Why turning the other cheek won't stop the godless left

The image was unforgettable.

A grieving widow, standing before thousands, chose not to curse the darkness before her. Erika Kirk spoke words of grace instead of vengeance, forgiving the man who allegedly gunned down her husband. Days earlier in California, the family of slain pastor Felipe Ascencio had done the same, turning the other cheek even as sorrow filled the air.

This is not politics guided by conscience. It's ideology married to contempt, unmoored from God, and unashamed of evil.

Two funerals. Two acts of radical mercy. In an age of rage, such restraint is astonishing.

Forgive, but resist

This deserves respect. In a culture where cruelty passes for cleverness and malice poses as morality, forgiveness stands out like a candle in the night. It is not weakness but strength, drawn from God and lived in public. It recalls Saint Stephen praying for his killers and Christ forgiving from the cross.

To forgive when the mob demands fury is its own form of defiance. It unsettles a culture addicted to vengeance. But forgiveness is not a shield. Mercy eases the wound, but it does not stop the next bullet.

That's the truth conservatives must face.

We are not dealing with decent opponents who stumble now and then. We are dealing with a godless left that sees mercy as impotence. Leftists do not mourn their enemies; they mock them. Scroll through their comments after a killing — laughter, sneers, excuses. Watch their pundits explain why the victim had it coming.

This is not politics guided by conscience. It's ideology married to contempt, unmoored from God, and unashamed of evil.

Forgiveness is holy. But when it's met with ridicule, it signals that more blood can be spilled without cost. A movement that forgives but never fortifies will not survive. A church that turns the cheek but never guards the body will be broken. This age does not admire meekness; it exploits it. And those who delight in Charlie Kirk’s death will not be moved by hymns or prayers. They will be encouraged by them if nothing else follows.

So what next?

First, vigilance. Christians can no longer assume that sharing a country means sharing values. That illusion has been broken for years. Many Americans share a land, yet dream of different nations. In media, schools, and politics, hostility to faith, family, and country is open and unapologetic. The hatred is plain, and the influence is real.

To look away is to invite defeat.

Second, unity. The left thrives on division within the right, and too often it prevails. Grudges, disputes, and rivalries weaken those who should be standing shoulder to shoulder. A fractured right is an easy target.

RELATED: How Erika Kirk answered the hardest question of all

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Third, cultural strength. Politics follows culture, and culture is where the left has won most ground. Leftists control classrooms, newsrooms, and streaming services, the feeds in every young person’s pocket. They shape imaginations before ballots are ever cast. To counter this, those on the right cannot retreat into nostalgia. They must build schools that teach truth, create art that uplifts, and support media that speaks with honesty about faith, family, and country.

Culture shapes politics, and if culture is lost, the future is lost.

Fourth, law and governance. Forgiveness mends hearts, but law restrains hands. A society that refuses to punish evil guarantees more of it. Prayers for the dead are not enough. There must be laws that protect churches, policies that guard families, courts that resist ideological pressure. To love an enemy does not mean allowing him to wage war.

This is not a call to violence but a call to clarity.

Steadfast in mercy — and might

History shows that kindness alone cannot conquer wickedness. Rome admired the martyrs, yet still threw them to the lions. Emperors preached justice while crucifixions lined the roads. Popes spoke of humility while selling indulgences. Dictators praised virtue while locking believers in prisons. Across ages and empires, evil has never yielded to gentle words. It retreats only before courage, conviction, and steadfast resistance.

Forgive your enemy, but do not let him rule your household. Pray for his soul, but do not let his ideology shape your child’s classroom. Bless those who curse you, but do not hand them the levers of power they would use to curse your grandchildren.

Erika Kirk’s words lifted eyes to heaven and shamed a culture of retribution. But if her forgiveness is mistaken for a strategy, we will see more widows, more orphans, and more funerals. Forgiveness is a balm, not a barricade. The barricade must be built by all decent Americans — through faith, family, unity, vigilance, and cultural strength.

Two thousand years ago, Christ carried the cross and conquered death. Today, his followers are called to carry their own. Sometimes that means granting grace where none is earned. Sometimes it means resisting a culture sinking into decay.

Always, it means standing firm — steadfast in mercy, steady in might — until right overcomes wrong and heaven defeats hell.