Texas Democrat James Talarico—who has been heavily criticized by evangelicals for claiming that “God is nonbinary” and the Bible is silent about abortion—has also credited Islam’s influence on his religious beliefs as comparable to the Bible’s teachings, according to a recently unearthed 2024 podcast interview.
While in a more recent interview with The New York Times Talarico claimed that his faith was rooted in “Biblical Christianity,” an April 2024 interview on The State of Belief podcast alongside Muslim Texas state Rep. Salman Bhojani tells a different story, according to The Daily Wire.
“I know personally that I’ve learned as much about my faith from Salman’s tradition, from the Islamic mystics, from poets like Rumi, as much as I have from Christian authors and Christian writers,” Talarico said during the podcast. “This kind of interfaith dialogue, it doesn’t water down your tradition, in fact it strengthens it, it brings out new flavors and new colors.”
Talarico also said that advocating for the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms was “deeply un-Christian.”
Talarico’s representation of Christianity has come into full view during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. And evangelicals increasingly are taking issue with his assertions about what the Bible teaches regarding human sexuality, the sanctity of human life and the exclusivity of the Gospel message.
Talarico, who has described himself as a “Christian who hates Christianity,” has also said he believes God is “nonbinary” and that Jesus was a “radical feminist.” During a recent commencement speech at Paul Quinn College, the Texas Democrat seemed ambivalent about whether people should believe in God or attend church.
“I’m not asking you to join an organized religion. I’m asking you to join something bigger than yourself. Find a spiritual practice that works for you, whether it’s meditation or fasting, gardening, or bird watching, whether it’s in a church, or a temple, or a book club, or a neighborhood group, find a community that can help you touch the ground of your own being.”
Franklin Graham has described Talarico’s assertion that Scripture is silent about abortion as “an absolute lie.” And as for the politician’s claim that “God is nonbinary,” the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse wrote in Decision magazine: “That’s ridiculous. Don’t ever be deceived by politicians spouting heresy like this.”
In an open letter to Talarico from evangelical pastor Jeff Mullen of Henderson, Nevada, and published in Decision, the retired minister writes:
“My concern is not your political party. My concern is whether the Jesus being presented to the public is the Jesus revealed in Scripture or a version reshaped by the spirit of the age.
“America does not need progressive Christianity or conservative Christianity. America needs Biblical Christianity—faithful to God’s Word, centered on Christ and unafraid to proclaim truth in love.
“My prayer for you is the same prayer I pray for myself: that every belief, every ambition, and every public statement would be brought under the authority of Scripture. Because one day neither of us will stand before voters, political parties, commentators or public opinion.
“We will stand before God and give an account.”
With the midterm elections barely three months away, Talarico holds a three-point advantage over Republican candidate Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race, according to a Fox News Poll released this week of Texas registered voters.
Talarico, 37, has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2018 and also attends Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Paxton, 63, has served as attorney general of Texas since 2015.
The latest polling shows that by a 12-point margin, more voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character to serve as a senator than believe Talarico is too extreme (59% vs. 47%).
