Podcast Summary: The Tim & April Show, Ep. 88

Title: Allie Beth Stuckey Claims Jesus Said Things He Definitely Did Not Say
Date: February 17, 2026
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy (The New Evangelicals)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tim and April dive into a critical discussion about Christian political commentator Allie Beth Stuckey and her recent online statements. Specifically, they address her claims about what Jesus did or didn’t say regarding abortion and homosexuality, her selective biblical interpretations, and her broader influence on American evangelical and MAGA culture.
The episode centers around a video clip of Stuckey responding to Texas politician James Talarico’s comments on faith, politics, and scripture. Tim and April unravel the historical, theological, and logical inconsistencies in Stuckey’s rhetoric and use this as a case study for understanding broader trends in Christian nationalism and right-wing Christian media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Allie Beth Stuckey Facing Criticism from Her Own Base

• Tim’s Observation: Allie is "crashing out" and facing pushback even from her conservative followers because of repeated missteps (e.g., misinformation about high-profile incidents, mischaracterizing public figures like Bad Bunny) ([01:04]).
• Quote: “Even her own base ... are losing hope and disagreeing with her more and more.” — Tim ([01:31])
• April notes: The criticism isn't from progressives, but from self-identified conservatives and Trump supporters who are frustrated at her "overplaying her hand" ([02:42]).

2. MAGA Christian Inconsistencies: Super Bowl & Cultural Outrage

• Hosts discuss hypocrisy in right-wing outrage over the Super Bowl halftime performers, contrasting criticism of Bad Bunny (a Puerto Rican American) versus praise for Kid Rock, despite his history and vulgar song lyrics ([03:20]).
• April: “I’m proud to say I never liked Kid Rock, even before he was MAGA.” ([04:22])
• Tim: “...Kid Rock is like not the epitome of God, faith, and family at all.” ([05:19])

3. Setting Up the Main Clip: Allie Beth Stuckey Responds to James Talarico

• Context: Talarico appeared on Ezra Klein’s podcast discussing the disproportionate focus in American Christianity on abortion and homosexuality—two issues he notes Christ never directly addressed ([06:29]).
• Clip Setup: Tim and April prepare to react to Stuckey’s rebuttal, pointing out that progressive Christians are frequently marginalized by MAGA culture ([05:37-06:43]).

4. Dissecting the Stuckey Reaction Clip

a. Stuckey’s Argument

• Stuckey asserts:
  • Because Jesus is God, “the entirety of scripture is also Jesus’s words, not just the red letters.”
  • Connects commandments against murder and “a man lying with another man” directly to current debates on abortion and homosexuality ([07:08], [15:56]).
  • Accuses Talarico of either biblical ignorance or deliberate deceit: “He doesn't know his Bible. Or he just trusts that you don't know your Bible, so he's lying to you.” — Stuckey ([08:05], [37:47])
• Tim and April Rebut:
  • April: “Abortion is not murder. The definition of murder is the unlawful, unjustified killing of a human being with malice aforethought or deliberate intent. ... [Conservatives] don’t apply 'Thou shalt not kill' when it comes to, you know, American imperialism or the death penalty.” ([08:15-09:10])
  • Stuckey and similar voices are “not pro-life holistically, just very anti-abortion” ([08:15]).

b. Historical Context and Manufactured Outrage

• Tim explains how the evangelical fixation on abortion and homosexuality is recent—primarily post-Jerry Falwell Sr.—and not an original feature of evangelical theology ([11:28-12:56]).
• Tim: “Abortion absolutely was a manufactured outrage... once they realized fighting against school integration was going out of vogue...” ([11:28])

c. Theological Problems with “Jesus Said the Bible” Argument

• April (16:05): “This is such an idiotic take. ... To say that Jesus wrote it is stupid.”
• Tim: “Any good scholar, even a conservative one, will tell you that we are going off of the best available evidence ... But we don’t know for certain. ... Ali’s logic falls apart if you just read the dang book.” ([18:23-22:18])
• Selective Proof-texting: Stuckey uses verses conveniently, ignoring contradictory or culturally distinct commands, e.g., not stoning adulterers or handling the Bible’s multiple marriage models ([22:08], [25:16]).

d. Biblical Passages & Abortion/Homosexuality

• Exegetical Nuance: Tim reads Exodus 21:22, explaining ancient Hebrew law treats fetal loss differently from the mother’s life, undermining the common “abortion is murder” prooftext ([23:58]).
• Jewish Law Perspective: April highlights how Jewish interpretations, which predate Christian ones, often require abortion if the mother’s life is at risk, and do not view abortion as murder ([24:30]).

