Why does Christianity receive a level of hostility that few other religions experience?
That question came up early during Pastor Josh Howerton’s appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show. His answer was simple: Christians shouldn’t be surprised because Jesus said it would happen.
“The Bible says the whole world lies under the power of the evil one,” Howerton said. He argued that from Genesis to Revelation, Scripture presents a spiritual conflict centered on God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. “Everything in the world aligns against one thing in particular, and it’s Christianity, Christ, and Christians.”
That is a bold claim, but Howerton doesn’t base it on headlines. He bases it on Scripture.
He points to Genesis 3, where Satan immediately begins waging war against the promised offspring who would crush the serpent. He moves to Revelation 12, where the dragon wages war against the woman and “her offspring,” a passage many Christians understand as describing Satan’s ongoing war against God’s people.
According to Howerton, this conflict explains why Christianity has never comfortably fit into the world.
The reason is Jesus Himself.
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Christianity is not offensive because believers claim to have all the answers. It is offensive because Jesus made exclusive claims about Himself.
“Pastors don’t have to try to be controversial,” Howerton said. “They just got to read Bible verses.”
He continued by pointing to one of Christ’s most well-known statements.
“He didn’t say, ‘I am a way, a truth, and a life.’ … He said He was the way, the truth, and the life. And nobody comes to the Father except through Him.”
That is where the dividing line has always been.
Jesus never invited people to simply admire Him. He called them to repent, deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. There is no room for treating Him as merely another wise teacher or moral example. Every person is ultimately confronted with the same question Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”
Scripture also leaves little room for spiritual neutrality. Jesus warned the church in Laodicea that He would spit the lukewarm out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). Fence-sitting has never been presented as a faithful option. We either confess Christ as Lord or we reject Him.
That is why the gospel continues to offend the world. It tells us we are sinners who cannot save ourselves. It tells us truth is not self-defined. It declares that salvation is found in one Person alone.
Whether the culture applauds that message or rejects it has never changed the truth of it.
As Howerton reminds us, Christians do not need to manufacture controversy. We simply need the courage to proclaim what Jesus already said.
To watch the full interview of Pastor Josh Howerton with Shawn Ryan, click here (Editor’s Note: mild language).
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
