Talarico’s Pastor Questions Core Christian Beliefs
James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn, identifies as a part-time Presbyterian seminarian and claims that his faith influences his political views.
Talarico has previously named his pastor, Jim Rigby of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, as a significant influence on his life and faith. In a recent revelation, however, hidden-camera footage obtained by Blaze News shows Rigby questioning the validity of one of Christianity’s key tenets: the virgin birth.
When asked off-camera if he genuinely believes that a virgin had a child, Rigby replied, “I don’t.” According to the video, he suggested that ideas like the virgin birth are present in other religions, comparing it to concepts found in Hinduism. He posited that the story incorporates a more universal notion that all humans emerge from a transcendent source.
Rigby elaborated further, stating, “There’s a cosmic process, there’s animals and stuff, so when the Christmas story is told, all of that’s in there.” He even connected the concept of the virgin birth to Greek philosopher Plato, implying that such beliefs are rooted more in philosophical ideation than historical fact.
In another part of the footage, when asked whether Jesus could be seen as an “allegory,” Rigby expressed that he believes there likely was a historical Jesus, but feels that the narratives surrounding him have become so legendary that they are intertwined with myth.
He also expressed skepticism about the impossible task of truly knowing historical events from long ago, suggesting that Christianity is essentially conveying that “you’re a child of the stars.” Furthermore, in a different undercover video, Rigby flatly stated, “We all got in by lying” when questioned on the necessity of believing in the virgin birth to join St. Andrew’s Church.
Beyond denying the virgin birth, Rigby has also rejected belief in Christ’s resurrection and has been critical of supernatural beliefs and evangelical Christians. He has previously indicated hope that Talarico might take over his pastoral position.
The Talarico campaign and Rigby have yet to respond to the revelations in the footage.
