Liberalism, Leftism, and the Crisis of Christian Complicity

I usually strive to stay in my lane as a philosophically inclined theologian. I don’t go looking for political fights. But when politics swerves into my lane of theology (which includes questions of truth, objective morality, ethics, and justice) I have a responsibility to address it head-on.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a wake-up call for many. It showed us what happens when bad ideas, left unchecked, harden into evil actions. Evil thoughts, beliefs, and ideas eventually manifest themselves into physical reality. That is why theology and philosophy cannot avoid what many call “politics.” When politics collides with truth, the Church must not remain silent.

Liberalism vs. Leftism

It's vital to make an important distinction. Liberalism is not the same thing as Leftism.

Classical liberals — people like Bill Maher, Joe Rogan, and even Elon Musk — are not classical conservatives, but they still value free speech, reasoned debate, and personal responsibility (which conservatives also value). You can argue with them, and they’ll argue back, but they’re not trying to burn down the foundations of Western civilization (the culture which has been based upon the Law of Christ and the influence of Christianity).

Leftism, however, is different. Leftism sees the world through an oppressor–oppressed lens. Leftism justifies censorship, coercion, indoctrination, and even violence in the name of “liberation.” It despises the nuclear family, mocks God, and seeks to redefine morality itself.

And here is the problem: the modern Democrat Party has been hijacked by Leftists. This is why people like Bill Maher (who has been a liberal Democrat his entire life) now openly opposes what his own party has become. This is why Joe Rogan and Elon Musk have now used their influence to oppose the modern-day Democrat machine.

The Weight of the Evidence

The policies advanced by the modern Democrat Party aren’t simply misguided — they are objectively evil. Dr. Robert A.J. Gagnon has catalogued many of them. Here’s a non-exhaustive list:

• Life & Family

  • State-sponsored child abuse via chemical castration and surgical mutilation of confused minors.

  • An unhindered death cult of abortion for all 9 months (including infanticide for babies who survive botched abortions).

  • State abduction of children if parents do not affirm a child’s “LGBTQ” identification.

  • The scandal and harm to females of putting males in female-only spaces (bathrooms, showers, shelters, prisons, and sports).

  • Forced “LGBTQ+” indoctrination in schools, with threats to parental rights, education, and employment.

  • The legalization of school officials lying to parents about their child’s “trans” identity and use of hormones.

• Freedom & Justice

  • A radical reduction of free speech and free exercise of religion (including compelled speech).

  • The weaponization of the Justice Department to attack states and individuals that oppose abortion or gender ideology.

  • Jailing of pro-life protestors and whistleblowers at hospitals mutilating minors.

  • Using a parent’s non-support for their child’s “LGBTQ+” identification as grounds to deny custody in divorce cases.

• Governance & Society

  • Massive election manipulation through illegal immigration designed to secure one-party dominance.

  • Nomination of activist judges who legislate radical policies from the bench.

  • Disarming the population (a typical move of dictators).

  • Higher inflation and ballooning national debt through expansion of the welfare state.

Taken individually, any one of these evils would be enough to justify resistance. But together, they form a tidal wave of destruction upon our neighbors.

Philosopher Chad McIntosh put it bluntly:

“One side euphorically supports butchering babies. One side celebrates genital mutilation of children and gender psychosis. One side supports open-border madness. One side supports soft-on-crime and drug policies that are destroying lives and communities. One side hates the traditional family. One side despises God’s designs, and jeers at prayer. One side is giddy about how a man just had his carotid artery blown up in front of his wife and kids. One side is living in a morally inverted universe.

If you are a Christian and are still pretending to be above politics and tisk tisk ‘both sides’ … you are a coward, and need to repent. Sooner or later God will cut you down.”

Amen to that! I've seen too many evangelical pastors "tisk tisk" both sides -- as if one side is not demonstrably satanic. This is pastoral malpractice.

Violence and Leftist Philosophy

Some supposed Christian leaders will say, “Both sides commit violence.” But this is misleading. Ashley West explained the difference well:

“If people on the right endorse or commit gratuitous political violence, it is dissonant with their own philosophy. The philosophy of the right affirms law and order, the sanctity of life, and stability. Violence of that kind betrays those commitments. The problem the left has is that for them, violence is a consequence of their beliefs. Their framework begins with the premise that society is pervaded by structural injustice, and therefore, ‘liberation’ can justify almost any means. Once you accept that premise, violence is inevitable. That’s why they defend abortion, advocate irreversible surgeries on minors, expand assisted suicide, and celebrate as deserved when people like Charlie Kirk … are assassinated.

