Striving For Understanding

As a devout Catholic, I often grapple with the profound mystery of human hatred—how it festers in hearts and erupts into violence that defies our shared dignity as children of God. The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, has left me particularly bewildered and heartbroken. Kirk, who was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, had dedicated his life to advocating for conservative principles, including strong defenses of Christian values, free speech, and traditional American ideals. At just 31 years old, he was a vocal critic of progressive policies, often engaging in spirited debates on college campuses to challenge what he saw as leftist dominance in education and culture. Yet, this commitment seemingly made him a target in an increasingly polarized America, where political discourse has devolved into dangerous rhetoric.

What astounds me most is the seething anger directed at figures like Kirk from those embracing leftist and “woke” ideologies—an anger that appears rooted in a broader rejection of conservative, Christian, Catholic, or Orthodox worldviews. In the wake of Kirk’s murder, social media has been flooded with reactions attributing the violence to years of inflammatory language from progressive circles, portraying conservatives as existential threats. This isn’t mere disagreement; it’s a venomous intolerance that echoes the biblical warning in Matthew 24:12 about the love of many growing cold in the end times. Kirk’s death is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of political violence in the U.S., including two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump in 2024 and other attacks on public figures. Such acts reflect a deeper societal fracture, where negative partisanship—hatred of the “other side”—has become a dominant force in American politics, as noted in analyses dating back years but intensifying recently.

This hatred isn’t confined to the West; it’s a global affliction that disproportionately targets people of faith. In the Middle East and Africa, Christians face extreme persecution, with millions subjected to violence, displacement, and death at the hands of extremist groups. According to the 2025 World Watch List by Open Doors, an organization tracking religious persecution, over 365 million Christians worldwide endure high levels of discrimination, a number that has nearly doubled since the early 1990s.

In sub-Saharan Africa, targeted killings and abductions by Islamist militants have surged, while in the Middle East, communities like those in Iraq and Syria have dwindled by 90% due to genocide-level atrocities by groups such as ISIS. Tragically, these horrors rarely dominate mainstream news cycles, overshadowed by other geopolitical narratives, leaving the suffering of our brothers and sisters in faith largely unseen and unaddressed.

In the West, we’re witnessing a parallel rise: the same undercurrents of animosity toward conservative and religious perspectives are bubbling to the surface, manifesting in protests, media bias, and now outright violence. Initiatives like Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint, have drawn fierce opposition from leftist groups, some labeling its backers as hate-mongers, further fueling division.

As Catholics, we’re called to respond not with reciprocal rage but with prayer, forgiveness, and a steadfast commitment to truth. Kirk’s assassination serves as a stark reminder that hatred unchecked leads to destruction, echoing the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life and the need for dialogue over division. In these turbulent times, I pray for healing—for Kirk’s family, for our nation, and for a world where faith isn’t a flashpoint for violence but a beacon of hope. May we all strive to understand this darkness, not to succumb to it, but to illuminate it with Christ’s light.