Charlie Kirk Debate Cambridge Union
A Biblical Analysis Of The Charlie Kirk Cambridge Union Debate
The Charlie Kirk Cambridge Union Debate reignited several popular but deeply inaccurate claims about what the Bible teaches—claims often repeated to mock Scripture but easily disproven when the actual verses are read in context.
Lie #1, the accusation that “if you eat pork you should be put to death,” collapses immediately since Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 list unclean animals but prescribe no penalty whatsoever for eating them, and the New Testament explicitly declares such foods clean.
Lie #2, the claim that planting “two crops side by side” requires execution by stoning, misrepresents Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:9, which forbid mingling seeds in the same field but assign no punishment and say nothing about planting different crops next to each other.
Lie #3, the assertion that wearing a garment with “two different fibers” should result in being “burned at the stake by your own mother,” distorts the simple instruction in Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11, which prohibit mixing wool and linen but again give no penalty, and Scripture never commands execution by burning.
These three claims—often repeated in debates like the one featuring Charlie Kirk at Cambridge Union—are not examples of harsh biblical punishments but examples of how easily Scripture is misquoted when taken out of context.
Lie #1: If You Eat Pork You Should Be Put To Death!
The Bible never says that a person should be put to death for eating an unclean animal. In fact, no penalty is given for eating an unclean animal. All the Old Testament ordinance says is that certain animals are unclean and to not eat them. There is no punishment prescribed for breaking this ordinance anywhere.
Old Testament Ordinance
Of their flesh shall ye not eat
Leviticus 11:1 (KJV) ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
Leviticus 11:2 (KJV) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
Leviticus 11:3 (KJV) Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
Leviticus 11:4 (KJV) Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Leviticus 11:5 (KJV) And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Leviticus 11:6 (KJV) And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Leviticus 11:7 (KJV) And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:8 (KJV) Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
ye shall not eat of their flesh
Deuteronomy 14:3 (KJV) Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
Deuteronomy 14:4 (KJV) These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
Deuteronomy 14:5 (KJV) The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
Deuteronomy 14:6 (KJV) And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
Deuteronomy 14:7 (KJV) Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
Deuteronomy 14:8 (KJV) And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.
The Ordinance Explained
The "Law" is divided into commands and ordinances.
Luke 1:5 (KJV) ¶ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Luke 1:6 (KJV) And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
For example, the 10 Commandments are commands. They are moral laws that are eternal and unchanging.
Exodus 20:15 (KJV) Thou shalt not steal.
An ordinance is a symbolic ritual that pictures something. Mostly, the ordinances pictured Jesus Christ in some way. However, there are ordinances that do not specifically picture Jesus. One of those ordinances were about the clean and unclean animals. They pictured that the nation of Israel was a clean people.
When Noah left the ark after the flood God told him that he could eat all of the animals.
Genesis 9:1 (KJV) ¶ And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
Genesis 9:2 (KJV) And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Genesis 9:3 (KJV) Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
Genesis 9:4 (KJV) But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
There are moral commands that say that mankind should not eat blood, animal fat, animals that die of themselves, or to boil a baby goat or sheep in its mothers milk, etc.
It was not until the Israelites were delivered from Egypt that ordinances of the clean and unclean animals was in effect. After Jesus died on the cross this ordinance was removed. The covenant made with Moses on Mount Sinai was a conditional covenant: "if", "then". They didn't fulfill the "if" and broke their part of the covenant.
Exodus 19:1 (KJV) ¶ In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
Exodus 19:2 (KJV) For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
Exodus 19:3 (KJV) And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
Exodus 19:4 (KJV) Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
Exodus 19:5 (KJV) Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Exodus 19:6 (KJV) And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Exodus 19:7 (KJV) And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
Exodus 19:8 (KJV) And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
Now, the nation of Israel is no longer bound by that particular covenant because they didn't keep their end of the covenant and now are no longer the "holy nation" that God wanted them to be. In the New Testament, God very specifically told Peter that those animals were no longer unclean and he was to eat them.
Acts 10:9 (KJV) ¶ On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
Acts 10:10 (KJV) And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
Acts 10:11 (KJV) And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Acts 10:12 (KJV) Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Acts 10:13 (KJV) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Acts 10:14 (KJV) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Acts 10:15 (KJV) And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Acts 10:16 (KJV) This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Now, all animals are ok to eat if we pray before we eat them.
