Evangelist Franklin Graham has sharply criticized Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico for stating that the Bible is silent on abortion, calling the claim an "absolute lie" and citing specific biblical passages to argue that abortion is murder.. According to the source report, Graham referenced Exodus 20:13 and Jeremiah 1:5 to assert that Scripture clearly condemns the taking of unborn life. Talarico made the comments in an interview released Monday with Jamie Kern Lima, arguing that Christians must make ethical determinations on abortion because the Bible does not explicitly address it.

Franklin Graham's "absolute lie" and the Exodus 20:13 argument

As the source report details, Graham directly confronted Talarico's assertion that the Bible is silent on abortion by invoking the Ten Commandments: "God commands us, 'You shall not murder' (Exodus 20:13). Abortion is taking a life—it is murder ." He also cited Jeremiah 1:5, where God says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…" The evangelist framed the disagreement as a straightforward biblical mandate, leaving no room for theological nuance. Graham characterized Talarico's stance as a "leftist euphemism for killing unnborn babies ."

Talarico's record: from "God is non-binary" to abortion access advocacy

James Talarico, a Democrat elected to the Texas House in 2018 at age 29, has a history of unconventional theological statements. In 2021, he opposed a bill to ban men from women's sports, arguing that "God is non-binary," as the source notes. On abortion, Talarico has been a vocal pro-choice advocate: after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, he called on President Biden to use federal buildings in red states to provide abortions. in the interview with Lima, Talarico maintained that the Bible is silent on abortion and that Christians must "try to make some kind of ethical determination" based on Scripture as a whole . He also highlighted Texas' restrictive ban, which includes no exceptions for rape or incest, pointing to a 10-year-old rape victim as an example.

The theological fault line: does Scripture speak directly to abortion?

The core of the dispute hinges on whether the Bible addresses abortion explicitly. Talarico's position is that because the word "abortion" does not appear in Scripture, Christians must infer ethical principles. Graham counters that the Bible's prohibitions against murder and its emphasis on God's knowledge of life before birth (Jeremiah 1:5) are sufficient. This disagreement mirrors longstanding debates among Christian denominations about how to apply ancient texts to modern medical procedures. According to the source, Graham flatly rejected Talarico's claim that "Jesus never talks about abortion," calling it a lie, while Talarico insisted that Christians have to take Scripture as a whole to make ethical determinations.

What remains unaddressed in both sides' arguments

Neither figure has engaged with mainstream biblical scholarship on passages like Exodus 21:22-25, which some interpret as treating fetal harm differently from harm to a living person. The source reports Talarico's view that abortion is "not a place for politicians," yet he actively advocates for abortion access—a tension left unexplored. Also missing is any discussion of how these theological positions translate into practical policy for Texas,where the abortion ban is among the strictest in the nation. Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton also weighed in, according to the report, signaling that the issue will remain a campaign flashpoint.

Political stakes in a deeply red Texas Senate race

For Talarico, a Democrat running statewide in Texas, his progressive theological and abortion stances may energize a base but alienate moderate and evangelical voters. For Franklin Graham, entering the fray reinforces his role as a culture-war influencer with a national platform.. The exchange underscores how religious interpretation is increasingly weaponized in American electoral politics, with both camps claiming divine backing for opposing policies. The report notes that Talarico was first elected to the Texas House at 29, and his Senate bid now faces the challenge of winning over a state that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump.