A video of Texas state Rep. James Talarico using biblical scripture to tear down conservative Christian arguments is going viral on social media, and it is glorious to watch. This past summer, Texas Republicans tried to pass Senate Bill 1515, which would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed prominently in every public school classroom in the state. The bill was an attempt by conservative Christian Republicans to inject religion into schools, but Talarico wasn’t going to take this lying down. Instead, he used their religious text against them. After passing the Texas State Senate, the House Public Education Committee was considering the bill at a May meeting, where Talarico stood up for LGBTQ + rights and calmly explained why, as a Christian, he feels the bill is not only unconstitutional, it’s not only un-American but is also deeply un-Christian. After quoting from the Bible, he asked, that every time we try to teach basic sex education to keep our kids safe, we’re told that’s the parent’s role, but now when the committee is putting religious commandments in the classroom, saying that’s the state’s role. Why is that not the parent’s role?” This question left the room silent and searching for words. The stunning video already has 5.9 million views and 1 million likes on TikTok and is now gaining traction on Threads.
