Biblical Rebuke of False Teacher Claims on Abortion & Mary Consent
In his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (#2352), Texas politician and seminarian James Talarico misused the Bible — particularly the account of Mary’s calling in Luke 1 — to argue that Mary’s “consent” supports abortion rights. He claimed the Bible is “silent” on abortion and that issues like abortion and same-sex marriage are not central to Christian faith. This is not faithful interpretation. It is the work of a false teacher the Bible explicitly warns against.
A concise version of my response (including video of Talarico on JRE) is available here on X.
“But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.”
“For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Talarico perverts the grace of God into license for sin, twisting the holy account of the virgin birth to justify the shedding of innocent blood. Josh Howerton has rightly highlighted this clip as deeply troubling, exposing why clear biblical rebuke is necessary.
The Annunciation in Luke 1: Mary’s Submission, Not a Pro-Abortion Precedent
Talarico’s central claim — that Mary’s response to the angel proves “creation” (including pregnancy) requires consent and thus supports abortion — is a grotesque misuse of Scripture. The angel announces God’s sovereign plan to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon her when the angel spoke — the event is future from the perspective of the conversation. However, the conception is presented as certain and sovereign. God is not asking permission; He is declaring what He will do by His power. Mary then responds in humble faith: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
“Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?’
The angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing spoken by God is impossible.’
Mary said, ‘Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.’
Then the angel departed from her.”
This is not a negotiation of “consent” that could have gone the other way. It is the faithful submission of a believing young woman to the unstoppable plan of Almighty God. The entire scene underscores divine initiative, not human autonomy. This is humble obedience to the Almighty, not a precedent for ending unborn life.
The Bible affirms the unborn as fully human and sacred from conception:
“For you formed my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well.
My frame wasn’t hidden from you,
when I was made in secret,
woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my body.
In your book they were all written,
the days that were ordained for me,
when as yet there were none of them.”
Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you...”
Exodus 21:22-23 (addresses harm to a pregnant woman and her child, treating the unborn as a life worthy of justice): “If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow. But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life”
John MacArthur and countless faithful expositors affirm the clear biblical witness: the unborn are image-bearers of God from conception. Abortion violates the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). To use Mary’s submission to justify destroying image-bearers is blasphemous. Talarico’s attempt to claim shared faith while promoting the opposite reveals the false teaching.
Abortion, Homosexuality, and the Clarity of Scripture
Talarico implies these issues are “debatable” among Christians. Scripture is not ambiguous:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “...Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals... will inherit God’s kingdom. Some of you were such, but you were washed...”
Romans 1:26-27 describes homosexual practice as contrary to God’s created order.
True unity in the church is around sound doctrine, not cultural accommodation. Charlie Kirk has defended the historic Christian position on life and marriage rooted in Scripture, not political expediency.
True Christians can disagree on prudential political applications, but denying what Scripture plainly calls sin is another matter. This is the hallmark of false teachers who “…turning the grace of our God into indecency…” (Jude 1:4).
Sola Scriptura vs. Twisting the Word
Talarico’s approach echoes the very errors the Reformation opposed. Martin Luther stood against those who subordinated Scripture to human tradition or novel interpretations. Wes Huff and others defend the reliability and clarity of the biblical text against such misuse.
“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Lee Strobel’s work in The Case for Christ demonstrates the historical trustworthiness of the Gospels — records that proclaim life, truth, and repentance, not autonomy over God’s design.
True believers must reject any “Christianity” that accommodates the culture’s sexual revolution or devalues life. Such a counterfeit faith is not a valid expression of disagreement — it is the very false teaching the New Testament warns us to expose and avoid.
Biblical Warning: Mark and Avoid False Teachers
James Talarico’s public distortion of Scripture while claiming Christian authority marks him as the type of false teacher Scripture warns about. This is heresy, not “progressive Christianity.” Believers must respond with clarity, love for the lost, and unyielding commitment to the Word.
Romans 16:17: “Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisionsand occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, andturn away from them.”
Titus 1:9: Hold firm to sound doctrine and “rebuke those who contradict it.”
Call to Action: Return to the Authority of Scripture
Read the Bible for yourself — start with Luke 1, Psalm 139, and the Gospels. Jesus calls sinners to repentance and faith (Mark 1:15), not to affirm rebellion against God’s created order.
Further Reading & Resources:
John MacArthur on the Sanctity of Life – gty.org
Wes Huff on Biblical Manuscripts and Canon
Charlie Kirk on Pro-Life Truth
Josh Howerton’s engagement with cultural challenges
Lee Strobel – The Case for Christ
