Turning Point USA
May 7, 2026
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The following is expanded from the edition that was first published in Friday Church News Notes, September 26, 2025:
Turning Point USA is a powerful conservative political organization that is doing good on that front, but God’s people need to beware of the organization’s radical ecumenism and its one-world church building agenda. It is not merely a political organization, and Turning Point ecumenism is potentially harmful for Bible-believing homes and churches. Turning Point USA is a bridge to every heresy in the “wider church” today, including a sacramental gospel, Mariolatry, the papacy, priestcraft, theistic evolution, process salvation, universalism, new Reformed Calvinism, cultural liberalism, and contemplative prayer.
Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA and Turning Point Faith, youth influencer, religious unifier, and conservative political activist, was assassinated while speaking at a large outdoor forum at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. His death produced a massive outpouring of attention, both negative and positive. His body was transported from Utah in Air Force Two accompanied by Vice President J.D. Vance. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring Kirk. The American flag was flown at half staff across the nation. A memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, drew 100,000 and was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and other government officials.
Following are some of our thoughts on this:
We were deeply saddened by Kirk’s murder. His calm, compassionate, conservative, unifying voice was silenced by a deluded man with a wicked agenda. Kirk was a remarkable young man.
We are reminded of the depravity of America’s moral character. This is evident by the vicious murder itself, as well as by the many voices that were raised in support of the murder (including large numbers of men and women in the military). Nothing President Trump does will change the vile moral character of America or protect the nation from God’s judgment. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
Charlie Kirk did not preach hate. It was widely stated among his opponents, especially by those who gloated in his death, that he preached hate. One student said, “A lot of my friends that day were like, ‘Well, I feel like I’m happy that Charlie Kirk is dead, but then I also feel guilty that I feel that way.’ I think a lot of it is just he was spreading so much hate, misinformation, encouraging violence, and so I think that in this scenario, a lot of people were not necessarily happy that he died but happy that his voice was silenced” (“Happy That His Voice Was Silenced,” Washington Times, Sept. 23, 2025). This is false and dangerous thinking. To hold to traditional marriage, to a biblical view of male and female, to liberty of speech and liberty of religion, to law and order, to second amendment rights, is not hate! Those who think like this are brainwashed and deceived.
The spirit of sodomy is spreading globally. We see the same characteristics today as in Scripture (Genesis 18-19). Sodomy is vile, unreasonable, oppressive, angry, violent, and destructive. Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, was the “lover” of a homosexual man “transitioning to a woman.”
The internet is gravely dangerous, as is the online gaming world. The internet is an unprecedented communication tool that is an instrument for much good, but it is also a jungle of error, heresy, and nuttiness, and a cesspool of moral depravity. “Markings on [Robinson’s] bullet casings point to a dark movement in meme culture--where young people fantasise about disrupting and destroying the world through chaos. ... Many perpetrators of modern violence are young men embedded in intense online communities such as Twitch and 4chan--where many memes originate” (“The sinister role of ‘black pilling,’” Independent UK, Sept. 19, 2025). Robinson’s family said he changed over a short period of time through depraved, nihilistic internet influences. Utah Governor Spencer Cox warned of Robinson’s links to gaming and the “dark internet,” which he called “poison.” He said the “radicalization began amid video games, Discord chats, Reddit forums, and obscure memes” (“Reddit culture,” El Pais, Sept. 16, 2025). By social media, skillful recruiters of various persuasions actively seek to propagandize young people and lead them into hateful, violent views. They have their own in-house terminology and memes. They dehumanize their enemies. They use “dark and sarcastic humor.” “At the same time, social media algorithms function to shunt users into ever more sensational content” (“Kirk shooting suspect,” The Conversation, Sept. 16, 2025). This is a loud wakeup call for churches to take effective measures to protect their members from the grave dangers of the internet.
