James Talarico is living proof that there is hope for a new generation of Christian progressives. We'll be hearing from him in the future, I'm sure -- not in the next presidential race, but in US House and Senate elections to come. Fundamentalist "Christian nationalists" are deeply un-Christian; it's time to return to the fine old tradition of the Social Gospel. I anticipate that Talarico is the first of many more progressive Christians to come.
He sounds great, I just watched a few of those clips and yeah, he's right. But if I had a dime for every time someone said this is what is going to turn Texas blue, I'd have a shitload of dimes. It's starting to feel like Lucy and the football, this dream of a blue Texas.
It helps to think of it in terms of national trends....This clip wasn't for 'Texans' it was for everyone who watches Rogan....Maybe he'll do more of this
You could see Joe struggling under the weight of cognitive dissonance. Watching Rogan try to process nuance is like watching a Roomba try to escape an unexpected pile of puppy poo. But bless him, he listened, which is more than I can say for three-fourths of Congress and every parent at a Texas school board meeting.
Here’s the dirty little secret: Rogan’s audience is not unreachable. They’re under-reached. And what Talarico did, what Buttigieg does on Fox, what you, Evan, do every damn week in this newsletter, is infiltrate. Not to convert. But to interrupt the indoctrination cycle long enough for a neuron to fire off a question instead of a meme.
We don’t need everyone to be deprogrammers. Some of us are best suited to lighting the match and walking away. But if we’re going to stop the spread of fascism, and I do mean that in the literal, historically accurate, and urgent-as-fuck sense, we need more people willing to speak where the contagion is breeding. And we need fewer pearl-clutching Democrats whining about "platforming" every time someone brings a gospel of decency into the lion’s den.
Let me end with this: the right doesn’t fear drag queens because they’re inappropriate. They fear them because they’re free. The right doesn’t rage at empathy because it’s weak; they rage because it exposes their hollowness. And they don’t hate Talarico because he’s Christian. They hate him because he’s Christ-like, which is exactly why Joe Rogan couldn’t help but listen.
So yes, more of this. More holy mischief. More scripture slaps. More lovingly weaponized morality in places that reek of testosterone and Libertarian tears.
I watched an explainer from Mehdi yesterday giving some thoughts about the NaZi Jubilee he participated in. He said he was blindsided. It was supposed to be regular Trump voters. Turned out to be “influencers” with an agenda. I don’t think he called them nAzI’s but that’s what they called themselves. He said he likes to debate people and does it for the people watching not the people he’s debating. He said he probably would not have done it if they had told him who these people were. It was dangerous and puts his family at risk.
It’s great if Talarico and others have the bandwidth for talking to idiots, every crack in the wall counts, but the voices that lead to a change have to come from inside the house inevitably.
I have seen more media, mainstream and otherwise, give "regular" people a platform without checking to see if they're either affiliated with the GOP or an influencer. Will the REAL regular people please stand up?
Evan, I started crying when he framed Mary as "consent." And then Joe Rogan was like "yeah consent because you were raped so that's when there might be consent." Fucking Rogan.
I’ve been heavily influenced by two denominations - both of which preached that we were to set aside the OLD Testament and learn from the New Testament - if teachings were in conflict we were to go with Jesus and the New Testament - which unfortunately for the GOP it has much less sex and violence in it - which are the Republican party’s favorite subjects - (offshoot story - when I worked in the coal mines we had two old guys on our job - maybe 35 or 40 years old - they mainly hung out with each other - and they talked constantly to each other - anyway all one of them ever talked about was sex - what women he wanted to have sex with - what he he imagined they’d do to his coal dust covered body, etc., - the other old guy - real old - definitely 40 - all he talked about was violence - who he wanted to confront - to beat up - to shoot - what kind of guns he had, etc., etc., - but their conversations never were about the same subject - one would talk about sex - the other would say “yeah” and then commence into talking about violence- So that was our college boy nicknames for them - Sex and Violence - not to their face of course - nobody wants to have violent sex two miles underground) - anyway they were both big Christians too - on Sunday - just like the GQP - good luck Texas -
exactly...The NEW testament is literally that...A NEW contract between god and man via Jesus. If you're dipping into the old testament instead of the new testament you are LITERALLY using the same texts as Muslims and Jews (with slight variation)...For Christians, the old testament is supposed to be a HISTORY book not a moral guide...Anything in the OT that comports with the NT is FINE, Anything that contradicts, you defer to the NT
Again, there's a REASON its called the NEW testament. The NT is what makes you a Christian and NOT a jew or a Muslim
i Fucking agree with ROGAN ALOT LATELY?!!! whats happening to me? or him?