Gratuitous political violence is not incidental to their philosophy but intrinsic. On the right, it is hypocrisy. On the left, it is fulfillment. There is no moral equivalence.”

West is exactly right: violence on the right betrays its values; violence on the left fulfills its values. That is a profound difference.

We saw this contrast in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death compared to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Months of so-called “mostly peaceful” riots in 2020 brought looting, arson, violent attacks, and even deaths — all in the name of “equity.”

If conservatives ever had a reason to riot, it would be now. A beloved leader was assassinated in cold blood for speaking the truth. And yet — what do we see? Not looting. Not chaos. Not anarchy in the streets. We see prayer vigils. We see worship. We see Christians on their knees.

We are not the same. Leftist ideology justifies violence when it doesn’t get its way. Conservatism, by contrast, is grounded in law, order, and the recognition of God-given, objective, and unalienable human rights.

The Campus Battleground

Robert A.J. Gagnon has observed the double standard on America’s campuses:

“Charlie Kirk died of an assassin's bullet to his neck. I blame the Left, not just this lone assassin. Even in reporting on Kirk being shot, the leftist media couldn’t help themselves, referring to Kirk as ‘divisive’ and ‘polarizing’ without any self-awareness that he was expressing views held by at least half the country.

Every kind of Leftist imaginable speaks at college campuses around the country every single day of the year. Nearly all the college professors on college campuses are left to hard-left. They run no danger of being shot. But a conservative who speaks on campus puts his or her life at risk.

They are called ‘divisive’ (as if a Leftist is not divisive), ‘hateful, ignorant bigots,’ and a ‘threat’ to students. This has got to stop. And the Left bears full responsibility for campus violence, calling any speech that differs from their hard-left sexual and racial agenda ‘hate speech.’”

Charlie’s death was not a random act. It was the predictable fruit of a culture that demonizes dissent and sanctifies violence as “justice.” This double standard has festered for years — Charlie’s death simply revealed its deadly fruit.

The Biblical Argument

Here is the heart of the matter:

1. Christians are commanded to suppress evil, defend the oppressed, and love their neighbors.

   • Romans 12:21; Proverbs 31:9; Isaiah 1:17; Galatians 5:14

2. If a Christian uses their power to advance the evil policies of the current Democrat Party—which bring literal death and destruction upon our neighbors—they have failed to suppress evil, defend the oppressed, and love their neighbors.

   • Ephesians 5:11; James 4:17; Leviticus 5:1

3. Therefore, any Christian who uses their power to advance the radically evil policies of the modern Democrat Party has failed to suppress evil, defend the oppressed, and love their neighbors.

   • Isaiah 58:1; Bonhoeffer: “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

This isn’t just about voting. It’s about what we post on social media. It’s about what pastors do (or don’t do) in the pulpit. It’s about where we spend our money, and which movements we align with. Silence or complicity advances evil just as surely as a ballot cast.

With this in mind, and on a personal note, last year I stated that it was impossible for an informed and consistent Christ follower to align with the modern-day Democrat Party. I was ultimately excommunicated from my church family (where I was employed as a pastor for a decade) for taking that stand, but I still stand by every word.

One side is advancing what could only be described as satanic evil.

Wake up!

A Call to Christians in the Democrat Party

If you are a Christ-follower who remains registered in the Democrat Party, you cannot be both informed and consistent while aligning with what your party has become. You may think you’re standing in the tradition of JFK, but that party no longer exists. It was killed by woke Leftism.

So where does that leave you now? Well, you have a moral obligation to speak out. You cannot stay silent. To remain complicit is to betray the very command of Christ to love your neighbor.

As Isaiah 1:17 declares: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.”

Closing

The Democrat Party has been hijacked by Leftism, and Leftism is at war with God’s designs, with objective truth, with the family, and with the Church. Christians must not help advance its agenda.

We must grieve the evil around us, but not as those without hope. Christ is still King. The gospel is still true. And we are still called to be salt and light in a dark world.

So speak up. Refuse to be silent. Do not advance evil. Love your neighbor by defending them.

Evil thought it could silence Charlie Kirk. But his message lives on — and so does our calling.

Stay reasonable (Isaiah 1:18),

Dr. Tim Stratton