Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, once described Christianity as “just another word for causing trouble” while bragging that his church housed an undocumented mother and son facing ICE deportation.
In a June 2023 Texas Impact “Weekly Witness” podcast recently reported exclusively by Fox News, Talarico tied his entire political path to that brand of activism.
The comments, resurfaced as he runs against Republican Ken Paxton, show a candidate who wraps progressive politics in Christian language while quietly discarding the parts of Scripture that get in the way.
‘Causing trouble’ as the new gospel
Talarico offered this résumé of his church’s work: “Our church was really active in LGBTQ rights in the ’90s. We caught some attention by letting an atheist join our church in the 2000s, and then in the 2010s, again stirred some controversy by housing an undocumented family, a mother and son, who were close to being deported by ICE. That was the tradition that I was brought up in.”
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He summed it up: “Christianity is just another word for causing trouble.”
Notice the sleight of hand. He claims the mantle of Jesus while celebrating actions that brush aside biblical standards on sexual ethics, exclusive faith in Christ, and respect for governing authorities. The same man who presents himself as a faithful seminarian treats clear New Testament teaching as optional when it conflicts with the progressive checklist.
When the Bible becomes ‘Christo-fascism’
Talarico went further, attacking what he called “Christo-fascism.” He listed Texas laws requiring Ten Commandments displays in schools, allowing chaplains in place of guidance counselors, school vouchers, bans on sex-change treatments for children, and the state’s abortion ban.
“All these ideologies stem from this Christo-fascism movement, which, essentially, like I said, is just using faith to exercise raw political, social and economic power,” he said.
These are not fringe ideas. They track the moral framework of Scripture itself—God’s law, the protection of children, and the sanctity of life. Calling them fascist while claiming to follow Jesus is not nuance. It is contradiction dressed up as compassion.
The campaign spin
His spokesman later insisted Talarico is “dedicated his life to the teachings of Jesus Christ” and supports stronger border enforcement against violent criminals.
That defense arrives only after the 2023 tape surfaces. It does not erase Talarico’s own words, nor his other claims that “God is nonbinary” and that there are six sexes—assertions that further rewrite the creation account he supposedly studies in seminary.
Scripture warns us repeatedly about teachers who keep the religious language while swapping out the content. Talarico’s record fits the description. He speaks of following Jesus, then redefines Christianity as progressive agitation and brands biblical convictions as dangerous power grabs.
Voters should notice the gap between the claim and the content.
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].