From a political conservative viewpoint and even a general religious viewpoint, Kirk’s assassination might result in the growth of conservative thinking among young people and some element of “spiritual” awakening (though probably not biblical regeneration). Charlie’s wife, Erika, said in an interview that since the assassination they have received tens of thousands of requests to form Turning Point ministries on campuses across America.
We must warn about the Kirk’s Christianity and Turning Point’s broad tent ecumenism. “TPUSA Faith exists to unite the Church around primary doctrine...” Charlie was associated with Dream City Church in Phoenix, a rock & roll congregation that is part of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination that believes a born again child of God can lose his salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience to be sought subsequent to salvation and is evidenced by tongues speaking, and physical healing is promised because of Christ’s atonement. Charlie allowed for theistic evolution and the days of Genesis as long ages (“Charlie Kirk educating Bible haters,” Daily Dose of Wisdom, YouTube).
Charlie Kirk’s memorial service featured Christian rock, which is ecumenical, charismatic, mystical, immodest, and conformed to the world. The music went on for about two and a half hours! One song, “The Blessing,” consisted largely of the word “amen” sung repeatedly for many minutes. We’ve heard of “7/11 music,” which refers to seven words sung 11 times, but this was 1 word sung 35 times! If this is not “vain repetition,” I don’t know what is (Matthew 6:7). This empty-minded, hypnotic type of thing creates the emotional experience sought by charismatic worshipers. There were 100 million streams in the first 24 hours, so there is no doubt that this event will increase the influence of contemporary Christian music. Unsaved people can be attracted by it because it is the world’s music and the lyrics typically don’t deal with “negative” Bible truths such as repentance, judgment, testing, discernment, contending for the faith, or separation. (See The Satanic Attack on Sacred Music free videos at the Videos section of www.wayoflife.org.)
Turning Point USA and the Roman Catholic Church. Turning Point’s doctrinal platform is so narrow and weak, in fact, that it encompasses the Roman Catholic Church. “Kirk’s wife is Catholic and for the last few months of his life he had been attending Mass with her” (“Charlie Kirk and the Catholic Church,” The American Catholic, Sept. 14, 2025). Erika Kirk was educated at Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Catholic News Agency said “Charlie Kirk was ‘this close’ to becoming Catholic” (Sept. 19, 2025). There is a photo online of him attending mass (“Charlie Kirk showed deep respect toward Catholic faith,” Catholic Vote, Sept. 11, 2025). The Catholic mass is a heretical abomination whereby the blessed wafer, the host, allegedly becomes the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ by the instrumentality of the priestly ritual. The host is kept in a tabernacle or a monstrance and worshiped as Christ. The mass was called “a re-sacrifice of Christ” by the Second Vatican Council. “For in it Christ perpetuates in an unbloody manner the sacrifice offered on the cross, offering himself to the Father for the world’s salvation through the ministry of priests” (Vatican Council II, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery, Introduction, C 1, 2). Kirk wore a “Saint Michael the Archangel Pendant,” which is now worn by Erika (Breitbart, Sept. 21, 2025).
A video clip on the Turning Point Facebook page for April 2026, with 354,000 views as of May 1, 2026, features a 10-year-old boy at a Turning Point forum addressing Turning Point leaders Michael Knowles and Matt Walsh, both Roman Catholics. The boy says, “I wanna be a priest when I grow up, and I want to ask what would your advice be?” The Turning Point leaders respond with clapping and double thumbs up. They said, “That’s great news. ... It’s a wonderful thing. Why do you want to be a priest?” The boy replies, “Because God is calling me.” The Turning Point men respond, “Awesome! Awesome! That’s beautiful. This is really great. This is wonderful. ... [When you meet a 10-year-old] who wants to serve God and be a priest, you just say, ‘We’re gonna make it. [Loud shouting and clapping by the audience.] ... As for advice, continue to ask God for direction and keep following. ... Out of the mouth of babes, this is exactly what TPUSA is about. It is exactly what Charlie [Kirk] was doing. It’s one of the most beautiful answers I have heard at any event.”
