Could James Talarico actually be an atheist or agnostic?
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in North Austin—the church that’s been his spiritual home since he was two years old—has been welcoming atheists and agnostics as members for years. Some of its own ministers have said that’s not the exception there. It’s closer to the rule.
One even put it plainly: if you polled the congregation and asked whether they were Christian, agnostic, or atheist, the vast majority would pick one of the last two.
Talarico talks a lot about Jesus, seminary, and flipping tables in the temple. Fair enough. But if the church that raised you treats belief in God like an optional side dish, you’ve got to ask the obvious Texas question: is this faith, or just branding?
Pretending to be a Christian while not actually believing in God isn’t nuance. That’s the oldest kind of heresy there is—wearing the cross without carrying the weight.