Howerton, the senior pastor at Lakepointe Church in the Dallas area, argued on X earlier this week that Christians are effectively surrendering political influence while other religious and ideological groups actively seek it.
“Muslims have a plan to make America a Muslim nation. Marxists have a plan to make America a Marxist nation. Secular Progressives have a plan to make America a Secular Progressive nation,” Howerton wrote.
Christians, he argued, are doing the opposite.
“Christians seem to always have a plan to keep Christianity from further influencing our nation by discipling people into political apathy (‘we don’t get political’) or political ambiguity (‘Jesus isn’t a Republican or Democrat, neither Right nor Left’),” Howerton wrote, adding that the approach has produced “very predictable results for the last few decades.”
It’s hardly a new argument from the pastor.
In a 2024 essay titled “11 Ways Christians Are Gaslit into Staying Out of Politics,” Howerton similarly argued Christians should seek political influence.
“If GODLY people don’t lead, GODLESS people fill the void,” he wrote.
But Howerton’s argument that Christianity needs “further” influence comes in Texas, where Christian beliefs already play a prominent role in recent political fights.
Howerton himself has already leaned into that debate, including an episode of his “Live Free” podcast titled “An ISLAMIC Takeover is Coming…Here’s what Christians Should Do,” which discussed whether Christians should oppose mosque construction and what it described as the Muslim Brotherhood’s “long game.”
So whether Christians are actually sitting on the political sidelines in Texas is another question entirely.