Scripture warns of the development of apostasy through the church age with an explosion of false Christianity at the end of the age, which is exactly where we are and exactly what we see. God’s Word forbids God’s redeemed people to join hands with false Christianity for any purpose, not for evangelism, not for anti-abortion crusades, not for politics, etc. In a major passage describing and warning of the apostasy (2 Timothy 3-4), the apostle Paul said, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Ti. 3:5). If you encounter professing Christians who don’t hold a sound gospel, don’t have biblical evidence of the new birth, don’t hold to infallible Scripture, add tradition to the same authority as Scripture, etc., turn away from them. See also Acts 20:28-31; Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-19; Philippians 3:17-19; Ephesians 5:8-11; Colossians 2:8, 18; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:16-21; 3:3-4; 2 Peter 2; Jude 1:3-23; Revelation 2:2, 14-15.
Broad tent evangelical ministries such as Turning Point USA do some good, but in the end they are building the one-world church and are bridges to every heresy that exists in our day. Beware! Christ has already assigned the business of His redeemed people for this age, and it is the Great Commission and the New Testament church (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Timothy 3:15). It is impossible to obey Christ’s Great Commission (“teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”) while joining hands with apostasy.
We appreciate any good thing in ministries such as Turning Point, but we are going to obey God’s Word and mark and avoid error (Romans 16:17) and give our full attention to proclaiming and obeying the whole counsel of God. The Lord Jesus Christ has given our marching orders to the end of the age. We refuse to join hands with any remnant of the apostasy, even if it is labeled “evangelical,” for a political agenda or any other purpose.
A large percentage of fundamental Baptists are getting weaker in their thinking on biblical separation through association with evangelical ministries and engagement in conservative politics.
For extensive evidence of what is happening in evangelicalism, see EVANGELICALISM AND THE GREAT APOSTASY at the Books section of www.wayoflife.org. This course consists of a textbook, video classes, PowerPoints, review questions, and tests. See especially the segments “Evangelicalism a Bridge to Dangerous Waters.”
Turning Point USA is a powerful conservative political organization that is doing good on that front, but God’s people need to beware of the organization’s radical ecumenism and its one-world church building agenda. It is not merely a political organization, and Turning Point ecumenism is potentially harmful for Bible-believing homes and churches. Turning Point USA is a bridge to every heresy in the “wider church” today, including a sacramental gospel, Mariolatry, the papacy, priestcraft, theistic evolution, process salvation, universalism, new Reformed Calvinism, cultural liberalism, and contemplative prayer.
Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA and Turning Point Faith, youth influencer, religious unifier, and conservative political activist, was assassinated while speaking at a large outdoor forum at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. His death produced a massive outpouring of attention, both negative and positive. His body was transported from Utah in Air Force Two accompanied by Vice President J.D. Vance. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring Kirk. The American flag was flown at half staff across the nation. A memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, drew 100,000 and was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and other government officials.
Following are some of our thoughts on this:
We were deeply saddened by Kirk’s murder. His calm, compassionate, conservative, unifying voice was silenced by a deluded man with a wicked agenda. Kirk was a remarkable young man.
We are reminded of the depravity of America’s moral character. This is evident by the vicious murder itself, as well as by the many voices that were raised in support of the murder (including large numbers of men and women in the military). Nothing President Trump does will change the vile moral character of America or protect the nation from God’s judgment. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
Charlie Kirk did not preach hate. It was widely stated among his opponents, especially by those who gloated in his death, that he preached hate. One student said, “A lot of my friends that day were like, ‘Well, I feel like I’m happy that Charlie Kirk is dead, but then I also feel guilty that I feel that way.’ I think a lot of it is just he was spreading so much hate, misinformation, encouraging violence, and so I think that in this scenario, a lot of people were not necessarily happy that he died but happy that his voice was silenced” (“Happy That His Voice Was Silenced,” Washington Times, Sept. 23, 2025). This is false and dangerous thinking. To hold to traditional marriage, to a biblical view of male and female, to liberty of speech and liberty of religion, to law and order, to second amendment rights, is not hate! Those who think like this are brainwashed and deceived.
