Gen Z embraces faith and family values following Charlie Kirk assassination

Founder of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk The death has not eclipsed his legacy of encouraging an increasingly unhappy generation to find meaning and purpose through faith and family, young Americans told Fox News Digital.

“I think we live in a world where people are more unhappy than ever,” said Georgetown University student Elizabeth Oliver. “Depression and suicide rates are very high and people are hungry for true happiness. Charlie always talked about how the “desires of the flesh” do not satisfy or make people happy. Instead of reaching for these things, we should turn to higher goals like family, marriage and God, because that's what really fulfills people's lives.”

“I actually think most people are looking for something,” she said. “I think the search should be directed towards God. But I think most people today realize that what the left has to offer will not lead to a fulfilling life.”

Americans' happiness has fallen sharply in recent years, with the U.S. dropping eight places in 2024. World Happiness Reportwhich assesses life satisfaction across countries as America's young people report they are dissatisfied compared with their parents' and grandparents' generations. According to the study, Americans over 60 rank 10th in overall happiness, while young people under 30 rank 62nd in the world in overall happiness. CNBC reported this in 2024..

Meanwhile, rates of suicide and depression have risen sharply in recent years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that one in five high school seniors would seriously consider attempting suicide in 2023, with suicide rates among young people up 62% when comparing 2007 data to 2021 data.

A 'SLEEPING GIANT' LIKELY WOKE UP AT A US TURNING POINT AFTER THE MURDER OF CHARLIE KIRK

Amid rising levels of unhappiness among young people, Kirk found himself in the national spotlight as a young man rallying his peers to embrace conservative and Christian values ​​to find peace.

“Marriage is not just a milestone in life, it is a calling. God didn't say, “Wait until you feel ready.” He said, “It is not good for a man to be alone.” Get married young. Be fruitful and multiply,” Kirk wrote on Facebook just months before his death.

Trump even praised his comments, noting his call for young people to get married.

“We have so many bad philosophies, ideologies, policies,” Trump said on Fox News after Kirk’s death. “Basically, he was just good. He talked about family, he talked about marriage, “go get married.” It sounds old-fashioned when you think about it, but he's right.”

Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University, the first stop of TPUSA's planned “Take Back America Tour.”

After news of Kirk's murder spread across the country and the world, some college Students decide to continue his legacy by reiterating the values ​​he stood for and encouraging political debate among their Gen Z peers.

Oliver is a member of Generation Z, a college graduate and the president of the university's Right to Life group. pro-life pro-life group. She told Fox News Digital that she believes open dialogue can help refocus attention on Christian conservative values.

Kirk “dedicated his life to respectfully interacting with other people and listening to them,” she said. “We desperately need more of this dialogue now, more than ever. In a world that has abandoned God and moral values, we have even abandoned basic respect for other people, and we need to get it back.”

Kirk often spoke about marriage, children and the importance of family, and his widow continued to promote those values ​​from the stage at his memorial service in Arizona in September.

“We have an uplifting message for America, one that is hopeful, about family formation, about increasing casual church attendance, about business ownership and entrepreneurship,” Kirk said on “The Will Kane Show” May 2.

“Trump voters, young people, they want family, children and a legacy,” Kirk added in an interview with Ingraham Angle on Sept. 8, just two days before he was killed. “The young women who voted for Kamala Harris want careerism, consumerism and loneliness. This is a dramatic divide that will play out in our politics for years to come.”

However, Americans' pessimism about the institution of marriage and family now outweighs their optimism, according to Pew Research Center September 2023 report entitled “The Public Has Mixed Views of the Modern American Family.”

“When asked what makes for a fulfilling life, Americans are more likely to point to job satisfaction and close friends rather than being married or having children,” the report says. “About 71% say that having a job or career they enjoy is extremely or very important to people's fulfilling lives, and 61% say the same about having close friends. Only about a quarter say having children (26%) or getting married (23%) is equally important.”

CHARLIE KIRK ANSWERED: “HOW YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED” LESS THAN 3 MONTHS BEFORE MURDER

However, young people are taking up Kirk's mantle of promoting traditional values ​​as support for TPUSA continues to grow after his death.

After Kirk's assassination, Boston University College republicans Vice President Philip Wohltorf, who also works as a legislative assistant in the Massachusetts Senate, said his group's attendance has increased dramatically. Democratic But groups on campus were not open to discussion, he said, allowing anti-conservative sentiment to spread among students.

“We thought, well, the left is an open and tolerant people, they want to talk,” he said. “Unfortunately, they don’t do that, and it doesn’t really help. I think it would be great on campus if we could have civil, calm, and challenging debates. This would show students that people can disagree and still shake hands and still be friends.”

He said, “America was founded on the principle of free speech and dialogue, and no one did it better than Charlie Kirk,” as the cultural divide continues to widen.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Boston University College Democrats said the group “politely declined” the debate request, explaining that “it is very difficult to make the debate worthwhile.”

“We feel that it is very difficult to make debates useful for participants and viewers, so we are abandoning them with everyone, not just Republicans,” the group said. “Freedom of speech is something we greatly value, but we believe open, bipartisan cooperation is the way forward at this time.”

The group condemned any political violence, adding: “Charlie Kirk should not have died. We believe everyone should be able to share their ideas and beliefs without fear.”

ANTI-TRUMP VOICES PRAISE CHARLIE KIRK'S LEGACY AFTER MURDER, SAY HE DID POLITICS 'RIGHT'

TPUSA exploded with new interest following Kirk's memorial service, receiving more than 120,000 requests for the campus chapter, according to the organization.

Before the memorial service, TPUSA received about 60,000 requests, Andrew Colvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” said recently. TPUSA administers 900 official college chapters and approximately 1,200 high school chapters nationwide.

Wohltorf said more young people are sticking to their values, pointing to faith and family as the most important priorities for many of his generation.

“I like the saying that in the last two weeks people have been writing about how one Charlie Kirk is gone, but a hundred thousand new Charlie Kirks have just been created,” Wohltorf said. “Most of the conservative movement feels obligated to carry on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and continue to preach family values, faith and Christianity… I think the majority conservative movement is now more likely to fight and speak out,” Wohltorf said.

CHARLIE KIRK DRAWN 'Controversial' and 'provocative' in media coverage of murder

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Oliver and Wohltorf believe these values ​​will be maintained for years after this political turning point. They say Kirk's legacy inspires them to share their beliefs and not be afraid.

“I think the majority are trying to carry on his legacy, feeling obligated to fight, feeling obligated to promote dialogue, debate and challenge each other with ideas,” Wohltorf said.

“At the end of the day, Charlie said he wanted to be remembered for his courage and his faith, and I think that message resonates very strongly with my generation,” Oliver said.

Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, on Tuesday at the White House.

Fox News Digital's Amanda Macias contributed to this report.