{"id":33017,"date":"2026-10-02T09:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T13:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=33017"},"modified":"2026-10-02T09:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T13:45:15","slug":"james-talarico-faces-backlash-over-calling-jesus-buddha-and-mr-rogers-prophetic-voices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2026\/10\/james-talarico-faces-backlash-over-calling-jesus-buddha-and-mr-rogers-prophetic-voices","title":{"rendered":"James Talarico Faces Backlash Over Calling Jesus, Buddha and Mr. Rogers \u2018Prophetic Voices\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@LoneStar_PAC \/ X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing renewed scrutiny over a years-old church sermon in which he described Jesus Christ, alongside Buddha, Muhammad, Mr. Rogers and other figures, as \u201cprophetic voices.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments came during a September 2019 sermon<\/a> at St. Andrew\u2019s Presbyterian Church in Austin, and they resurfaced this week after Lone Star Liberty PAC, which supports Talarico\u2019s Republican opponent Ken Paxton, shared a clip<\/a> on social media. Critics have accused Talarico of diminishing Christianity\u2019s teaching about Jesus\u2019 unique identity by placing Him alongside religious leaders and historical figures.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristianity, like all religions, is trying to help us understand what it means to be human,\u201d Talarico told the congregation.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristianity is the tradition in which I was raised. It\u2019s the vocabulary I know. Jesus is the prophetic voice in my own life,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

Talarico then suggested people might find prophetic voices in other religious traditions, naming Buddha, Muhammad, Moses, Lao Tzu, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama. He also included historical and cultural figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Toni Morrison, Mahatma Gandhi and Fred Rogers.<\/p>\n

Talarico broadened the definition further, saying a prophetic voice could be \u201cyour hometown pastor, your third-grade teacher, your parent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumanity\u2019s prophetic voices, from the Buddha to the Parkland students, should speak directly to each of our hearts,\u201d he said, referring to students who became gun-control activists following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.<\/p>\n

Those comments drew criticism from some Christians who argue that Scripture presents Jesus as more than simply one prophetic voice among many. The New Testament describes Christ as the Son of God and records Jesus declaring in John 14:6, \u201cI am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The resurfaced remarks come as Talarico campaigns against Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat in the Nov. 3 election. The Texas Secretary of State lists both men among the certified candidates for the race.<\/p>\n

Talarico also used much of his 2019 sermon to contrast Jesus with President Donald Trump, who was serving his first term at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clearest anti-Trump we have is Jesus of Nazareth,\u201d Talarico said, arguing that Jesus\u2019 teachings offered a way to \u201cdefeat Trumpism in our world and in ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

He contrasted the two men across a lengthy list of qualities, including humility, forgiveness, compassion and peace. \u201cTrump tweets, Jesus prays. Trump builds walls, Jesus builds bridges,\u201d Talarico said.<\/p>\n

Despite his sharp criticism of Trump, Talarico ended that portion of the sermon by saying he prayed for the president:<\/p>\n

\u201cI pray he remembers compassion; I pray he remembers love, and I pray he remembers his place in our human family.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing renewed scrutiny over a years-old church sermon in which he described Jesus Christ, alongside Buddha, Muhammad, Mr. Rogers and other figures, as \u201cprophetic voices.\u201d The comments came during a September 2019 sermon at St. Andrew\u2019s Presbyterian Church in Austin, and they resurfaced this week after Lone…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":33020,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nJames Talarico Faces Backlash Over Calling Jesus, Buddha and Mr. Rogers \u2018Prophetic Voices\u2019<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"James Talarico faces scrutiny as a 2019 church sermon about Jesus and other 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