Talarico is an ethical kind angel from heaven and so much better than fucking Collin Allred who will ship immigrants and trans people down the river to win. We need more Talaricos, Beshearsm AOCs and Mamdamis pleaaaase James Talarico's Jesus.
I'd never heard of Jubilee until yesterday, when I read about them on Skepchick. I was sorry to learn about the Nazi boosters, but unfortunately, not surprised.
I am very interested in Talarico; I was before, but you've increased that interest. Thanks!
Even as an atheist, I love it when Christians use the bible for good. Years ago, I did contract work for Catholics for Choice. I started getting mail from orgs like Christians for Separation of Church and State and things like that. All my Christian friends have always been liberal. I thought, why don't all you people get together and fight the people giving you a bad name? I don't know if it's a majority of Christians, but with liberals of other faiths and no faith, we are a majority. 🎶We should be together.🎶
The fence sitters and the cynics will listen. Hardcore MAGAhats can't hear anything over the gale force wind whistling through their empty hearts and minds.
James Talarico is living proof that there is hope for a new generation of Christian progressives. We'll be hearing from him in the future, I'm sure -- not in the next presidential race, but in US House and Senate elections to come. Fundamentalist "Christian nationalists" are deeply un-Christian; it's time to return to the fine old tradition of the Social Gospel. I anticipate that Talarico is the first of many more progressive Christians to come.
THIS atheist can DEFINITELY live with Christians like that
Amen, brother!
Right on!
He sounds great, I just watched a few of those clips and yeah, he's right. But if I had a dime for every time someone said this is what is going to turn Texas blue, I'd have a shitload of dimes. It's starting to feel like Lucy and the football, this dream of a blue Texas.
It helps to think of it in terms of national trends....This clip wasn't for 'Texans' it was for everyone who watches Rogan....Maybe he'll do more of this
You could see Joe struggling under the weight of cognitive dissonance. Watching Rogan try to process nuance is like watching a Roomba try to escape an unexpected pile of puppy poo. But bless him, he listened, which is more than I can say for three-fourths of Congress and every parent at a Texas school board meeting.
Here’s the dirty little secret: Rogan’s audience is not unreachable. They’re under-reached. And what Talarico did, what Buttigieg does on Fox, what you, Evan, do every damn week in this newsletter, is infiltrate. Not to convert. But to interrupt the indoctrination cycle long enough for a neuron to fire off a question instead of a meme.
We don’t need everyone to be deprogrammers. Some of us are best suited to lighting the match and walking away. But if we’re going to stop the spread of fascism, and I do mean that in the literal, historically accurate, and urgent-as-fuck sense, we need more people willing to speak where the contagion is breeding. And we need fewer pearl-clutching Democrats whining about "platforming" every time someone brings a gospel of decency into the lion’s den.
Let me end with this: the right doesn’t fear drag queens because they’re inappropriate. They fear them because they’re free. The right doesn’t rage at empathy because it’s weak; they rage because it exposes their hollowness. And they don’t hate Talarico because he’s Christian. They hate him because he’s Christ-like, which is exactly why Joe Rogan couldn’t help but listen.
So yes, more of this. More holy mischief. More scripture slaps. More lovingly weaponized morality in places that reek of testosterone and Libertarian tears.
"Watching Rogan try to process nuance is like watching a Roomba try to escape an unexpected pile of puppy poo."
Fucking PERFECT analogy! Hahahahaha
"And we need fewer pearl-clutching Democrats whining about "platforming" every time someone brings a gospel of decency into the lion’s den."
Fuuuuuuck...😌👍👍👍
A-fucking-men. This Woman. Spot on.
A Christian who follows the teachings of Christ?? Who is this unicorn??
Is that even legal?!
I watched an explainer from Mehdi yesterday giving some thoughts about the NaZi Jubilee he participated in. He said he was blindsided. It was supposed to be regular Trump voters. Turned out to be “influencers” with an agenda. I don’t think he called them nAzI’s but that’s what they called themselves. He said he likes to debate people and does it for the people watching not the people he’s debating. He said he probably would not have done it if they had told him who these people were. It was dangerous and puts his family at risk.
