David French, who we like to call ‘The State’s Fool”, is a self-proclaimed “conservative” Christian commentator who can always be counted on to give the worst take possible on any situation.
These positions include announcing he’s pro-‘same-sex marriage, supporting ‘gender-affirming’ care for children, condemning Texas University for banning drag shows, declaring he’s voting for a Harris/ Walz ticket, getting upset when Christians call chemical castration of children “abusive,”and being a believer in using transgender personal pronouns.
After James Talarico won the nomination to be the Texas Democratic Senate nominee just a few days ago, a 2022 sermon he preached at his home church (PCUSA) went viral.
In it, he preached one of the most blasphemous and wicked messages we’ve heard, arguing that Mary giving God consent to implant her with Jesus is a biblical argument for being pro-choice and that Jesus himself was likely pro-choice. He also used the non-biblical Gospel of Thomas to argue for transgenderism, while saying things like:
“Our trans community needs abortion care too…so when I use the word ‘woman’ it should not be understood as an exhaustive term, but rather as a lens through which to understand, examine and interrogate patriarchy.”
While Christians on social media spent their time blasting this particular Democrat as demonic, David French had a different opinion. In an op-ed, he wrote that far from being a false brother, James Talarico is actually “one of the few openly Christian politicians in the United States who acts like a Christian.”
French further describes Talarico as “one of the most faith-forward politicians in the United States” who “doesn’t just root his policies and ideology in his Christian beliefs” but is instead a seminarian willing to dive deep into theology.
Pointedly, he proffers that “Just as Christian conservatives often root their arguments about immigration and abortion in Scripture, so does Talarico,”
The two are not the same, however, as Talarico’s scripture twisting is obscene. Case in point:
French insists that “Talarico is one of the few openly Christian politicians in the United States who acts like a Christian, and by acting like a Christian he reveals a profound contrast with so many members of the MAGA Christian movement that’s dominated American political life for 10 years” and points out that “the Bible contains remarkably few political mandates…but there is an immense amount of guidance describing how Christians should behave.”
This is where he believes Talarico shines. French believes that MAGA Christainity has become cruel, and Talarico is an antidote of kindness. He concludes:
This miserable political moment won’t end when the left takes back the government from the right or if the right continues to beat the left. It will end when our politicians — especially Christian politicians — forsake cruelty for compassion and realize that we shall know Christians in politics not by their stridency and ideology, but by their integrity and love, including their love for, as Talarico put it, “all of our neighbors.”
That’s the significance of the Talarico moment — not the old news that a Christian can be progressive, but rather that Christian politicians can actually act like Christians. Kindness still has a place in the public square, even if it doesn’t always seem that way.
Editor’s Note. Tellingly, coming to French’s defense is Christianity Today‘s Mike Cosper, who simply cannot comprehend how anyone could have a problem with French touting Talarico as an amazing Christian.
