“Yeah. And that’s, you know, I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.”
Texas Senate hopeful Democrat James Talarico joined queer activist theologian Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza, a trans man, and Rev. Anna Golladay on the Activist Theology podcast to speak about the intersection of faith, politics and morality. During that 2021 interview, he revealed that he thinks of himself “as a Christian who hates Christianity.”
FLASHBACK: In 2021, James Talarico said he thinks of himself as a “Christian who hates Christianity.” pic.twitter.com/rEFjEABYQA
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 23, 2026
Talarico spoke to the two podcast hosts about the responsibility of the left in the United States, of Democrats to take up the helm of morality. He called on Democrats to do a “better job.” He has also said that he supports abortion because of his Christian faith, citing the Virgin Mary as having given “consent” to be impregnated.
“We have ceded moral language to the right for the past, what, 40, 50 years, right?” Talarico said. “That is because they recognize that people can’t live on bread alone, right? We on the left always try to meet people’s material needs only, right? They need a higher wage, they need these benefits, they need a high-paying job, which is true, absolutely true. But people also need meaning and they need purpose, right? They need connection. Those are things you can legislate with a 12-point plan, right?”
He said that he’s had “doubts” about the usefulness of electoral politics, saying, “Is that the place where that change can really occur? I’ve had doubts about whether electoral politics, which I love and I believe in, and I believe in democracy. But I wonder, is it up to the task, especially in a time of climate change, right? We’re running out of time to change our moral foundations. And I fear if we don’t act soon, it might be over for our species.”