1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV) ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1 Timothy 4:2 (KJV) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1 Timothy 4:3 (KJV) Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1 Timothy 4:4 (KJV) For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1 Timothy 4:5 (KJV) For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Lie #2: If You Plant Two Crops Side By Side You Should Be Stoned By The Entire Village!
The Bible never says a person should be put to death for planting two crops side by side, by stoning or any other method. The Bible does say to not mingle the seeds (two or more different kinds of seed in the same field) when sowing but never says anything prohibiting the planting of two different crops side by side. In fact, no penalty is given for sowing a field with mingled seed either. The Bible just instructs mankind to not do it.
Also, these verses are moral commands. Ordinances are ceremonies that picture something. This doesn't picture anything but there is a natural negative consequence if you don't obey. That is why God gave the command to mankind, so that mankind would be better off.
Leviticus 19:19 (KJV) ¶ Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
Deuteronomy 22:9 (KJV) Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.
So, what does it mean to sow with "mingled" seed or to sow with "divers" seeds? There is a parable in the New Testament where a field was sown with both wheat and tares.
Matthew 13:24 (KJV) ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Matthew 13:25 (KJV) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Matthew 13:26 (KJV) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Matthew 13:27 (KJV) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Matthew 13:28 (KJV) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Matthew 13:29 (KJV) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Matthew 13:30 (KJV) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
It was not good to have both types of plants growing together in the same field. It caused a problem in harvesting the wheat. The tares were most likely bad for the growth and wellbeing of the wheat as well.
There may be other genetic reasons that we don't know about for not mingling similar types of seeds with each other. Just because we don't have the answer at this moment, or understand the reason why the command was given, doesn't make the commandment wrong or incorrect. Science usually catches up with the Bible and shows that the Bible is correct.
But, whatever the reason, the Bible still doesn't say that:
- you should die for sowing a field with mingled seed,
- nor does it say you should be stoned for doing it,
- nor does it command the entire village to do the stoning.
Lie #3: If You Wear A Suit, That Contains Two Different Fibers Intertwined Into The Same Jacket You Should Be Burned At The Stake By Your Own Mother!
The Bible never says a person should be put to death for wearing a garment made with two different fibers, nor does it specify that the mother should be the one to put the person to death and to do it by fire. In fact, no penalty is given for wearing a garment made from two different fibers.
Also, the Bible is very specific in what it is talking about: woollen and linen... animal fabric intertwined with plant fabric.
Leviticus 19:19 (KJV) ¶ Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
Deuteronomy 22:11 (KJV) Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.
If you think that this (not mixing wool and linen) is an unreasonable command then you can always go make a linen and woollen garment and wear it and try it out. You will have to make it yourself because there is not any manufacturer that I know of that sells that type of cloth. My guess is that it probably:
- stinks when it gets wet,
- irritates the skin,
- falls apart easily.
But whatever the case, the Bible still doesn't say that:
- you should die for it,
- and the method of death is to be burned at the stake,
- and that your own mother should be the one to burn you at the stake.
In fact, the Bible never defines burning by fire as a method of punishment. It was the pagans, infidels, false prophets, and false religions that burnt people. It is against the teachings found in the Bible
Deuteronomy 12:29 (KJV) When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deuteronomy 12:30 (KJV) Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Deuteronomy 12:31 (KJV) Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
The Truth: If You Work On The Sabbath You Should Be Put To Death
This claim is actually correct and you can find the command and also an instance of when it was enforced in the Old Testament.
Exodus 35:1 (KJV) ¶ And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
Exodus 35:2 (KJV) Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
Exodus 35:3 (KJV) Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
Numbers 15:32 (KJV) And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Numbers 15:33 (KJV) And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
Numbers 15:34 (KJV) And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
Numbers 15:35 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
Numbers 15:36 (KJV) And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
This is also referred to in the New Testament.
Hebrews 10:23 (KJV) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Hebrews 10:24 (KJV) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:26 (KJV) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:27 (KJV) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:28 (KJV) He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Hebrews 10:29 (KJV) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Charlie Kirk Cambridge Union Debate Summarized
Charlie Kirk was an excellent debater and very knowledgable about political issues. However, he was lacking in information that was needed to debate these three issues. Nobody knows everything. Everyone is lacking information in some area and we all must continually seek out and find truth.