James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Texas, drew attention during debate over a state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, arguing the policy harms the very religious traditions it claims to promote.
The legislation, approved by the Texas legislature in 2025 and signed by Greg Abbott, requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Supporters say the measure recognizes the historical role of biblical principles in American culture and law, while critics argue it violates constitutional limits on government endorsement of religion.
During debate on the measure, Talarico criticized the bill as both unconstitutional and contrary to Christian values.
“This bill, to me, is not only unconstitutional, it’s not only un-American, I think it is also deeply un-Christian,” Talarico said during legislative debate. “It does violence to both Christianity and Judaism.”
Talarico argued that the legislation elevates one specific version of the Ten Commandments while overlooking the broader traditions within both religions.
“There are way more than Ten Commandments in the Jewish tradition—613 mitzvot—and Christianity has its own rich diversity of interpretations,” he said. “This bill picks and chooses one version, promotes it in public schools, and ignores the beautiful diversity of both faiths.”
He also argued that requiring religious texts in public classrooms lacks historical precedent in the United States.
“It has no historical basis in American history as a mandate for public education,” Talarico said during the debate, insisting that some of the nation’s founders were less religious than modern political leaders. “And let’s talk about the Founding Fathers—I am a lot more religious than some of our Founding Fathers.”
The law passed largely along party lines in the Texas legislature and has since faced legal challenges from groups that argue the measure violates the First Amendment. The case is currently making its way through the courts.
Supporters of the measure contend that the Ten Commandments have played a foundational role in the development of Western legal traditions and American civic culture. They argue that displaying them in classrooms highlights their historical significance rather than imposing religious practice.
Talarico’s remarks have sparked debate among religious and political commentators about the relationship between faith and public education, as well as the broader constitutional question of how religious heritage should be acknowledged in government institutions.
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SHUN Talarico. He seems to be an atheist.