Undercover video shows ministers at Democrat U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico’s longtime church touting an “Inclusive Bible” that uses gender-neutral language and saying much of their congregation is composed of agnostics and atheists.
One minister also said some congregants wished President Donald Trump had been murdered.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin describes itself as “Presbyterian & Progressive,” with an emphasis on “inclusive language” (i.e., non-gendered language) when referring to God, arguing that “to say that our divine source is male is perhaps the most sexist comment a person can make” and “if we wanted to design a rape culture, sexist theology would be a good blueprint.”
The church also rejects titles such as “King” or “Lord” for God because “some of our language comes from European roots in the Middle Ages, when ‘kings’ and ‘lords’ were common, and power was almost exclusively in the hands of men.”
The church’s Instagram page also features a clip of a children’s puppet show in which one of the performers wears a rainbow “Love is Love” shirt with rainbow streamers in the background. One of the performers is Dr. Jim Rigby, pastor and minister at St. Andrew’s.
Rigby was placed on trial by the U.S. Presbyterian Church in the 1990s for ordaining gay and lesbian clergy.
In a video obtained by the Daily Caller, Rigby states that the “Inclusive Bible” is “typically [given] to people when they join” and that the translation is “good on the gender stuff,” but is “not a very good translation” for the “more metaphysical stuff.”
“[The Inclusive Bible] has been rewritten so that there is only inclusive language in that it doesn’t use the gender-fueled language that King James versions use. So, we are very glad you’re here, that’s our gift to you,” another woman can be heard saying to a newcomer in the video.
“I think it’s really important to have a good translation so that you can let go of the stupid stuff,” added Rigby.
The video includes a snapshot of 1 Timothy 1:10 printed in the Inclusive Bible where the phrase “the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality…” is swapped out with “for men and women who traffic in human flesh.”
Minister to the parish Babs Miller, who describes herself as an “‘out’ lesbian chaplain,” stated in another undercover video that, “if you polled [St. Andrew’s] membership and asked them if they were Christian, agnostic, or atheist, the vast majority would say agnostic or atheist, because they don’t buy the religion that we got from the Puritans.”
“We still have people in this church that wish that that young man had not just nicked [Trump’s] ear, but had been more successful,” states Miller.
This comes as Talarico recently stated he would “absolutely” support a national ban on gender-mutilation procedures for minors, despite voting against legislation that banned the procedures in 2023 and stating the people he loves the most are “trans” children.
“I can guarantee you that once he gets elected, he’ll change his tune back to where he was,” said Miller in separate footage.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and the James Talarico senatorial campaign have not responded to requests for comment on the footage.