The spirit of sodomy is spreading globally. We see the same characteristics today as in Scripture (Genesis 18-19). Sodomy is vile, unreasonable, oppressive, angry, violent, and destructive. Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, was the “lover” of a homosexual man “transitioning to a woman.”
The internet is gravely dangerous, as is the online gaming world. The internet is an unprecedented communication tool that is an instrument for much good, but it is also a jungle of error, heresy, and nuttiness, and a cesspool of moral depravity. “Markings on [Robinson’s] bullet casings point to a dark movement in meme culture--where young people fantasise about disrupting and destroying the world through chaos. ... Many perpetrators of modern violence are young men embedded in intense online communities such as Twitch and 4chan--where many memes originate” (“The sinister role of ‘black pilling,’” Independent UK, Sept. 19, 2025). Robinson’s family said he changed over a short period of time through depraved, nihilistic internet influences. Utah Governor Spencer Cox warned of Robinson’s links to gaming and the “dark internet,” which he called “poison.” He said the “radicalization began amid video games, Discord chats, Reddit forums, and obscure memes” (“Reddit culture,” El Pais, Sept. 16, 2025). By social media, skillful recruiters of various persuasions actively seek to propagandize young people and lead them into hateful, violent views. They have their own in-house terminology and memes. They dehumanize their enemies. They use “dark and sarcastic humor.” “At the same time, social media algorithms function to shunt users into ever more sensational content” (“Kirk shooting suspect,” The Conversation, Sept. 16, 2025). This is a loud wakeup call for churches to take effective measures to protect their members from the grave dangers of the internet.
From a political conservative viewpoint and even a general religious viewpoint, Kirk’s assassination might result in the growth of conservative thinking among young people and some element of “spiritual” awakening (though probably not biblical regeneration). Charlie’s wife, Erika, said in an interview that since the assassination they have received tens of thousands of requests to form Turning Point ministries on campuses across America.
We must warn about the Kirk’s Christianity and Turning Point’s broad tent ecumenism. “TPUSA Faith exists to unite the Church around primary doctrine...” Charlie was associated with Dream City Church in Phoenix, a rock & roll congregation that is part of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination that believes a born again child of God can lose his salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience to be sought subsequent to salvation and is evidenced by tongues speaking, and physical healing is promised because of Christ’s atonement. Charlie allowed for theistic evolution and the days of Genesis as long ages (“Charlie Kirk educating Bible haters,” Daily Dose of Wisdom, YouTube).
Charlie Kirk’s memorial service featured Christian rock, which is ecumenical, charismatic, mystical, immodest, and conformed to the world. The music went on for about two and a half hours! One song, “The Blessing,” consisted largely of the word “amen” sung repeatedly for many minutes. We’ve heard of “7/11 music,” which refers to seven words sung 11 times, but this was 1 word sung 35 times! If this is not “vain repetition,” I don’t know what is (Matthew 6:7). This empty-minded, hypnotic type of thing creates the emotional experience sought by charismatic worshipers. There were 100 million streams in the first 24 hours, so there is no doubt that this event will increase the influence of contemporary Christian music. Unsaved people can be attracted by it because it is the world’s music and the lyrics typically don’t deal with “negative” Bible truths such as repentance, judgment, testing, discernment, contending for the faith, or separation. (See The Satanic Attack on Sacred Music free videos at the Videos section of www.wayoflife.org.)
