| Submit your comments on this article |
| Olde Tyme Religion |
| Talarico Claims That Islam Shaped His Faith As Much As Christianity |
| 2026-07-29 |
| [PJM] Texas Opie does the Pander Bear cosplay Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing renewed scrutiny after previously overlooked audio resurfaced showing him crediting Islamic mystics and the Muslim Sufi poet Rumi with shaping his Christian faith as much as Christian authors. The remarks came during an April 2024 appearance on The State of Belief podcast alongside Muslim Texas Democrat state Rep. Salman Bhojani. In the interview, Talarico praised interfaith dialogue and said it had deepened his understanding of Christianity. Talarico’s current "girlfriend", Brianna Menard, was working as a staffer for Bhojani at the time of the interview, according to the Texas Scorecard. RNC Research and The Daily Wire rediscovered the 2024 podcast. "I know personally that I've learned as much about my faith from Salman's tradition, from the Islamic mystics, from poets like Rumi, as much as I have from Christian authors and Christian writers," said Talarico, who was then a state lawmaker and pastor at the far-left woke St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin. His remarks, which listeners can view as theologically inconsistent with traditional Christian doctrine, did not appear to faze him. He added that conversations with people of other faiths do not weaken religious conviction but instead strengthen it by bringing "new flavors and new colors" to one's tradition. Talarico also quoted the 13th-century Persian mystic Rumi, saying, "In every religion there is love, yet love has no religion." The resurfaced comments arrive as Talarico campaigns across Texas while frequently describing his beliefs as rooted in "biblical Christianity." Critics argue that his previous statements present a markedly different theological message than the one he emphasizes on the campaign trail. The latest controversy follows renewed attention to remarks Talarico made during a 2021 interview in which he described himself as "a Christian who hates Christianity." He later explained that he was criticizing institutional Christianity while remaining committed to the teachings of Jesus. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #2 |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2026-07-29 17:53 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2026-07-29 11:05 |