James Talarico: Wolf in Seminary Clothing
Talarico and the PCUSA treat the Bible like an optional self-help book, not the word of God.
Texas state representative and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D) presents himself as a Presbyterian seminarian and Christian. Yet, his denomination and statements reveal a theology that treats other religions as equal paths to God, defends abortion as consistent with the life of Jesus, and questions the very foundations of historic Christianity.
The Bible repeatedly warns against false teachers and heretics like Talarico, who holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary—an institution that proudly describes itself as a "prophetic witness for social justice." His denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), or PCUSA, has drifted far closer to secular unitarianism than to historic Christianity. I know this firsthand.
As a former PCUSA member, I only discovered the depth of its anti-biblical positions when I began asking hard questions of the leadership. When my pastor and elders told me that salvation through Jesus is not the only way to eternal life and added, "Who am I to judge my Muslim brothers and sisters," I walked away and never looked back.
Talarico: 'Bible is Silent on Abortion'
- In a recent interview, Talarico told Jamie Kern Lima, "The Bible is silent on abortion... people of faith can arrive at different moral conclusions" on the topic.
- "We have to give women and girls the freedom to make this decision as moral agents, as our sisters in Christ."
- Claimed there would be fewer abortions "If we treat this as a public health issue rather than a culture war issue." Rather than abstinence and Biblical values, he emphasized "scientifically valid sex education" and "available contraception."
- Abortion bans cause "death, suffering, and trauma."
- Abortion, he told Stephen Colbert, and gay marriage are "two issues that aren’t mentioned in the Bible, two issues Jesus never talked about."
- In his defense of abortion, he claimed to Joe Rogan that "before God comes over Mary and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent." He said, the "angel comes down and asks Mary if this is something she wants to do," citing Luke's Gospel. Talarico claims that is justification for abortion and that "creation has to be done with consent." He said, "that is absolutely consistent with the ministry and life and death of Jesus."
An important myth to dispel—God didn’t ask Mary’s consent. The relevant verbs in that scripture passage are in the future tense and indicate—"This will happen to you." God made a statement; He didn’t ask a question.
'Equal Pathways' to Salvation
- Talarico preaches that all faith traditions, including Islam, are "equal pathways to truth."
TEXAS SENATE RACE: James Talarico (CIS) explains that Jesus isn’t the only path to salvation. He argues Islam is just as valid as Christianity. https://t.co/ehQFiwdK1N
— @amuse (@amuse) September 8, 2026
- In his appearance on The Late Show, he noted, "Jesus in Matthew 25 tells us exactly how you and I and every one of our fellow believers, how we’re going to be judged and how we’re gonna be saved—By feeding the hungry, by healing the sick, by welcoming the stranger. Nothing about going to church... it was all about how you treat other people."
- "I have fought so hard for the separation of church and state in the state capitol... because we are called to love all of our neighbors... and forcing our religion down their throats is not love, and it’s why I've fought so hard for that sacred separation in our First Amendment."
Talarico: More than Two Genders
- "The one thing I want us to all be aware of, recognize, is that modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes." Talarico, in 2021, argued to the Texas State Legislature that "In fact, there are six."
- Claimed trans children were made in God’s own image, and they are "perfect" and "sacred." In the same speech, he called God "nonbinary."
Talarico’s Pastor and PCUSA's Theology
Talarico and the PCUSA both believe there are issues in the world that aren't addressed in God’s Holy Scripture.
Rev. Babs Miller, Talarico’s pastor at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, said,
- "We have no way of knowing if Jesus really existed."
- "Do we really believe that a virgin gave birth to a baby?" She replied, "No."
- "Part of what we encourage here is for people to think for themselves, and take what makes sense. It's kind of like what they say in a 12-step program: take what you want and leave the rest."
- "Mary and the virgin birth comes out of the pagan belief."
The PCUSA believes there are "some areas of individual and social life that are not claimed by God."
"Faithful and effective pastoral care in our time," instructs PCUSA, "requires ministers gratefully and diligently to use the wisdom, tools, and skills of such ‘secular’ disciplines as psychology and sociology."
In 2012, the PCUSA adopted and still abides by a resolution regarding abortion. They believe "No law or administrative decision should (i) limit access to abortions; (ii) limit information and counseling concerning abortions; or (iii) limit or prohibit public funding for necessary abortions for the socially and economically disadvantaged."
The PCUSA believes classical confessions of the Church, such as the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed, are temporal and not necessarily meant to apply to modern times. These creeds, all sound scriptural doctrine, are a core foundation of Christianity.
The PCUSA declares: "The great classical confessions were written before the discoveries of modern science and reflect an outdated understanding of the structure of the world and its natural processes."
The denomination asserts it is "governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and members that includes women, men, and nonbinary people."
Scripture Warnings
Matthew 7:15 says to "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
Why would we need Jesus to die on the cross if the path to eternal life can be achieved another way? Jesus was more than just a good moral teacher. He was/is God made manifest into a man who lived on Earth, was crucified, buried, and is risen to heaven.
Jesus is clear in John 3 that a person must be born again in the Holy Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. Moreover, He says that "God gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him... is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
The Greek words for believe mean to "trust, commit to, and have faith in." The Greek phrase for "believes in Him," pisteuōn eis auton, signifies directional motion, personal transference, and union.
To believe is not just to acknowledge Jesus is God; even Satan and his demons understand that. Luke 4:41 says, "And demons also came out of many, crying, 'You are the Son of God!' But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ."
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus cautions, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
Talarico’s public record, theological training, and denominational affiliation reveal a consistent pattern of teaching that departs from the clear witness of Scripture on the exclusivity of Christ, the sanctity of life, the created order of male and female, and the authority of God’s Word. When a candidate who presents himself as a Christian seminarian affirms that other religions are equal pathways to truth, defends abortion as consistent with the ministry of Jesus, and echoes a denomination that questions the virgin birth and the very existence of Christ, voters have every reason to measure those claims against the warnings of Jesus and the apostles. Scripture is not silent on these matters, and neither should Christians be.
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