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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48166923

James Talarico has been found guilty of quoting Jesus. The sentence he uttered, according to right-wing media, was “demonic” and “blasphemous,” exposing him as a “fake Christian.” Talarico is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas on a platform The New Yorker recently described as basically the New Testament. One Newsmax host accused him of using fake Bible passages.

The passages in question are familiar ones, found in Matthew 22 and Matthew 25. Love God and love your neighbor. Feed the hungry, heal the sick, welcome the stranger. They are, in fact, in the Bible.

The right’s attacks on Talarico aren’t about him, or at least not entirely. They’re about a much older argument — one progressive Christianity has been losing in public for 50 years — about whose version of the faith gets to count as real. The answer to that question has consequences far beyond any Senate race. When Christianity becomes a tool of power rather than a challenge to it, it doesn’t just damage the church. It destabilizes democracy. We are watching that happen in real time.

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[-] Chivera@lemmy.world 34 points 2 days ago

Pete Hegseth quoted a fictional passage and they said nothing.

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[-] Dryad@lemmy.world 101 points 3 days ago

The “Christian” right should try reading the Bible more than listening to Fox News.

[-] Zier@fedia.io 48 points 3 days ago

Faux News is their bible.

[-] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago

You lost them at "reading"

[-] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 23 points 3 days ago

The Christian right is actually worshipping a false idol, taking His name in vain, and working to undermine the word of God by trying to force the starting of Rapture. The fools are so eager to not die they're killing the world.

[-] SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml 17 points 3 days ago

Pronounced Faux Nooz. When you want to think, they will tell you what to think.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

read? the bible?

Why?

The bible is nothing but a tool, a cudgel, used to beat others into submission. Its not like theres anything important inside of it.

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 3 points 2 days ago

I still maintain that they need to introduce a new Bible. One that's actually interesting and the people would read.

"Jesus Christ, the teenage years". I want a YA novel about Jesus' misspent youth running from Roman police.

[-] flamingleg@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago

you laugh, but the quran already exists

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

iirc there are books from the bible that cover Jesus's youth, but they are kept out to preserve the desired narrative.

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 2 days ago

Oh I know. That's what I mean, the Bible is it stands is boring and isn't engaging to anyone. That's why both Christians and non-Christians both failed to read it.

At one point Jesus has a brother, who presumably wasn't very successful which is why he's never mentioned again. Oh and there's also a dragon. At one point Jesus fights a dragon. Officially, Christians believe in dragons. Why are they hiding all of this, it's good stuff. I'd worship a dragon.

[-] illi@piefed.social 32 points 3 days ago

When Christianity becomes a tool of power

When? We are far beyond that point...

[-] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago

When? The day after Jesus died ( the second time)

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[-] UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Religion was always a tool of power. Men in robes making making shit up to control others. Tribalism is our downfall.

[-] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

Yeah, people remember hippie Jesus from the 1960's and forget the 1,500 years Christianity propped up monarchical feudalism. Forget it, guys: religion will never lead people to the promised land. The human instinct to us/them is too strong and religion is an accelerant to that more that it ever will be for neighborly love.

Most of them cant read above a 4th grade level and could not write a coherent essay on literally anything. So. Ya know. Ta-da!

[-] yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 37 points 3 days ago

anti-Christian right. There are no right-wing Christians. The whole concept is oxymoronic. It’s like meat-eating vegans or smart crypto bros.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 days ago

It's not though, Christianity does not equal Jesus teachings as much as you wish it did. Christianity has been against Christ's message from day one. He literally says don't worship me, and then a religion worshipping him is born almost immediately.

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[-] Rothe@piefed.social 8 points 2 days ago

Of course there are lots and lots of right wing Christians. The credentials to calling yourself Christian is exactly that: "call yourself Christian". There aren't any authority on who can call themselves Christian. There are authorities on whether you can join specific nominations, but there are countless of them, and in the end you can just make your own if that is your thing.

So arguing that they aren't Christians is using the "no true Scotsman" fallacy. If you call yourself Christian you are in the same group as these people, and it is a personal issue whether that is a problem for you or not.