It’s great if Talarico and others have the bandwidth for talking to idiots, every crack in the wall counts, but the voices that lead to a change have to come from inside the house inevitably.
I have seen more media, mainstream and otherwise, give "regular" people a platform without checking to see if they're either affiliated with the GOP or an influencer. Will the REAL regular people please stand up?
The Jubilee producers knew damn well what they were doing and they should be fucking dragged out for it. They fucking owe Medhi a fucking apology...
I grew up in a Blue Texas...just a couple of generations ago. I still live in a 💙💙💙 holdout of the state!
I am delighted to see young-uns like James and Jasmine holding their own against the "establishment" useless and soul-less!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful news!
Evan, I started crying when he framed Mary as "consent." And then Joe Rogan was like "yeah consent because you were raped so that's when there might be consent." Fucking Rogan.
I’ve been heavily influenced by two denominations - both of which preached that we were to set aside the OLD Testament and learn from the New Testament - if teachings were in conflict we were to go with Jesus and the New Testament - which unfortunately for the GOP it has much less sex and violence in it - which are the Republican party’s favorite subjects - (offshoot story - when I worked in the coal mines we had two old guys on our job - maybe 35 or 40 years old - they mainly hung out with each other - and they talked constantly to each other - anyway all one of them ever talked about was sex - what women he wanted to have sex with - what he he imagined they’d do to his coal dust covered body, etc., - the other old guy - real old - definitely 40 - all he talked about was violence - who he wanted to confront - to beat up - to shoot - what kind of guns he had, etc., etc., - but their conversations never were about the same subject - one would talk about sex - the other would say “yeah” and then commence into talking about violence- So that was our college boy nicknames for them - Sex and Violence - not to their face of course - nobody wants to have violent sex two miles underground) - anyway they were both big Christians too - on Sunday - just like the GQP - good luck Texas -
exactly...The NEW testament is literally that...A NEW contract between god and man via Jesus. If you're dipping into the old testament instead of the new testament you are LITERALLY using the same texts as Muslims and Jews (with slight variation)...For Christians, the old testament is supposed to be a HISTORY book not a moral guide...Anything in the OT that comports with the NT is FINE, Anything that contradicts, you defer to the NT
Again, there's a REASON its called the NEW testament. The NT is what makes you a Christian and NOT a jew or a Muslim
Yea, but Sex and Violence sells better -
It's like Teletubbies vs Rambo: First Blood
precisely
Were you a child laborer in the coal mines? Only someone "real young" would consider someone they assume is 40 to be "real old."
Well - now I would consider someone 40 - slightly inexperienced -
i Fucking agree with ROGAN ALOT LATELY?!!! whats happening to me? or him?
Talarico is an ethical kind angel from heaven and so much better than fucking Collin Allred who will ship immigrants and trans people down the river to win. We need more Talaricos, Beshearsm AOCs and Mamdamis pleaaaase James Talarico's Jesus.
Its happening to him. I've seen it too.
GO TELL JOE ROGAN, GO TELL JOE ROGAN, GO TELL JOE ROGAN, the old gray goose is dead!
Sorry, that started in my head automatically, so you have to have it in your head too.
I'd never heard of Jubilee until yesterday, when I read about them on Skepchick. I was sorry to learn about the Nazi boosters, but unfortunately, not surprised.
I am very interested in Talarico; I was before, but you've increased that interest. Thanks!
Even as an atheist, I love it when Christians use the bible for good. Years ago, I did contract work for Catholics for Choice. I started getting mail from orgs like Christians for Separation of Church and State and things like that. All my Christian friends have always been liberal. I thought, why don't all you people get together and fight the people giving you a bad name? I don't know if it's a majority of Christians, but with liberals of other faiths and no faith, we are a majority. 🎶We should be together.🎶
I keep reading your posts. They've very good. Unfortunately, they're triggering. It takes a full day to recover.
I will keep supporting your work. I dunno if you realize how important it is.
The fence sitters and the cynics will listen. Hardcore MAGAhats can't hear anything over the gale force wind whistling through their empty hearts and minds.
The biggest divide is between top and bottom? Oh Queen don't I just know it
Then again, bottoms love a good top… so I’ve heard! HOL
The whippersnapper is okay
My guess is that Joe Rogan likes him because he's White