Rising Dem Star Declares He Hates Christianity!

A Texas Democrat running for U.S. Senate just told the world he is a “Christian who hates Christianity” — and that might be the least controversial thing he said.

Quick Take

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico calls himself a “Christian who hates Christianity” in resurfaced audio from a theology podcast interview.
Talarico describes God as “non-binary” and “a verb,” and calls Jesus a “radical feminist” — claims conservative critics quickly labeled heresy.
His Late Show interview with Stephen Colbert was pulled from CBS broadcast after Federal Communications Commission pressure, then posted to YouTube instead.
First Things magazine argues Talarico offers Christianity “evacuated of its doctrinal substance” and refilled with Democratic Party priorities.

What Talarico Actually Said, Word for Word

Audio from a podcast interview with a self-described “transqueer” theologian resurfaced in June 2026, and the clip spread fast. Talarico said, “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.” He went on to describe God as “non-binary” and “a verb, not a noun.” He called Jesus a “radical feminist.” He argued that Mary’s response to the angel in Luke’s gospel — “If it is God’s will, let it be done” — proves God asked for her consent before the Incarnation. ^[1]

WHY DOES IT SEEM SO FITTING for James #Talarico, a Democrat in the Texas legislature, who wants to be a senator in the US Congress, to proclaim, “I hate Christianity!” One more perverse theme in the #DemocraticParty's “progressive” platform? What fools these mortals be. #History pic.twitter.com/n47G2LZbfW

— Scott Kellner 🔱 Navy 🔱 (@RSKellner) June 24, 2026

Talarico also claimed the word “homosexuality” is a 19th-century invention and that Jesus never directly addressed the topic. He said certain passages in the Torah support abortion. These claims landed hard in Texas, where he is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. His sermon at a church in Strafford, delivered in October 2023, was titled “God Is Not a Christian: Confronting Christian Nationalism.” In it, he called Christian nationalism “the worship of power in the name of Christ” and a “betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth.” ^[4]

The CBS Broadcast Pulled and the FCC Connection

Talarico appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but CBS moved the interview off broadcast television and posted it to YouTube instead. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr had sent a letter in January 2026 raising equal time concerns about political candidates appearing on late-night shows. CBS issued a statement saying the show “was not prohibited” from airing the interview but moved it anyway. Colbert publicly criticized both CBS and the Federal Communications Commission over the decision. The YouTube version drew millions of views. ^[1]

Conservative Critics Fire Back Hard

The backlash was fast and loud. Conservative commentator Officer Tatum posted a video titled “James Talarico PANICS After DEVASTATING Footage GOES VIRAL,” calling Talarico’s theology “stupid” and labeling him a tool of the devil. ^[18] The Gateway Pundit ran similar coverage. First Things, a serious religious journal, published a piece called “James Talarico’s Backward Christianity,” arguing he had taken the faith, stripped out its doctrinal core, and replaced it with a progressive political agenda. ^[11] That critique carries more weight than the name-calling. When a theologian argues your version of Christianity is just politics wearing a cross, that is a charge worth taking seriously.

In a recently resurfaced episode of the "Activist Theology Podcast," James Talarico, a Democratic state lawmaker now running for the Senate, confided that "I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity."https://t.co/077636X8TV

— Jake E (@JakeEva72146686) June 24, 2026

The conservative rebuttals, though, have a real weakness. Critics call Talarico’s claims “stupid” and “not biblical,” but most skip the hard work of engaging his actual scripture citations. He points to Luke 1:38. He cites Matthew 22:36-40. He references specific Torah passages. Dismissing those claims as wrong without showing why they are wrong is not a theological argument. It is a reaction. That gap matters, because Talarico is clearly trained enough to keep pushing the conversation onto textual ground where slogans do not work.

The Deeper Problem This Reveals

Talarico is studying to become a Presbyterian minister. He frames every position — on abortion, on gay rights, on immigration — as flowing from Jesus’ two commandments: love God, love your neighbor. ^[1] That framing is politically smart. It is also a pattern researchers have tracked for decades. Studies show that both conservative and liberal Christians tend to project their own political views onto Jesus, with each side acknowledging their own blind spots on issues where the Gospel cuts against them. ^[19] Talarico is doing exactly that, just from the left. The honest question is whether reshaping God to fit your politics is faith — or something else dressed up in faith’s language.

Why Texas Voters Should Pay Attention

Talarico won the Democratic primary over Representative Jasmine Crockett. He is now the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas. His theology is not a side issue. He has made it the center of his political identity. He argues that the Texas Ten Commandments bill — passed with unanimous Republican support — is itself “unchristian” because it forces religion on students of other faiths and breeds resentment. ^[4] That is a coherent argument. But voters deserve to know that the man making it also publicly says he hates the religion he claims to represent. That tension is not a gotcha. It is a genuine question about what he actually believes — and who he is actually speaking for.