Senator Slammed for Saying He ‘Hates’ Christianity

James Talarico’s old comments about Christianity are coming back to haunt him — and conservatives in Texas are pouncing.

The Texas Democrat and Senate candidate is facing fresh outrage after a 2021 interview resurfaced in which he said, “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.”

For critics on the right, the remark was not just an awkward sound bite. It was proof, they argue, of a much bigger problem: Talarico’s version of faith looks nothing like the Christianity preached in many conservative churches across Texas.

Talarico, a seminary student who has previously drawn fire for saying “God is nonbinary,” has built part of his political brand around progressive Christianity. He often talks about faith, compassion, poverty, immigration and social justice. But to many traditional Christians, his message sounds less like the Bible and more like the Democratic Party platform wrapped in religious language.

That is exactly why the resurfaced quote has exploded.

In the 2021 interview with a progressive theologian and activist, Talarico tried to explain his complicated relationship with organized religion. But his choice of words — saying he is a Christian who “hates Christianity” — gave his political opponents a ready-made attack line.

Conservatives argue the comment reveals a candidate trying to redefine Christianity around modern liberal politics, including support for LGBT issues, abortion rights and progressive views on gender.

Many Bible-believing Christians point to Scripture as directly at odds with those positions. They argue the Bible affirms male and female, protects unborn life, upholds traditional family roles and teaches salvation through Jesus Christ alone — not through political activism or vague ideas about “truth” shared by all religions.

That is where Talarico’s critics say his message becomes especially dangerous.

They accuse him of preaching a watered-down “woke religion” that focuses on feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers and helping the sick while downplaying sin, repentance and the need for salvation through Christ. Those good works may sound admirable, critics say, but they argue the Bible teaches they cannot replace the Gospel.

To conservative Christians, the issue is not whether helping people matters. It is whether Talarico is using Christianity to sell a political agenda while rejecting core biblical doctrine.

That question could become a serious problem in Texas, where faith still plays a major role in politics and Democrats already face an uphill battle statewide.

Talarico’s defenders see the attacks very differently. They argue he is part of a long tradition of progressive Christians who believe their faith calls them to care for the poor, welcome immigrants and challenge systems they view as unjust. They say Republicans are cherry-picking old quotes to paint him as radical and scare religious voters.

But in a red-leaning state where many churchgoers take Scripture seriously, the “hates Christianity” line may be hard to shake.

For Republicans, it is a political gift. For conservative Christians, it is a warning sign. And for Talarico, it is another reminder that in Texas politics, how a candidate talks about God can matter just as much as how he talks about taxes, the border or the economy.

The controversy now leaves voters with a bigger question: Is James Talarico offering a sincere expression of Christian faith, or is he repackaging progressive politics as religion?

His critics already believe they know the answer.