Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate, said atheists and adherents of other religions are more “Christ-like” than some of his Christian colleagues during a recent podcast appearance, continuing a pattern of religious claims that have drawn statewide controversy.
“I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikh Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics who are more Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with in the Texas legislature,” Talarico said on the Politics War Room podcast, hosted by journalist Al Hunt and Democratic strategist James Carville. “It is about how you treat other people.”
Talarico, a former public school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn. No Democrat has been elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas since 1988.
Talarico framed his remarks as an expression of Christian values, prompting scrutiny of how those claims align with historic Christian doctrine.
Claims vs. Christian Doctrine
Several of his statements made while holding public office diverge from historic Christian teaching as defined by major denominations and early Christian texts.
Claim: God is “nonbinary”
Talarico said during a 2021 speech on the Texas House floor that “God is nonbinary.”
Christian theology traditionally holds that God is spirit and not biologically male or female (John 4:24). However, Scripture consistently refers to God using masculine personal language—such as “Father”—and historic Christian theology does not apply modern gender categories like “nonbinary” to God.
Sources:
Claim: The Bible permits abortion
In a September 2025 podcast appearance, Talarico argued that the Bible permits abortion, citing the Annunciation story in Luke.
The biblical text does not reference abortion, pregnancy termination, or consent to end unborn life. Early Christian writings—including the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas—explicitly condemned abortion. Major Christian traditions, including Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant denominations, continue to reject the claim that Scripture endorses abortion.
Sources:
- Didache, 2:2
- EPM, Abortion in the Bible and Church History
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Respect for Unborn Human Life
Claim: Moral behavior alone defines being “Christ-like”
Talarico said being “Christ-like” is primarily about how people treat others, regardless of religious belief.
Historic Christian doctrine holds that moral conduct flows from faith in Jesus Christ and does not substitute for it. Core Christian creeds—including the Nicene Creed and Reformation confessions—define discipleship as rooted in belief in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, not solely ethical behavior.
Sources:
Political Response
Talarico’s remarks drew criticism from Republican officials, including the Republican National Committee.
“James Talarico has once again broken out his anti-Christian Christian shtick,” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft said. “There isn’t a woke cause that he won’t claim to find buried in the Bible.”
Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.