's Inland West Mission Center.
“It was painful to watch the funeral of a young man be used to deepen, rather than heal, the division in our country. The president’s job is to lead us toward virtue, to make us whole where we are broken — not to sow hatred and division. His comments weren’t just harmful, they were un-American.”
— Satin Tashnizi, co-founder and executive director of the Muslim-led Emerald Project.
(Courtesy photo) Satin Tashnizi is the co-founder and executive director of the Emerald Project.
“I was disappointed with President Trump’s rhetoric. Kirk’s tragic murder should give us pause as a country and be a wake-up call to use less divisive language and to, as Kirk did, encourage respectful dialogue. President Trump’s speech did not reflect those values. And in what has become expected of his words, was more focused on self-aggrandizing and attacking his opponents than reflections on Charlie Kirk and the positive contributions he made in our country. While much of the evangelical language of Erika Kirk’s speech does not speak to me as a non-Christian, she was, in contrast to Trump, speaking to her husband’s vision, mission and impact.”
— Rabbi Samuel Spector, Salt Lake City’s Congregation Kol Ami.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Congregation Kol Ami Rabbi Samuel Spector.
“Charlie Kirk was a brother in Christ. He often testified clearly to his faith when he was given the opportunity to do so. …However, his death should not be labeled a Christian martyrdom. Kirk never described what he was doing as ‘preaching the gospel,’ and his vocation was that of a political activist for the Republican Party. There is nothing wrong with being a political activist mobilizing and engaging youth and trying to persuade them to join your political party. It is just not the same thing as converting them to the Christian faith. Kirk would have readily acknowledged this.”
— Father James Linton, St. John’s Anglican Church in Cottonwood Heights.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Father James Linton at St. John's Anglican Church in Cottonwood Heights.
“A memorial service is not meant to be a platform for ideological division cloaked in religious language. …As followers of Christ, we are called to a broader vision — one that transcends tribalism and embraces the full breadth of God’s creation.”
— The Rev. Mirjam Haas-Melchior, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Utah.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Rev. Mirjam Haas-Melchior, executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Utah.
“A funeral is a sacred time when individuals reflect on the impact the person made to them, and there is a time and place to speak of other subject matters. Yet, Charlie Kirk embraced and welcomed the whole world with his love and point of views, and it is only natural for some people to speak how his ideals affected them.”
— Rabbi Helene Ainbinder, St. George’s Beit Chaverim Jewish Community of Greater Zion.