An Atheist Site Celebrates Pastor’s Reimagining of Scriptures
An atheist website is recognizing the support from Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico’s pastor for a revised interpretation of the Bible, describing his stance as “not at all” controversial.
Talarico, who advocates for controversial issues like the surgical alteration of confused youth and sees the safeguarding of children’s innocence from radical leftist agendas as part of a “Christofascism movement,” is mentored by Rev. Jim Rigby. Rigby leads St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, and recently faced criticism after an undercover video released by Breitbart News captured him inviting atheists to his church. Rigby stated, “If you love humanity and love nature and that’s why you hate religion, then we’re on the same team.”
The footage features Rigby preparing to address a Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) event. This organization explicitly dismisses the significance of Christian principles in America, asserting that “The history of Western civilization shows us that most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free from religion.”
Rigby mentioned that he often collaborates with non-theists and noted, “I’ve been on trial within the denomination for LGBT issues, abortion, and non-theists… We had an atheist join the church, but that’s not a big deal here.”
The Friendly Atheist website, which is managed by Hemant Mehta, backs Rigby and expresses frustration over conservatives’ criticism of a pastor who claims he shares common ground with atheists.
In a post defending Rigby, the Friendly Atheist pointed out, “If a conservative preacher said he welcomed atheists in his church, he would be praised for attracting them to his ministry. But when Rigby says it, he’s attacked,” seemingly missing the point that Rigby faces backlash for altering Christian doctrine and distributing modified Bibles in the name of inclusivity. Interestingly, Rigby opts not to refer to Jesus as “Lord,” explaining that the term evokes an image of a wealthy, European, male deity. Additionally, he avoids using male pronouns for God, despite biblical references framing God as our “Father.”
These actions suggest that Rigby may be more interested in engaging with atheists as a political statement, rather than from genuine concern for their spiritual well-being.
The piece on Friendly Atheist references a Breitbart headline and elaborates that such sentiments can also be found in megachurches, where pastors often criticize “religion” for being about rules, advocating instead for a personal “relationship” with Jesus. The article highlights various pastors who share this viewpoint, noting that discussions around the conflicts between love for Jesus and disdain for organized religion are not new.
Ultimately, there’s a sense that Rigby may not be rejecting religion in the same manner as others might, given his apparent disregard for essential biblical principles.
Historically, Jesus warned the Pharisees about the dangers of prioritizing man-made religious rules over the gospel, a position Rigby does not seem to adopt.
The Friendly Atheist also critiques articles that question Talarico and Rigby’s church for providing new members with an “Inclusive Bible” that eliminates gendered language for God—a move in line with Rigby’s views on gender. This Inclusive Bible is noted for using “only inclusive language” that deviates from the traditional King James Version.
The First Egalitarian Translation of the Inclusive Bible claims to not only replace male pronouns but also seeks “new and non-sexist ways to express the same ancient truths,” suggesting a fresh interpretation of the scriptures.
In conclusion, the Friendly Atheist suggests that criticism of Rigby indicates that efforts to discredit Talarico are failing, further asserting without evidence that conservatives are struggling to convince the public of Talarico’s Christian authenticity.
On the other hand, conservatives argue they are merely highlighting what Talarico and Rigby profess in their own words. Talarico himself has been seen minimizing the name and authority of Jesus in his public prayers, concluding with “all your many names” while referencing various religions.
A critical aspect of Christianity is the acknowledgment of Jesus as the singular way, truth, and life. Both Talarico and Rigby appear to deviate from this core belief, indicating that, to them, ultimate authority lies more in progressive liberalism, shifting political currents, social popularity, and emotional considerations than in scriptural fidelity.
