A Christian Who Hates Christianity

A James Talarico Quote is Going Viral — It Raises Non-Political Questions: Can You Believe in One Church and Hate Christianity?

James Talarico teaching at Rhodes Middle School in 2013. Now 37, he’s the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from Texas. Photo by TheDuggernaut via Wikimedia Commons.

The infamous James Talarico quote: “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.”

Always? That one quote is political dynamite — but it goes way beyond politics.

Most hear it through a political lens: A politician declaring hate for most Americans and their faith, beliefs shaping Western Civilization, culture, and a way of life.

It’s already going viral, released by Republicans fighting to keep control of the U.S. Senate.

Talarico is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Texas, becoming a media darling and an example of progressive Christianity. While serving in the Texas House of Representatives, the public school teacher earned his Master of Divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

He loves to drop Biblical terms (with a progressive push) into his rhetoric. For example, in one legislative debate, he called a religious bill “idolatrous,” “exclusionary,” and “arrogant,” saying it was “diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus.”

Progressive, Politician — and a Preacher

And yet, his policy pushes are always progressive (meshing well with BlueSky/MSNOW rhetoric), arguing the Bible supports his views. He’s a baby-faced 37, part of a new generation, raising millions for his party.

So he’s a progressive, a politician, and a preacher who loves to preach. So progressives celebrate him while conservatives can’t believe he’s a statewide candidate in Texas.

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Progressive Christians like Stephen Colbert love him and gave him extra attention when he was running his primary race against the much better-known U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D.-Texas.

National fundraising has sent him millions from across the nation. He has also tied Christianity to oddly non-Christian arguments like:

• Calling God “nonbinary.”
• Arguing that God giving the Blessed Mother the choice of whether to have Jesus signaled the Lord is fine with abortion. “I say this in the context of abortion… The Angel comes down and asks Mary if this is something she wants to do.”
• In a 2024 podcast, he said “ in the black churches that I’ve been in, they, I think because of their position in this country historically and currently, have a much deeper and more accurate understanding of what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st century,” than predominantly white Christian churches. “So I’m glad that we are learning from black churches.”
• Love is love? A podcaster asked him to name “Something that you love that’s not family or friends.” Talarico answered, “Trans children.”

But the latest quote compresses all the others into one sentence.

Talarico saying, “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity,” sums up something even bigger.

The comment came in a 2021 audio interview discussion with progressive Robyn “Roberto” Henderson-Espinoza. Republicans were quick to spread it online and all across conservative media.

Later in the interview, he adds, “I always get drawn back into it (Christianity) because nowhere else, in no other political philosophy and no other economic theory do I find anything nearly as truly radical or revolutionary as the teachings of that barefoot Rabbi (Jesus).”

“The most popular figure in our country, particularly on the conservative right, is this socialist anarchist from ancient Palestine, right?” Talarico added. “It’s such a strange paradox to me.”

He then compares Christ’s teachings to “the teachings of the Buddha and other mystical traditions.” Listen to the comment below, where it makes it clear he has a love/hate relationship with Christianity, which keeps pulling him back in:

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Can You Love Jesus But Hate His Church? Better to Love Christianity While Recognizing All Christians Are Flawed

There are, in fact, several non-practicing Christians who say they love Jesus but hate Christianity, religion, and the Church Jesus founded nearly 2,000 years ago.

James Talarico speaking at a press conference at the Texas Capitol on January 13, 2025

The Barna Group found about 10% of Christians are “dechurched” Christians, saying they still care about Jesus, while saying they won’t attend Church because of bad experiences they’ve had at Church.

My bride and I attended multiple Gospel music festivals (that we enjoyed greatly), yet, we were also struck by the non-Catholic tendency of songs that threw in little one-line rejections of “religion” while saying they need Jesus. Can you really love a bridegroom if you hate being his bride?

Just as we talk about a “head of household,” Jesus is the head of the Church, and the rest of us are the pieces of his body, the Body of Christ.

[embed]Walk a Mile in His Shoes A cradle Catholic immersed himself in the Christian Gospel music culture for 12 hours of shows — we’ll be backmedium.com

Philosopher Peter Kreeft cites the opposite conclusion: Christianity itself is perfect, the perfect bride of Christ, with just one flaw: Christians, who are all imperfect. In the Creed, we affirm “I believe in one holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.” It’s Christians publicly affirming and believing in Christianity and the Church.

[embed]Why Believing in One Church Matters The Journey Towards Unity: Rediscovering One Churchmedium.com

A better understanding of religion: The word “religion” is derived from an ancient Latin word meaning “binding relationship.” In this case, it’s a binding relationship with God and His Church, the Body of Christ.

[embed]The Real Meaning of Religion: A Binding Relationship, Reconnecting The real reason non-believers don’t trust or believe in happily ever? They always need an escape hatch, ways to end…medium.com

So saying you love Christians and hate Christianity is kind of like saying “I love my wife, but I hate our marriage.” Or “I love my husband, but I hate being his wife.”

But please remember, Talarico said, “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.” Which would make him a “bride of Christ” who hates the marriage but loves Christ, while seeing him very differently than the other brides see him.

[embed]Religion Means the Relationship Before the Rules Inside JD Vance’s Confrontation with Catholic Bishops: A Bold Reformation of Ordered Love?medium.com

But There’s a Method to the Madness

Talaricho is running in Texas, a very Christian state, but he’s simultaneously trying to court non-Christian voters/donors nationwide (who tend to vote Democratic), so the anti-Christians smile and call his remarks “based.”

So even if he loses, which now seems likely, he will continue to inspire like-minded Democrats to keep making gifts to their party.

[embed]Above: James Talarico featured by progressive Stephen Colbert.

Matt Fradd Reminds Us: The Holy Spirit is a Defense Attorney, While Satan is the Accuser

Free will means everyone created by God has the right to reject God, which is how an angel named Lucifer led the first rebellion in history against God and the Body of Christ.

Lucifer became Satan, and he is called “the accuser” cause he is always accusing God and his children/followers, calling us by our sins, while Jesus, the uniter, calls us by our name.

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Christ sent us the Holy Spirit (pure love itself) to fill us with love and hope, while simultaneously serving as a defense attorney to answer and defeat the charges of the accuser.

God’s great gamble: For love and truth to be real, we must always be able to choose their opposites. So Satan and his followers choose the opposite and encourage others to join them.

Christian maturity means being careful about what you choose while remembering the first three most important commandments are about honoring God and putting him first because his ways are always better than ours. The accuser is always the enemy, trying to fool us like a smart lawyer or a clever marketer. The decoy effect?

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Pope Leo XIII, seeing Satan’s influence would peak in the 20th century, wrote the Prayer to St. Michael to protect us from the accuser. The best Catholic parishes end Mass with this prayer:

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

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[embed]The Prayer to St. Michael: Why Every ‘On Fire’ Parish Prays ‘Defend Us in Battle’ As Mass Ends Seven reasons the most fervent parishes end Mass with the Prayer to St. Michaelmedium.com

[embed]How St. Michael’s Influence Shaped Pope Leo’s Powerful Prayer Unveiling the Secrets Behind Pope Leo, St. Michael, and Their Transformative Prayermedium.com

[embed]Why God Allows Evil: Can’t He Kill Satan? Delete the Devil and a human — maybe you? — becomes the “worst person in the world”medium.com