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[-] prole 6 points 2 days ago
[-] flamingleg@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago

depends on who you ask.

As a tradition, orthodoxy has it. As an active form of magical practise, the gnostics have it (watch out for fakes lol) As an expression of the Holy Spirit, atheists who perform good for its own sake have it.

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[-] grimpy@lemmy.myserv.one 47 points 3 days ago

“whatsoever you do to the least of mine you do unto me” right? that’s kryptonite for the GOP, suicidal empathy as they like to say these days

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago

They are just pissed he called them out. If they were smart enough to understand the Bible, they would have to admit they are the bad ones in the book. Luke 18, 9-24...

[-] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 days ago

Well, modern day American Christians are exactly the opposite of what Jesus and Christianity stand for, so I get it that they see Jesus as demonic.

[-] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago

The only real question in this race, and its a very real question, is whether or not Texans are capable of thinking for themselves or not. A very open question.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Which is why republicans have spent 50 years trying to undermine and destroy the American Education System.

If you sabotage the system, so kids cant learn how to think, investigate, or question.. then it becomes super easy to pump out new generations of conservatives.

[-] eestileib 28 points 3 days ago

Hmm neither article actually gives us the controversial quotation, just gets right to the apologetics.

Don't read the article, upvote if you like the sentiment I guess, but it's a waste of time to read.

[-] Davel23@fedia.io 43 points 3 days ago

The passages in question are familiar ones, found in Matthew 22 and Matthew 25. Love God and love your neighbor. Feed the hungry, heal the sick, welcome the stranger. They are, in fact, in the Bible.

Not only is it in the article, it's quoted in the post above.

[-] eestileib 21 points 3 days ago

That's not a quotation, that's a paraphrase. What did Talarico specifically say that people reacted to? Was it the actual verses? If so, which translation (using a modern-language translation alone could draw that condemnation from some commenters).

It quoted Talarico, at a different event, saying "Politics is just another word for how you treat your neighbors", but that's not the thing they were reacting to.

I'm curious to know specifically what he said that pissed people off, because the details are important when you're popcorning monotheistic textual sectarian religious spats.

[-] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 19 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

So what's your position, that there's a possibility that he did say something demonic and its all being misconstrued to make people "feel good?" For someone who's so interested in 'just asking questions,' you don't seem very interested in finding answers.

The article links to the sources of this controversy in the very first paragraph by the way.

If so, which translation (using a modern-language translation alone could draw that condemnation from some commenters).

Yeah I'm sure Fox News is hotly debating the merits of Hebrew vs Aramaic vs Greek.

[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago

In the Old Testament, only the books of Daniel and Ezra were written in Aramaic; the rest is Hebrew. All of the New Testament was written in koine Greek, though the Gospels quote short phrases of Jesus's speech that are in Aramaic, which was his primary language (there's some evidence that people in Galilee knew Greek, and he might have also known Hebrew, which was still spoken by the Samaritans as well as being the liturgical language of the Jewish religion).

[-] Asidonhopo@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

The original languages of both testaments is disputed by scholars, there's evidence both were written originally in Greek (the OT no earlier than 200BC) and translated later into Hebrew, Aramaic, etc. Hebrew was basically a dead language at the time the Old Testament was written, having around 8000 words, and the OT seems to draw heavily from Greek mythological texts available at the time through the Library of Alexandria.

Greek was the lingua franca of the time and Judea, Galilee and Bethlehem were thoroughly conquered at this time and Jesus and the disciples were native Greek speakers. The ruins of synagogues unearthed from the centuries near the crucifixion had Greek text on the walls.

In my opinion, anyone who tries to talk about the Bible but has a lack of understanding of the Grecoroman world is missing 90% of the picture. The most authentic texts are the Greek ones, the Seputagints for the Old Testament and the Greek versions for the New Testament.

Anyone interested in learning ancient Greek is fortunate right now as Dr. Ammon Hillman has a free 2 week intensive course up on his non monetized youtube channel along with a vast amount of supplementary material.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

RTFB[ible]. It says which passages were quoted; look them up yourself if you're that fucking worried about it!

