Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is invoking Jesus to defend universal health care, drawing fresh scrutiny of a record that includes using Adam’s creation and Mary’s pregnancy to justify abortion rights.
Just Facts President and co-founder Jim Agresti told Fox News Digital that Talarico is “butchering the Bible.” His criticism raises a question Christians should take seriously: Does Talarico’s political theology hold up when measured against Scripture?
Jesus and government spending
“When Jesus healed the sick, he didn’t ask for a deductible. So, when I fight for universal healthcare, I’m doing it on biblical grounds,” Talarico wrote on X, according to Fox News Digital.
Agresti argued that Talarico’s comparison confuses voluntary generosity with government spending. He said he examined more than 50 Bible passages about helping people in need.
“In every single instance, it’s about self-sacrificing generosity,” Agresti told Fox News Digital.
He pointed to the Good Samaritan, who personally cared for an injured stranger and paid for his recovery.
“It was about an individual who saw someone in desperate need and sacrificed their own time and their own money to help that person,” Agresti said. “There was no role for government.”
Agresti also challenged Talarico’s opposition to Christian nationalism while invoking Christianity to advance his own agenda.
“He frequently quotes the words or misquotes the words of Jesus,” Agresti told Fox News Digital.
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Using Scripture to defend abortion
Talarico’s biblical arguments have drawn criticism before.
During his July 2025 appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he cited God breathing life into Adam to argue, “Life starts when you take your first breath.”
Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham challenged that interpretation, explaining that Genesis 2:7 describes the unique creation of the first man from dust. The passage does not establish that every human life begins at birth.
In the same interview, Talarico claimed Gabriel asked Mary whether she wanted to conceive Jesus. He used her consent to argue for abortion rights.
Luke 1:26-38 records Gabriel announcing that Mary will conceive, explaining how it will happen and receiving her willing acceptance. It does not record the question Talarico described.
America magazine also challenged his argument. While acknowledging Christian teaching about Mary’s consent, it explained that consenting to conception does not justify ending an existing pregnancy.
A claim about worship
Talarico has also claimed, “Not once in the entire Bible does Jesus ask us to worship him,” according to a video excerpt documented by FactCheck.org.
Christian apologetics ministry CrossExamined challenged the claim in an analysis of his statements about Jesus’ divinity.
John 5:23 records Jesus teaching that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. That teaching demands more than treating Jesus as a source of political inspiration
Teaching carries responsibility
Agresti cited Jesus’ warning about false prophets while acknowledging the limits of his judgment.
“I don’t know what’s in his heart,” he told Fox News Digital. “That’s for God to determine.”
Christians can evaluate public teaching against Scripture. When a politician invokes Jesus to establish biblical authority for his agenda, we should examine whether his claims faithfully represent God’s Word.
Talarico’s repeated misapplication of Scripture shows that his claims of biblical authority fall short of that standard.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at 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. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
