Podcast Summary: "Thank You Charlie for Mixing Faith and Politics"

Podcast: I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST
Date: September 26, 2025
Hosts: Alisa Childers & Natasha Crain (filling in for Dr. Frank Turek)

Main Theme

This episode tackles the intersection of faith and politics in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, focusing on personal reflections, false narratives around “Christian nationalism,” and the urgent need for Christian engagement in culture and politics. Alisa Childers and Natasha Crain discuss the chain reaction of revival and public discourse sparked by Kirk’s death, address media criticisms about the "marriage of church and state," and encourage Christians to act boldly and biblically in the public square.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Reflections After Charlie Kirk’s Death

• Initial reactions and convictions:
  • Natasha reflects on her tendency to idolize careful precision in her ministry and fear of speaking extemporaneously, contrasted with Charlie Kirk’s boldness.
    • “He got out there and his goal wasn't to not be precise, but he was willing to get out there and share truth and engage with people in these real time conversations. Not afraid that every single word was going to be in some way perfect. He prioritized getting the truth out over his own personal safety.” — Natasha (01:37)
  • Both hosts express gratitude for the revival and renewed hunger for faith occurring nationwide.
    • “I'm so grateful for God's mercy on me. ... The Lord just started convicting me of things in my own heart.” — Alisa (03:52)
  • Both speak of conviction to repent, increased courage, and boldness stirred by Kirk’s example.

2. Revival and Cultural Impact

• Signs of widespread revival and repentance
  • Alisa shares stories about people turning to Jesus, including personal acquaintances.
  • Emphasizes true revival as repentance and transformed lives, not just emotional worship.

3. Dangers of the “Words are Violence” Narrative & Cultural Worldview Clash

• Critique of the “oppressed vs. oppressor” mindset
  • Alisa argues that Marxist ideas have overtaken large portions of culture, fueling conflict and justifying violence.
    • “The solution to that ideology is not reconciliation, it's not unity, ... it's a theory of conflict. ... If words are violence, then violence becomes a justifiable response to words.” — Alisa (07:14)
• Elon Musk’s observation
  • “Charlie was killed for showing people the light and he was killed by the dark.” — Elon Musk, cited by Alisa (09:03)
  • Hosts remark on the clarity of non-Christian voices seeing the spiritual dimension.

4. Unshaken Faith Conference: "Exposing the Darkness"

• Conference goals and challenges
  • Addresses topics most churches avoid: sanctity of life, gender, sexuality, justice, deconstruction, etc.
  • Difficulty in finding churches willing to host—fear of controversy deters many.
    • “If you are afraid because people in your church have different views on these things, maybe that's the problem.” — Natasha (11:47)
  • Gratefulness for bold churches, especially Calvary Chapels.

5. The Faith-Politics Divide & False Narratives

• Defining Politics Biblically
  • “Politics is just the way that people living in communities make decisions about how they're going to live together.” — Natasha (16:41)
  • Christians should let their faith inform their politics, not vice versa, and advocate for what is good by God’s standard.
  • Biblical responsibility to defend life and justice in the public sphere.
• False dichotomy:
  • Culture tries to label topics like abortion or gender as “just political.” Many church leaders fall into the trap of avoiding “politics” to maintain “gospel fidelity,” even on matters that are inherently biblical.

6. The “Christian Nationalism” Label

• Media & Progressive Christian misuse:
  • Term weaponized to shame any public advocacy from a biblical worldview.
    • “It does not matter how apolitical you try to be as a Christian, you are going to be called a Christian nationalist if you are a biblical Christian who is trying to live your Christian faith out in the public square.” — Alisa (21:05)
  • Most media definitions mean simply, “Christians advocating in the public square for biblical values.”
    • “In the vast, vast majority of cases ... all it meant was that there were Christians who were advocating for public policy according to their biblical values.” — Natasha (25:09)
  • Hypocrisy: Progressive churches and other religious groups align overwhelmingly with one political party, but only conservative/pro-life Christians are targeted with the “Christian nationalism” accusation.

7. Misuse of "Power" and Partisanship Accusations

• Seeking power:
  • Power is morally neutral; it’s about using it for good or evil. Christians should seek to use influence for God’s good.
    • “If you could have the power to do good for our country, God's good ... would you want that power? Yes, of course we would.” — Natasha (31:57)
  • Double standards exist—other religious or left-leaning groups are never criticized for political alignment, even when the majorities are higher.

8. Responding to “Polarization” Critiques

• Rejecting false unity
  • The idea that Christians must equally divide between parties to avoid polarization is nonsensical and ignores the nature of biblical convictions.
    • “There's nothing inherently wrong with lining up with one side more than the other if there is indeed one side that ... more consistently lines up with biblical truth.” — Natasha (36:30)
  • Media and some evangelical leaders conflate seeking biblical justice through politics with causing “violence” or social division.

9. Urgent Call to Discipleship and Evangelism

• Revival in practice:
  • Seeing high schoolers evangelize, people returning to church, and personal stories of transformation.
  • Call for Christians to step up in discipleship—reaching out, offering Bible studies, and ministering to new believers in their circles.
    • “Now is the time, Christians, to get active in discipleship. ... Get outside your comfort zone.” — Alisa (43:45)
  • Encouragement to overcome fear and perfectionism:
    • “Don't be so caught up in the precision of what you're saying. ... We don't want to be paralyzed by precision. ... Just get out there and share truth with someone.” — Natasha (46:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Elisa on the danger of discouraging Christian engagement:
  “Abortion is not a political topic. It's a biblical topic. But because the culture made it political, a lot of churches stopped talking about it.” (14:31)
• Natasha on mainstream media’s labeling:
  “In at least 90% of the cases, all [Christian nationalism] meant was Christians advocating for public policy according to their biblical values.” (25:09)
• Alisa on theological priorities:
  “For Bible believing Christians, our politics is downstream and an outflow of our theology.” (28:48)
• Natasha on double standards:
  “We never hear anyone else called out for bringing their faith into their political views. ... It's really just that they don't like that we're advocating for biblical values that run contrary to the popular moral consensus.” (35:18)
• Alisa on false compartmentalization:
  “If your politics are separate from what your understanding of the gospel is, then you don't really probably understand the gospel.” (38:43)

Important Timestamps

• 00:03–03:52 — Personal reflections on Charlie Kirk’s martyrdom and the cultural shockwaves
• 09:03 — Elon Musk’s observation: “Charlie was killed for showing people the light and he was killed by the dark.”
• 11:47 — Launch of Unshaken Faith Conference: addressing churches' reluctance
• 16:41 — Natasha’s biblical definition of politics and call for Christian engagement
• 25:09 — Natasha’s research breakdown: how “Christian nationalism” is (mis)used
• 31:57 — The moral neutrality (and necessity) of power in government
• 36:30 — Addressing “polarization” rhetoric in the church and media
• 43:45–47:47 — Action steps: discipleship, evangelism, and overcoming fear

Concluding Action Points (from the Hosts)

• Move beyond fear and perfectionism—step out and share the truth with your sphere of influence.
• Get personally involved in discipling new believers and reaching out, especially in response to this spiritual awakening.
• Refuse to compartmentalize faith from politics and ethics—apply biblical principles boldly in every area, regardless of labels.
• Pray for those opposing the gospel and advocate with compassion—work to free spiritual captives through Christ.

Final Note

This episode is a rallying cry for Christians not only to grieve and process the loss of a cultural leader, but to engage boldly and biblically in the public square, embracing the risk of being misunderstood—and being ready to make disciples in a time of remarkable spiritual hunger.