WWJD: Campaign Intervention vs. Freedom of Religion
The Freedom from Religion Foundation — the “not afraid to burn in hell” guys — have filed a complaint asserting that Pastor Josh Howerton’s October 6 sermon constitutes campaign intervention in violation of IRC 501(c)(3). Howerton said both candidates were flawed but that Trump was the lesser of two evils because he worked to get Roe v. Wade overturned and opposes a Minnesota law allowing officials to change boys into girls and vice versa without even notifying parents. That’s right, send your daughter to school and by the time the bus arrives home you have a son. And if you fail to affirm your child’s gender, according to Howerton, the government can take them away. And they have done so, he said. All under Governor Tim Walz.
He said a few other things deserving of particular attention. First, he said his church can’t minister to folk without talking about politics, a valid point hidden in the National Association of Religious Broadcaster complaint. He said its impossible to separate politics and religion. He denied endorsing either candidate, merely telling his congregation which candidate Jesus would prefer. It’s a lie from the pit of hell, but the assertion has Constitutional salience and cannot be easily dismissed. He is certainly opposing one candidate. He finds them both flawed but preaches that his congregants should vote for the lesser flawed candidate. Because that’s what Jesus would do.
Howerton said that “mature Christians” should not vote for somebody because they look better than the other candidate. And they should not vote against a candidate because the candidate is an asshole. That’s my word, not his but that is what he said. And don’t vote for someone just to elect the first woman president or the second black president. And that electing flawed Trump is better than suffering under wicked leaders or the candidate more likely to sow destruction. That seems a common refrain amongst Evangelicals these days. And then near the end, Howerton preaches fire and brimstone on Harris by name because of her “celebration” of abortions. He wept as he described Harris supporting late term abortions. It’s pretty obvious campaign intervention. But it’s also a sermon.
I listened to all 45 minutes of it, compelled by journalistic ethics though I am not a journalist. It is a campaign speech for Trump even if Howerton felt called by God. To be honest, I probably would have been sawing some serious wood if I had to sit through it on a Sunday morning. Arms folded, head bobbing, mouth slobbering, the whole nine.
darryll k. jones