At least, that's what you would do if you were actually "curious" and not concern trolling.

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[-] davidagain@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

using a modern-language translation alone could draw that condemnation from some commenters

You're hinting that it's in some sense invalid to quote the New Testament in some other language than Greek or something?!

I think you want to scrape the bark off two trees in the hope that once you're done people won't see the forest.

[-] DaleGribble88@programming.dev 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

There is a pretty significant portion of America Christians who believe than any translation besides the 1611 King James version of the Bible is blasphemous, nevermind that they are probably reading the 1769 version, but what matters is what think is the 1611 version.

[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

There's also a smaller but still significant portion of American Christians who juggle snakes and roll around in the aisles of their churches speaking in tongues.

And some fundies believe that, not only is the KJB the definitive text, but that ol' JC spoke English.

It's never wise to underestimate the lumpen stupidity of fundamentalists. They are largely morons led by con artists (though there are a depressingly small number of exceptions).

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[-] molehill_siesta 32 points 3 days ago

https://www.texasobserver.org/senate-james-talarico-presbyterian-christianity/

References a Colbert appearance, quoting and linking:

Talarico often says he learned from his Baptist preacher grandfather that Christians “follow a barefoot rabbi who gave us two commandments: Love God and love neighbor—because there is no love of God without love of neighbor.” That’s a reference to Matthew 22:36-40, one of Talarico’s go-to, and definitely non-“fake,” scripture passages. And as Talarico told Stephen Colbert, it has radical implications: We are to love our neighbor “regardless of race or gender or sexual orientation or immigration status or religious affiliation.” 

Another of Talarico’s go-to Gospel passages, Matthew 25:35-40, directly links love for Jesus with care for the hungry, the stranger, and the imprisoned. For many evangelicals, this passage refers mainly to a future end-times Tribulation. For Talarico, by contrast, it is manifestly current and intensely political. Here’s how he deploys it in the Colbert appearance:

“For 50 years, the religious right … convinced a lot of our fellow Christians that the most important issues were abortion and gay marriage … two issues that Jesus never talked about. Jesus in Matthew 25 tells us exactly how you and I and every one of our fellow believers [are] going to be judged and how we’re going to be saved: by feeding the hungry, by healing the sick, by welcoming the stranger.”

[-] eestileib 6 points 3 days ago

Awesome, thanks.

[-] dhork@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

That's because the problem is not whether or not he was exact in his quotation. He could have been reading those passages directly from the book and they would have still had a cow.

And the article actually nails the reason why quite well: those passages are inclusionary, and really points out how these Nationalist Christians are distorting that message. They have turned their form of American Christianity into only caring about abortion, guns, and how evil immigrants and trans people are. But the Jesus in that book loves everyone, unconditionally, and calls his followers to love everyone too.

If Jesus were alive today, the Nat-C's would have sent him to CECOT already. (It doesn't help his case that he's a brown-skinned Palestinian Jew....)

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev 4 points 2 days ago

But the Jesus in that book loves everyone, unconditionally, and calls his followers to love everyone too.

He also whipped the temple merchants and berated his disciples who went around getting coins in his name. Makes one wonder

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[-] laz@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 3 days ago

Well Satan himself quotes Jesus so I guess sure

[-] Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

Or herself.. eh? Think about it...

[-] SmackemWittadic@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago

I mean, literally "him" from the Powerpuff girls:

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 11 points 3 days ago

to be fair demons are closer to "god" than evangelicals to jesus/christianity.

[-] ellen.kimble@piefed.social 8 points 3 days ago

Yall need Jesus

[-] OpenStars@piefed.social 7 points 3 days ago

img

Counterpoint: test everything against what you KNOW to be true.

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 3 points 2 days ago

Both the real Christians and the fake ones can get in the sea because they're both as bad as each other. The Catholic church covers up horrendous crimes and the American televangelists take advantage of the most vulnerable in society. Neither of them actually practise the religion they claim to represent.

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this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2026
497 points (100.0% liked)

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