Dem Texas Senate nominee James Talarico claims there is 'no historical, theological, biblical basis' for Christians to be pro-life

Texas State Rep James Talarico has won the state’s Democratic primary for the US Senate, and will go on to face the winner of the Republican Primary runoff election. The Democrat has come under fire for comments made regarding Christianity and abortion during a July 2025 appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, in which he claimed there was a biblical basis to support abortion. 

Talarico told Rogan that there is "no historical, theological, biblical basis" for the idea that "to be a Christian means you have to be anti-gay and anti-abortion." He later added, "this idea that there is a set Christian orthodoxy on the issue of abortion is just not rooted in scripture."

When asked what biblical evidence there was for being pro-abortion, Talarico cited the book of Genesis, in which "God creates life by breathing life into the first human being, which we later call Adam. That life starts when you take your first breath. And that is actually the main line position in Judaism, is that’s when life starts." 

"Then, if you think about it from a Christian perspective, something interesting that Jesus does throughout his ministry is he is breaking first-century norms about women. Talking with women, learning from women, having women lieutenants in his movement. And this was something that was kind of unheard of in the first century." He said that "this affirmation of women as full and equal people is a huge part of the Jesus movement."

"And then the last, I think story I would go to is the story of Mary. Mary is probably my favorite figure in the Bible, the mother of Jesus. And you know, she is, she’s an oppressed peasant teenage girl living in poverty under an oppressive empire as a Jew, and she has a vision from God that she’s going to give birth to a baby who’s going to bring the powerful down from their thrones, going to scatter the proud, who’s going to send the rich away empty."

"I say all this in terms of, in context of abortion, because before God comes over Mary and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent, which is remarkable. I mean, go back and read this in Luke. I mean, the angel comes down and asks Mary if this is something she wants to do, and she says, if it is God’s will, let it be done."

"So to me, that is an affirmation in one of our most central stories, that creation has to be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create. Creation is one of the most sacred acts that we engage in as human beings. But that has to be done with consent. It has to be done with freedom, and to me, that is absolutely consistent with the ministry and life and death of Jesus