Turning Point USA and the Roman Catholic Church. Turning Point’s doctrinal platform is so narrow and weak, in fact, that it encompasses the Roman Catholic Church. “Kirk’s wife is Catholic and for the last few months of his life he had been attending Mass with her” (“Charlie Kirk and the Catholic Church,” The American Catholic, Sept. 14, 2025). Erika Kirk was educated at Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Catholic News Agency said “Charlie Kirk was ‘this close’ to becoming Catholic” (Sept. 19, 2025). There is a photo online of him attending mass (“Charlie Kirk showed deep respect toward Catholic faith,” Catholic Vote, Sept. 11, 2025). The Catholic mass is a heretical abomination whereby the blessed wafer, the host, allegedly becomes the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ by the instrumentality of the priestly ritual. The host is kept in a tabernacle or a monstrance and worshiped as Christ. The mass was called “a re-sacrifice of Christ” by the Second Vatican Council. “For in it Christ perpetuates in an unbloody manner the sacrifice offered on the cross, offering himself to the Father for the world’s salvation through the ministry of priests” (Vatican Council II, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery, Introduction, C 1, 2). Kirk wore a “Saint Michael the Archangel Pendant,” which is now worn by Erika (Breitbart, Sept. 21, 2025).
A video clip on the Turning Point Facebook page for April 2026, with 354,000 views as of May 1, 2026, features a 10-year-old boy at a Turning Point forum addressing Turning Point leaders Michael Knowles and Matt Walsh, both Roman Catholics. The boy says, “I wanna be a priest when I grow up, and I want to ask what would your advice be?” The Turning Point leaders respond with clapping and double thumbs up. They said, “That’s great news. ... It’s a wonderful thing. Why do you want to be a priest?” The boy replies, “Because God is calling me.” The Turning Point men respond, “Awesome! Awesome! That’s beautiful. This is really great. This is wonderful. ... [When you meet a 10-year-old] who wants to serve God and be a priest, you just say, ‘We’re gonna make it. [Loud shouting and clapping by the audience.] ... As for advice, continue to ask God for direction and keep following. ... Out of the mouth of babes, this is exactly what TPUSA is about. It is exactly what Charlie [Kirk] was doing. It’s one of the most beautiful answers I have heard at any event.”
Scripture warns of the development of apostasy through the church age with an explosion of false Christianity at the end of the age, which is exactly where we are and exactly what we see. God’s Word forbids God’s redeemed people to join hands with false Christianity for any purpose, not for evangelism, not for anti-abortion crusades, not for politics, etc. In a major passage describing and warning of the apostasy (2 Timothy 3-4), the apostle Paul said, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Ti. 3:5). If you encounter professing Christians who don’t hold a sound gospel, don’t have biblical evidence of the new birth, don’t hold to infallible Scripture, add tradition to the same authority as Scripture, etc., turn away from them. See also Acts 20:28-31; Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-19; Philippians 3:17-19; Ephesians 5:8-11; Colossians 2:8, 18; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:16-21; 3:3-4; 2 Peter 2; Jude 1:3-23; Revelation 2:2, 14-15.
Broad tent evangelical ministries such as Turning Point USA do some good, but in the end they are building the one-world church and are bridges to every heresy that exists in our day. Beware! Christ has already assigned the business of His redeemed people for this age, and it is the Great Commission and the New Testament church (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Timothy 3:15). It is impossible to obey Christ’s Great Commission (“teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”) while joining hands with apostasy.
We appreciate any good thing in ministries such as Turning Point, but we are going to obey God’s Word and mark and avoid error (Romans 16:17) and give our full attention to proclaiming and obeying the whole counsel of God. The Lord Jesus Christ has given our marching orders to the end of the age. We refuse to join hands with any remnant of the apostasy, even if it is labeled “evangelical,” for a political agenda or any other purpose.
A large percentage of fundamental Baptists are getting weaker in their thinking on biblical separation through association with evangelical ministries and engagement in conservative politics.
For extensive evidence of what is happening in evangelicalism, see EVANGELICALISM AND THE GREAT APOSTASY at the Books section of www.wayoflife.org. This course consists of a textbook, video classes, PowerPoints, review questions, and tests. See especially the segments “Evangelicalism a Bridge to Dangerous Waters.”
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