When George Floyd was killed, in no time at all, Anglican bishops began parading their lamentations online.
Here is Linda Nicholls, who was at the time, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, expressing her dismay at “another black man killed by police brutality”. Fair enough: the death of George Floyd was brutal, he was black, and it was caused by a white policeman. The policeman who caused the death was convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. But he was not convicted of premeditated murder.
There was no shortage of other bishops eager to air their righteous indignation for all to admire. It wasn’t confined to ACoC and TEC bishops: not wishing to be left behind, here is a collection of ACNA bishops mourning and lamenting in unison.
It is now five days since the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk, a conservative Christian who has been effectively defending orthodox Christian values to young people on US college campuses since he was 18. Unsurprisingly, this has rubbed some people up the wrong way, leading not only to his assassination but to celebrations of his assassination.
You might think that the bishops condemning George Floyd’s death would leap at this opportunity to once again write letters of mourning and condemnation at this dreadful murder.
But they haven’t. Shame on the lot of them.
The one exception I did find was from Bishop Phil Ashey, who at least had the decency to ask for prayers for the family.
Here is a disgusting Facebook post by ACNA’s Rev. Harry K Zeiders (recently removed, along with the foot from his mouth), implying that Charlie Kirk deserved what he got because of his support for the Second Amendment.
Ironically, Bernie Sanders – whose views don’t quite align with those of Charlie Kirk – posted one of the better comments on this:
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
― Evelyn Beatrice Hall, Voltaire in His Letters: Being a Selection from His Correspondence
Civilized ethics!
There is now an ACNA response here.
Charlie Kirk’s murder doesn’t get the emphasis that George Floyd’s death did, but at least it’s something.
It is not really surprising that bishops who have been radically confused about sex-ethics over at least three decades have difficulty seeing a case of murder for what it is.
Mt. 5:27-32: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mt-527-32-dr-priscilla-turner/
Gun violence is so common in the USA, we tend to pay hardly attention to it. Sad though! Murder is murder! Of course, gun violence can be worse in other countries in South America too.
The proliferation of guns in the US has very little to do with Charlie Kirk’s assassination.. When you call those with whom you disagree politically “Nazi” it’s inevitable that some crazy will kill him eventually.
A recent poll shows that over 50% of young adults in the US think it’s just fine to murder someone with whom you disagree politically. (eg. support for Mangione)
Mr. Poilievre (sp) has had to increase protection for himself and his family on the advice of the RCMP..
Regardless, no one welcomes gun violence in his or her neighborhood.
I don’t think most of us would welcome any kind of violence in our neighbourhood.
To me, the issue is theological – murdering a human made in the image of God regardless of the motive.
I don’t think the events surrounding George Floyd’s death were in reality quite what they are commonly perceived to have been but regardless, your point that the ecclesiastical hierarchy was quick to condemn in that incident but have been slow to do so with regards to Charlie Kirk’s murder, which unquestionably was a murder is a valid one. Of course, I would rather hear the silence of the bishops than the celebratory noise that has been coming from much of the political left. The ACNA statement was a good one. Anglican Ink posted a letter a few days ago from another ACNA bishop, Jake Worley of the Anglican Diocese of Cascadia: https://anglican.ink/2025/09/15/bishop-of-cascadia-writes-to-his-diocese-about-the-assassination-of-charlie-kirk/
One of the side effects is the suspension of the Kimmel’s show.
That fine four-minute commentary by Senator Bernie Sanders – not someone I have much in common with at all when it comes to politics – was exemplary and stands head and shoulders above the ideological cant and noise coming so many others in the spotlight over Charlie Kirk’s murder. It should be given the widest possible public circulation.
To commiserate in this tragic case would have meant commiserating in the other Minneapolis tragic case where the 22 year old man who had been transitioned now publicly regretted it; one of the young men fallen victim to Cultural Marxist sexual confusion whom Blessed Charlie Kirk+ sought to rescue and restore. Why, Pope Leo himself blamed the Minneapolis tragedy on guns.