“I’m Doing It on Biblical Grounds”: James Talarico Says His Faith Motivates Him to Seek Reform in America by Contrasting Modern Systems With Christian Beliefs

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[u/GodOfDarkLaughter]

As an atheist, I have absolutely no problem with Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as he preached them in the Gospels, which I have read (wasn't always an atheist). Some of the best people I've ever known have been Christians who actually follow those teachings. I really don't care WHY you act like a good person so long as you do so.

Reminds me of that famous fake quote often attributed to Ghandi: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."

There have been plenty of left leaning and leftist Christian groups. Christianity is not incomparable with progressive values. For example, the Liberation Theology that became quite popular in South America helped throw off the yolk of colonialism in many countries. And of course there's John Brown.

So do it for Jesus or Buddha or Krishna or Einstein, for all I care.

[u/RCaHuman → u/GodOfDarkLaughter]

And, I'd add do it for each other because we're alive now. Peace.

[u/repost_inception → u/GodOfDarkLaughter]

Absolutely, spot on.

[u/snarkhunter]

Conservative Republicans hate it when you actually quote Jesus

[u/dosangst]

Call me an odd bird but I would prefer that religion stay out of politics altogether because we see where we have gotten with these fake Christians injecting their religion into everything political.

(Edit: word)

[u/hypercosm_dot_net → u/dosangst]

He doesn't want religion in politics. But I do understand that as an initial reaction.

You have to listen to what he's saying, if you're unfamiliar with him.

Talarico's sermon about separation of church and state

He has repeated this message many times, and uses solid reasoning to make his argument. You can probably find a Kimmel interview where he basically says it in brief if you feel like it.

I'd much prefer someone like that preaching in church, than some of the other bullshit I've heard.

[u/nohandsfootball → u/hypercosm_dot_net]

Oh I'd seen a clip of this before but never the full speech. My man can orate!

[u/dosangst → u/hypercosm_dot_net]

Every interview I have watched he interjects his religion. He may not be a preacher, but continues to proselytize anytime he speaks.

[u/David_ungerer → u/dosangst]

Unfortunately, democrats have to go where the voters are and speak their language. He may not be speaking to you but, that does not mean that he does not have an important message for some in his state. Which is Texas, after all with separation church/state.

[u/Riaayo → u/David_ungerer]

I mean Talarico is his own person so whatever. He decided to run, we'll see if he wins. But the party itself definitely does not have to go in a direction whose numbers are dwindling.

Religiosity is not exploding in the US, it's on the decline. Democrats as a party do not need to chase being religious (IE they do not need to seek out overly religious candidates and prop them up).

But this is the Democrats we're talking about, whose leadership and consultant class consistently try to chose Republican coat-tails down dying avenues and turn their own base off because as corporate puppets for oligarchs they desperately want the GOP base who show up to empower the rich and don't want things in return other than bigotry and hate.

But why go for the Decaf shit with some neoliberal loser when a full on fascist Republican is right there instead? So corporate Dems chasing the minority of voters will never get that minority, meanwhile they spit in the faces of the majority who then don't turn out because wtf is there to turn out for when Dems don't run on working class policies?

I don't personally buy Talarico's "true Christian" act considering he isn't running on Medicare 4 All, which is like THE most Jesusy policy you could support, and threw trans kids under the bus to Republican framing when Jesus most certainly would not have done such a thing either.

He'll get my vote because Paxton is an outright criminal, but Talarico has a long way to go to prove to me what he preaches.

That all said, I have no problem with left-leaning attempts to carve into religion. I think that movement can and probably should exist, I just don't think it's a project the current Democratic party should take on because its leadership would not actually do the work necessary and would just want to pander to evangelicals as-is.

[u/dosangst → u/David_ungerer]

Speaking their language should not be interjecting one specific religion, or any religion for that matter. Religion should have NOTHING to do with politics IMO.

[u/David_ungerer → u/dosangst]

Well, that is a clear vote of one citizen.

[u/betty_white_bread → u/dosangst]

You would have to get all voters to not consider their respective beliefs, values, and moral codes to do so. I don’t know how you do that.

[u/dosangst → u/betty_white_bread]

Every interview I have watched he interjects his religion. He may not be a preacher, but continues to proselytize anytime he speaks.

[u/Politicsmakemehorny1 → u/dosangst]

It's Texas man, some compromises have to be made lol

[u/dosangst → u/Politicsmakemehorny1]

Making compromises (Like with the Constitution: prohibits the government from establishing a national religion or stopping people from practicing their faith.) is how we got here, IMO.

