Subtitle: Is the movement of God different than the beliefs and objectives of the organization?

Excerpt: Is the movement of God different than the beliefs and objectives of the organization?

Author: Jeff Hilles

We received a fundraising letter in the mail from Turning Point USA. It included a cover letter, which is the featured image of this post. Also included inside the envelope was a contribution form (double-sided), which is shown below. A few observations of note ….

The letter written for or by Erika Kirk began with the words, “thoughts, prayers, and most of all, their love for Charlie and the impact he had on them.” The letter went on to say that “we will continue Charlie’s mission and spread Turning Point USA even further than he imagined … The evildoers who took Charlie’s life … tried to silence the national movement he built and his message of patriotism, of faith, and of God’s merciful love … Charlie wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith. Please don’t lose your faith in this movement, and remember that our God is so good.“

As a Biblical Christian and a patriot of this great country (patriotism is not the same as nationalism), the copy above seems in line with my worldview. A bit too much on the side of politics over Christianity, but ok … I get that it is set for a broad audience of conservatives, not exclusively Christians.

So then I look at the front side of the donation form ….

No problem here. Just another fundraising request. However, I will say that what is hidden behind the gray rectangle is our home address … but not even close to our correct names. Someone mixed up the order of the name and address, and I hope it doesn’t involve a significant number of repeating out-of-sync errors … But here is the real issue …

This is where it gets interesting. When it comes to the Mission, the Vision, their Principles and even their Beliefs …

The word “God” or “Jesus Christ” cannot be found.

It’s no longer about “prayers,” “faith,” “God’s merciful love” or even the simplistic … “God is good.” Instead, it’s about “free markets,” “limited government,” “conservative debate,” and “fiscal responsibility.”

What was most disturbing to me were the Turning Point “Beliefs” …

• The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world.
• The United States Constitution is the most exceptional political document ever written.
• Capitalism is the most moral and proven economic system ever discovered.

For secular conservatives these “Beliefs” are like candy, and for liberals like bile. But for born-again Christians, these “Beliefs” are a mixture of disappointment at best, and absolute repulsiveness at worst. For comparison, the core beliefs of this publication can be seen here.

Ironically, on the same day we received the fundraising letter from Erika, we also found a Newsmax subscription promotion in our mailbox. It targeted a relationship with Charlie Kirk and focused not on politics, which is the heart of Newsmax, but on Charlie’s Biblical Christian worldview and how it impacted TPUSA.

Where is Erika taking Turning Point USA? She is not afraid to use Christian trigger words in her cover letter, but the mission, vision, principles, and especially beliefs leave God and Christ totally out of the equation.

Was that Charlie Kirk’s message as well?

Turning Point USA Website

I will admit that prior to his death I knew of Charlie Kirk but did not have a clear picture of what he stood for. When one goes to the TPUSA website today, it is very light on information related to the ongoing direction of the movement and heavy on fundraising. Further, their “About” page still shows Charlie as the head of the organization and, surprisingly, Erika as the ONLY board member MISSING from the list. One has to dig another layer down to see Erika as even being on the board as its sixth member. The “Our Beliefs” section of the website is a repeat of the backside (not the front side) of the fundraising form …

• The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world.
• The United States Constitution is the most exceptional political document ever written.
• Capitalism is the most moral and proven economic system ever discovered.

Further, their goals on “What We Strive To Do” lists the following, strictly secular and political objectives …

• Educate – Educate students about the importance of freedom, free markets, and limited government. With innovative marketing techniques and strategic outreach methods, TPUSA has expanded our presence to include 3,500 high school and college campuses nationwide.
• Identify – Identify student activists across the country who believe in limited government and individual liberty.
• Empower – Empower young activists to get involved in the fight for free markets and limited government. Through building strong campus networks, organizing conferences, and equipping activists with the knowledge and strategies needed to combat the left, TPUSA empowers young people to make a difference within their community.
• Organize – Organize young activists in chapters and networks across the country. TPUSA believes there is strength in organization, and our activists work tirelessly to build grassroots networks on every high school and college campus in America.
• Mobilize – Mobilize students who believe in free markets. TPUSA mobilizes its networks to get involved in activism, issue advocacy, public policy education, and grassroots organization.
• Register – Register students to vote. TPUSA has helped thousands of college students apply for voter registration and access absentee ballots.

These are the beliefs of a conservative political activist organization, not a Biblical Christian evangelistic ministry, and there seems to be no attempt to balance these two worldviews.

Ending on a Positive Note for the Biblical Christian

If one runs a search of the TPUSA website, there are a number of Christian articles and editorials on the Bible, God, and Jesus buried in the background, under the weight of political activism. No plan of salvation that I could uncover, but definitely a willingness to express Biblical Christian beliefs … And perhaps that is an illustration of how God is working through this growing movement.

Perhaps Erika and even Charlie were focused on fostering capitalism and open political dialogue in America more than Christianity and salvation. The local chapters are growing exponentially, and even though the “human” leadership navigating this growth may not be espousing purely Biblical theology, they are pressing Christian values and morality.

Finally, and much more importantly, it would seem from the overwhelming public expression of Christian revival surrounding Turning Point that God may be actively working in the midst, using what was intended for politics for His own purposes. And that is quite amazing, if not unsurprising.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28