Pastoral titles and Bible verses can make a political campaign sound like a Christian witness. But a candidate’s use of Jesus’ name does not tell voters whether he is faithful to Jesus’ teaching. That question has to be answered by examining the whole message: what a candidate affirms, what he rejects, and what he leaves out.
That is the challenge facing Christian voters as Democrats James Talarico in Texas and Adam Hamilton in Kansas place their faith near the center of their campaigns. Talarico invokes Scripture against Christian nationalism and calls for “flipping tables.” Hamilton presents himself as a pastor and bridge-builder. Both are seeking to reach voters who may be wary of Republicans or dissatisfied with the candidates on the other side.
There is nothing wrong with a Christian running for office, and no political party owns the name of Christ. Christians should scrutinize conservative candidates who use religious language while acting against biblical principles, too. But a campaign does not become Christian simply because its candidate quotes Scripture, serves as a pastor, or speaks about protecting the vulnerable.
When Scripture Is Made to Say the Opposite
Talarico’s religious language raises more than a question about political style. In a Texas House prayer, he described God as “nonbinary,” drawing on the biblical statement that humanity was created male and female in God’s image. But Genesis is describing human beings as male and female; it is not presenting God as a nonbinary being. The passage does not support turning God into a reflection of today’s gender politics.
His defense of abortion rights also raises a direct conflict with a historic Christian understanding of the value of unborn life. Talarico has argued that the Bible’s account of Adam receiving life with his first breath means Scripture does not establish life before birth. But the Bible’s description of Adam’s creation is not a teaching that human life has no value in the womb. Scripture portrays God as knowing and forming people before birth. A campaign cannot settle the question by selecting one passage and ignoring the wider biblical witness.
These are not minor disagreements over how to fund a program or regulate an industry. They touch the nature of God, the meaning of human life, and the authority of Scripture. Voters should ask whether the Bible is shaping the candidate’s views–or being recruited to defend positions he has already chosen.
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