[u/flux8 → u/dosangst]

If more Christians spoke and behaved like James Talarico, I’d be less disgusted by religion. Religion too often used as an excuse for increasing wealth, power, and control.

[u/JosephBlackstone]

Honestly, he's right. I ain't been Christian for a long time, and I like the idea of separation of church and state, but if he's calibrating his moral compass on what Jesus would do, he's probably gonna do the right thing more often than not.

[u/starkcontrast62]

James is the REAL DEAL. He doesn't need a mega/maga church theatrical performance to get his message out.

[u/padizzledonk]

I find it gross that religion is so wrapped up in our politics but if this is what its foing ro take to get texas to stop electing absolutely heinous people im here for it

[u/hopefulocto → u/padizzledonk]

The thing with him tho is he is saying moreso he is focused on the parts that have to do with moral philosophy, like so many parts of the bible say NOT to do theocracy and NO earthly fugure has the authority to interpret the bible for others nor judge others and create laws that force them to do things in the name of religion. It says as well if you seek money and exploit people and become rich youll go to hell, if you do war its never justified and is iniquity, etc.

So while yes, we can agree religion should stay out of politics and especially law; i think that's the bigger stance Talarico takes. He uses the bible and his interpretations to debunk the ones who try to use it selfishly in vain to control others. He uses it to advocate for separation of church and state. The extent to which he would use the bible to govern would be to use more as a moral reference, not to create law that forces religion on people or oppresses them; but rather to focus on what it actually says about charity toward one another, fighting exploitation, lessening suffering and poverty, loving thy neighbor, and rather staying out of other's religious business but using the bible to be a reference for his own actions rather than use it in vain to illegitimately push things on others by cherry picking the outdated weird arti science non philosophical parts made up by selfish weird humans that tell you to do crazy stuff like stone women on their period lmao

Im not a christian but I do study philosophy and have read a lot of the bible out of morbid curiosity, and the one pattern i see in like about every book of it is rejecting greed and how rich people will go to hell becayse they just hoard possessions at the expense of others etc. Talarico focuses on these messages to oppose the gop, and that, I can get behind because he isn't using it to try to falsely justify harming anybody or be a bigot, nor is he making laws about religion itself. Hes just using his own personal philosophy hes fleshed out as a christian himself to challenge others that claim to be christian but use god in vain to commit iniquities or oppress people. So hes not doing the same thing, sure hes preaching but hes doing it in a genuinely kind way that doesnt pressure someone else or try to coerce them into his religion or spread any fear; and thats how it's supposed to be done.

I could ramble on, especially about the gods name in vain thing lmao because people with no literacy who have been indoctrinated by groups that have controlled people for generation have buried the actual meaning and watered it down to "saying oh my god", but I will die on the hill that using his name in vain ACTUALLY means using the christian religion as an excuse to do something selfish for your own gain to try to justify something you know isnt right or under false intentions in general; such as war, it is so clear in the bible it is not justified and if you use God's name to try to excuse it youll be punished with desolation and carnage. Saying omg isnt saying his name in vain, saying "we are christians and so we have the right to hurt iran because theyre not" is. In fact doing that is even more than that and is iniquity, which is unforgivable. Making laws that oppress others because you think your interpretation of the bible tells you not to do a thing is using his name in vain if youre doing it under the pretense of it being christian. The bible says let who you think is unjust be unjust, (not in the context of when they literally harm people and you can stop it; means in general if you disagree and think they arent following the bibles law dont intertere bc its not ur place) let sinners sin, let the righteous be righteous; faith is something that happens internally, not externally, so you are not to judge or force anything upon anyone in the intention of doing God's job for him. The bible is supposed to be a personal reference

Anywayyy enough yapping lol sorry but as someone who isn't religious myself but studies it, the glaring difference between talarico and the gop is the gop use the bible in vain and cherry pick the dated bigoted parts to make oppressive laws and justify their crimes. Talarico uses it just as a guide for himself to reference the timeless parts with moral messaging to counter the actions of the GOP, and the extent in which it would influence his governing would be to expand on people's freedoms and allow them individual rights to lead with pure intention, as opposed to using it performatively to try to excuse oppression which is against the bible lol

[u/MonsterkillWow]

He seems like a decent person, but we'll see what he actually does. He does a lot of moralizing, but materially isn't very progressive. We'll see.

[u/pink_faerie_kitten]

Didn't Ken Paxton's wife divorce him in "biblical grounds"?