Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is running to flip the state’s Senate seat from red to blue, has often touted his Christian faith. It has become an integral part of his political brand and he often skews scripture in a way that supports his political agenda.
He has made many a wild claim about how Jesus’ teachings support his progressive ideology. From claiming that Mary’s agreeing to carry the baby Jesus supports abortion to arguing that Christianity mandates government-run healthcare, Talarico has essentially dressed authoritarianism in Christian clothing.
“Love your neighbor,” Talarico said at a campaign event. “Political positions should grow out of that to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and heal the sick.”
But what is interesting about Talarico’s religion is that when you take a closer look at the positions he holds, one thing becomes clear: This man does not worship Christ. He worships the state. Every solution he proposes has little to do with empowering believers to take on America’s problems and everything to do with putting the government in the position of God.
Let’s take economics, for example. Talarico presents himself as a moral crusader against concentrated wealth. During a town hall event he argued “It’s the billionaires waging war against the rest of us, and right now the billionaires are winning.”
He also claimed that “Trickle-down economics is not a theory, it is theft.”
To address this issue, Talarico is one of many so-called progressives who advocate for changing the tax code and economic rules so “those at the top” pay more. In essence, he believes the government should possess the money, not private civilians.
But his statement about trickle economics being “theft” is rather ironic considering the solutions he puts forth. Yes, plenty of corporations are corrupt, greedy, and even evil in some cases. But when was the last time you saw a major corporation force people to give them their hard-earned cash under the threat of imprisonment? Has any company sent men with guns and badges to enforce their claim to our money?
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Of course not.
Instead, he wants all of the power to be concentrated into the hands of politicians and bureaucrats who can use force to compel us to hand over our money — and even property under threat of government-sanctioned violence.
Which scenario is closer to being theft: A company that offers products and services for money or an entity that literally swipes money out of your paycheck and spends it how they see fit?
What about healthcare? As a Type One diabetic. Talarico has used his story to argue that the government should guarantee access to medical care. In a campaign ad, he told viewers that his first insulin prescription cost hundreds of dollars and that he “couldn’t afford that.”
After he was elected, he pushed to cap insulin co-pays at $25 per month, meaning the government is forcing companies to charge lower prices. As always, the state is the solution — instead of getting the government out of the healthcare industry and allowing free markets to lower prices while increasing quality.
People like Talarico profess faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit. But when it comes to solving America’s problems, none of those concepts come into play. When people are hungry, the government should feed them. If someone is sick, the government should control their healthcare. The poor should turn to government for their needs.
Yet, I’ve not seen one clip where Talarico advocates for Christ followers to work together to deal with these issues. Every single solution I’ve heard him present is about government, not the people — or God. His brand of political theology would minimize the role Christ told us to take on while maximizing the state. This vision, drawn to its logical conclusion, would create a society in which we turn to Washington, D.C. instead of our Creator.
Is this not the idolatry the Bible warns of?
Yes, the poor must be helped. The sick must be healed. The hungry must be fed.
But Christ instructed us to fill these needs, not the government. He never told us to outsource our Christian duty to a gaggle of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats in the Capitol.
Folks like James Talarico are working desperately to convince Christ followers to place their trust in the government, not God. They use Christ’s teachings to deceive people into believing that granting ultimate authority and power to the state is what Jesus commanded. Unfortunately, far too many believers are falling for it.
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