Staff Reports
Texas Senate hopeful and state representative James Talarico is back in the headlines after a sermon surfaced in which he declared, bluntly, that “God is not a Christian.” The unearthed remarks — paired with past comments like “I am a Christian who hates Christianity” and calling God “nonbinary” — deserve scrutiny. If a candidate insists on redefining basic Christian beliefs, voters should ask whether the label “Christian” still fits.
What Talarico actually said in the sermon
In the sermon that resurfaced this week, Talarico chided conservative Christians for what he called “Christian nationalism,” argued that some believers have “co-opted the Son of God,” and warned that America could be slipping toward a theocracy. He admitted he’s sometimes reluctant to share his faith and said there’s a “cancer on our religion.” He went on to claim that if America were truly Christian it would guarantee housing, food, education and health care for every child — a political vision dressed up as theology.
Why this matters for voters and the label “Christian”
Here’s the point: voters care about honesty and clarity. If a candidate rejects core understandings of Christianity while still using the religion’s language to win support, that’s misleading. Conservatives aren’t offended because religion is private; we’re offended because Talarico’s rhetoric reads like a marketing campaign for progressive politics dressed in faith-sounding phrases. If he thinks God is “not a Christian,” what does he mean when he calls himself one on the campaign trail?
The bigger problem: politics reshaping faith
Progressive Christianity treats doctrine like modeling clay. Talarico’s references to Gnostic-style readings, his praise for activist theologians, and statements suggesting salvation doesn’t require Christian faith are part of a larger trend: theology bent to fit a political program. That won’t satisfy Christians who hold to basic creeds or voters who want to know where a candidate stands on moral and cultural foundations. Political ambition shouldn’t give someone license to invent a faith that suits only the moment.
Call it what it is: ideological theater. If Talarico wants to lead, he should be clear about his beliefs instead of using religious labels that don’t match his views. Voters deserve straight answers, not sermon sound bites. Until then, conservatives and faith-minded Americans will rightly question whether to treat him as the Christian he claims to be or the progressive politician his words reveal.
