Pastor Josh Howerton isn’t warning about a church drifting into politics. He says the real danger is far more serious: Scripture itself is being reshaped to make room for ideas the Bible has already settled.
In a recent episode of “Live Free w Josh Howerton,” the senior pastor of Lakepointe Church responded to viral claims from Texas state Rep. James Talarico, arguing they represent a growing form of apostasy inside modern Christianity.
“What’s happening right now is not that the church is getting more political,” Howerton said. “Politics have gotten spiritual in the last 20 years. We didn’t move. Politics did.”
Winning the Debate by Redefining Reality
Howerton argued that progressive Christian messaging succeeds by controlling language first, then theology second.
“Whoever controls the terms wins the debate,” he said. “If you redefine life and redefine murder, then you can say the Bible never mentions abortion. And if you argue on those terms, you will always lose.”
He rejected the claim that Scripture is silent on abortion, pointing to Psalm 139, Exodus 21 and the biblical account of John the Baptist responding to Jesus in the womb.
“The Bible extremely clearly defines life as beginning in the womb,” Howerton said. “You have to jettison 2,000 years of near-unanimous Christian theology to say abortion isn’t murder.”
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‘Jesus Never Talked About It’ Isn’t Theology
Howerton also dismantled the familiar argument that Jesus never addressed abortion or same-sex relationships.
“Jesus never mentioned bestiality, incest or nuclear warheads either,” he said. “That doesn’t make them morally neutral.”
Instead, he emphasized that Jesus reaffirmed the Old Testament moral law and positively defined marriage.
“Jesus defined the one thing that’s right,” Howerton said. “By implication, everything outside of that is forbidden.”
Romans 1 Leaves No Loophole
One of Howerton’s strongest rebukes focused on claims that the Bible only condemns abusive same-sex relationships.
“That’s just false,” he said. “Romans 1 literally says they were inflamed with lust for one another. That’s mutual. That’s consensual.”
Howerton said attempts to reframe those passages rely on selective reading and intentional omission.
“It’s not confusion,” he said. “It’s deception.”
Justice Isn’t What It’s Being Sold As
While affirming that Christians are commanded to feed the hungry and care for the poor, Howerton drew a clear line between personal obedience and government authority.
“Jesus commanded Christians to do those things,” he said. “He did not command governments to forcibly acquire people’s wealth and redistribute it.”
He also challenged the modern use of the word “justice.”
“In the Bible, justice is equal weights and measures,” Howerton said. “Progressive justice is equal outcomes for groups. You actually have to commit injustice to get there.”
Why This Message Is Spreading
Howerton said the reason these arguments gain traction is simple: they tell people what they already want to hear.
“We’re warned about this,” he said. “People will gather teachers who say what they want said because they have itching ears.”
His concern isn’t theoretical. It’s pastoral.
“This stuff works,” Howerton said, “because it lets people keep Christian language while emptying Christianity of its authority.”
For Howerton, the issue isn’t tone or politics. It’s whether Scripture still defines truth, or whether it’s being quietly rewritten to keep pace with culture.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and 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.
