Rev. Jim Rigby, chaplain at James Talarico's home church, identified in video footage.Talarico's Church Doubts Jesus Existed; Democrat Distances Himself
Intra-Party Split Detected
Progressive Christian clergy at Talarico's church espouse unorthodox theology (doubting Jesus's existence, rejecting the virgin birth and atonement) that even Talarico's own pastor calls 'uncomfortable' and more mysticism than traditional Christianity, while Talarico's campaign has reportedly distanced itself from the pastor amid concerns over how these views play with Texas's largely Christian electorate.
Left says
- •St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church encourages congregants to wrestle openly with faith and 'think for themselves' rather than accept doctrine uncritically, which is a longstanding tradition within progressive Christianity.
- •Talarico's own theology emphasizes pluralism and mysticism, reflecting a personal and evolving faith rather than a rigid political tool, and he should not be held responsible for every view expressed by clergy at a church he attends.
- •Undercover recordings by partisan outlets are designed to embarrass a Democratic candidate ahead of a competitive Senate race rather than to inform voters about his actual policy positions.
- •Attacking a candidate's pastor or church community for unorthodox theological musings distracts from substantive issues like healthcare, abortion rights, and economic policy that matter to Texas voters.
Right says
- •Voters deserve to know that the church closely associated with a Senate candidate has clergy who reject foundational Christian beliefs like the virgin birth and the resurrection's saving purpose.
- •Talarico's own sermons describing God as 'not a being' and praising non-Christian mystics suggest a broader pattern of theological ambiguity that raises legitimate questions given Texas's heavily Christian electorate.
- •The pastor's own admission that Talarico's campaign has 'distanced' from him and that his advisors are managing the political fallout suggests an awareness that these beliefs could hurt him electorally.
- •Warning congregants about hidden cameras rather than defending the theological statements themselves suggests concern about political exposure rather than confidence in the beliefs expressed.
Common Take
High Consensus- James Talarico was baptized as a child by Rev. Jim Rigby and has a decades-long personal relationship with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin.
- Rigby has publicly confirmed that Talarico's campaign has distanced itself from him amid the controversy.
- The story is unfolding roughly 40 days before a competitive U.S. Senate election between Talarico and Ken Paxton.
- Undercover video footage obtained by conservative outlets is the source of the controversial statements from church clergy.
The Arguments
Left argues
St. Andrew's tradition of encouraging congregants to 'think for themselves' rather than accept doctrine uncritically reflects a longstanding strand of progressive Christian theology, not some fringe conspiracy, and Talarico shouldn't be tarred for every view expressed by clergy at a church he attends.
Right counters
Talarico wasn't just a passive attendee — he was baptized there, actively preached his own sermons rejecting Jesus as 'the only way to God,' and maintained a close, decades-long mentorship with the pastor, making the church's theology directly relevant to understanding his own beliefs.
Right argues
Texas voters, 67% of whom identify as Christian, have a legitimate interest in knowing that a Senate candidate's home church and personal mentor reject foundational Christian tenets like the virgin birth and the resurrection's saving purpose, especially when the candidate himself has echoed similarly unorthodox language about God.
Left counters
Scrutinizing a candidate's personal theology sets a troubling precedent and distracts from substantive policy questions — voters can evaluate Talarico on his actual legislative record and positions rather than on sermons delivered by clergy who don't speak for him politically.
Right argues
The pastor's own admission that Talarico's campaign has 'distanced' from him and that advisors are managing the fallout is itself evidence that even Talarico's camp recognizes these beliefs are a political liability, undercutting the claim that this is a manufactured non-issue.
Left counters
A candidate distancing himself from a single pastor's remarks doesn't prove the theology is disqualifying — it may simply reflect normal campaign message discipline, the same instinct any politician has to avoid being defined by someone else's out-of-context comments.
Left argues
These undercover recordings, produced by openly partisan conservative outlets ahead of a competitive Senate race, are engineered to embarrass a Democrat rather than inform voters about his actual policy positions on healthcare, abortion, or the economy.
Right counters
The method of the reporting doesn't change the authenticity of the content — the pastor and chaplain said what they said on camera, and voters can judge for themselves whether that reflects the values of the community shaping a candidate they're asked to trust.
Right argues
The pastor warning his congregation about hidden cameras rather than defending or clarifying the theological statements themselves suggests the concern is about political exposure and controlling the narrative, not confidence that these beliefs will hold up to scrutiny.
Left counters
Warning a congregation about deceptive undercover recording tactics is a reasonable pastoral response to protect parishioners' privacy and guard against selective editing, not necessarily an admission that the underlying theology is indefensible.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If progressive theology's core value is that congregants should 'think for themselves' rather than defer to doctrine, why should voters be expected to simply defer to the campaign's framing that Talarico's mentor, church, and years of sermons are irrelevant to understanding his own beliefs?”
Left asks Right
“If a candidate's personal religious views expressed in his own sermons are fair game for scrutiny, why is the standard applied selectively to Democrats espousing unorthodox theology rather than equally to Republican candidates whose churches or pastors hold views (e.g., on end-times politics or dominionism) that might also unsettle mainstream voters?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Progressive Christian activists and clergy like Rev. Jim Rigby and Rev. Babs Miller represent a small but vocal fringe (~10-15% of the left) who openly embrace deconstruction theology and reject biblical literalism; most mainstream Democrats would distance themselves from these specific theological claims even while defending Talarico politically.
Right Fringe
Figures like Breitbart's contributors and some Christian nationalist commentators (~15-20% of the right) push this story as evidence of a broader liberal war on Christianity, framing it in maximalist terms as blasphemy rather than a nuanced political liability question, which goes further than most rank-and-file Republicans would frame it.
Noise Assessment
High — this is largely a manufactured campaign-season controversy driven by undercover video sting operations from Breitbart and Daily Wire, and most ordinary voters are not deeply engaged with the theological nuances; the discourse is disproportionately amplified by partisan media compared to genuine grassroots public concern.
Sources (5)
<p>The Rev. Babs Miller, a chaplain at Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico's church, says Jesus did not die for the sins of humanity and that she is not sure whether God's Son even really existed at all.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/25/lesbian-chaplain-at-senate-candidate-james-talaricos-church-jesus-didnt-die-to-save-humanity/" rel="nofollow">Knudsen — Chaplain at Senate Candidate James Talarico’s Church: ‘We Have No Way of Knowing If Jesus Really Existed’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.breitbart.com" rel="nofollow">Breitbart</a>.</p>
<p>An Episcopal priest in New York City declared that Jesus is "transgender" and told the congregation that if they deny this, they are denying the "divinity" of Christ.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2026/09/25/nyc-episcopal-priest-declares-jesus-is-transgender-if-you-deny-this-you-deny-his-divinity/" rel="nofollow">NYC Episcopal Priest Declares Jesus Is ‘Transgender’: If You Deny This, You Deny His ‘Divinity’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.breitbart.com" rel="nofollow">Breitbart</a>.</p>
The lead pastor at James Talarico’s home church warned his small congregation about hidden cameras as The Daily Wire revealed that church leadership doubts whether Jesus ever existed and said that the Texas Democrats’ political makeover is a lie. Rev. Jim Rigby addressed the swirling controversy and growing scrutiny surrounding St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church as ...
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James Talarico’s longtime pastor and trusted mentor expressed discomfort with the Texas Democrat’s religious beliefs, describing him as more of a mystic than a Christian, according to undercover footage obtained by The Daily Wire. Rev. Jim Rigby, who has served as lead pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin for more than 35 years, ...