5. The Problem with Biblical Literalism and Selectivity

• Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Laws: Tim and April mock the arbitrary evangelical distinctions between “moral” and “ceremonial” (e.g., shellfish, homosexuality) and how these were created post hoc to justify selectivity ([22:08-22:39]).
• Flattening Texts: Tim: “Once you flatten out the text and say the Bible’s inerrant, you’re actually treating the text with ultimate disrespect.” ([28:26])

6. Hypocrisy Around Divorce and Marriage Passages

• April: Points out how evangelical readings of Matthew 19 are used to condemn queer people, even though the passage’s context is divorce ([31:55-32:40]).
• Comparison of Church Practice: Many evangelicals ignore strict teachings on divorce while using the same verses to exclude LGBTQ Christians.
• Tim: “Again, by this standard, if you’re going to quote the Bible … Jesus is pretty clear. He ain’t talking about the gays. He’s talking about the heterosexuals who are divorcing for reasons other than adultery.” ([35:56])

7. On Stuckey’s Personality, Platform & Influence

• Tim’s Analysis:
  • Stuckey is prideful, stubborn, and refuses to admit when she’s wrong ([42:33-44:41]).
  • Much of her persistence is driven by audience approval and the pressures of maintaining her brand ([42:33]).
  • She “dirty deletes” posts after backlash rather than publicly apologizing ([44:56]).
• April: Notes how evangelical culture fosters pride, narcissism, and never admitting doubt ([45:07]).

8. The Heresy Game & “No True Christian”

• Conversation about ‘heresy’ labels: All sides play the “no true Christian” game, but Tim advocates for a broader view: “All of us are Christian. It just depends on what version you want to participate in.” ([47:20])

9. “Fruit” of Christian Nationalist Policies

• Tim: “Regardless of what she [Stuckey] thinks about herself … look at the fruit of their positions ... it’s rotten, it’s poison.” ([49:23])
• The test should be the human impact of conservative Christian policies, not just rhetorical consistency.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [08:15] April: “Abortion is not murder. ... They don’t apply 'thou shalt not kill' when it comes to, you know, American imperialism ... wartime, or the death penalty.”
• [16:05] April: “This is such an idiotic take. ... To say that Jesus wrote it is stupid.”
• [18:23] Tim: “Ali’s logic goes like this: The modern Protestant English Bible, every word of it, is the word of Jesus because the Bible is written by God, God is Jesus ... This is so illogical on so many levels.”
• [25:16] Tim: “To take the Bible seriously is to treat it as what it is: a very complicated collection of ancient texts ... It’s not univocal.”
• [32:40] April: “They misrepresent what Jesus actually said to condemn marginalized people while completely turning a blind eye to ... people [in their churches] that've been divorced and have remarried ... actively committing adultery.”
• [37:47] Allie Beth Stuckey (clip): “He [Talarico] doesn’t know his Bible or he just trusts that you don’t know your Bible, so he’s lying to you.”
• [44:56] Tim: “Ally is ... incredibly prideful, arrogant, and too proud to admit that they’re wrong and say I’m sorry on the air.”
• [48:42] April: “I just remember like being taught like, true Christians ... you see their joy, you see their love for people ... I gotta say, I don’t get those vibes from Ali.”
• [49:23] Tim: “Look at the fruit of their positions ... The fruit is evident. It’s rotten, it’s poison.”

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:27 — Introductions & setup
• 01:31 — Allie Beth Stuckey’s recent controversies, conservative backlash
• 05:37 — Framing for Stuckey vs. Talarico clip, progressive Christians marginalized
• 06:43–08:05 — Playing and discussing Stuckey’s reaction video
• 08:15 — April refutes “abortion is murder” logic
• 11:28 — History of evangelical engagement with abortion and homosexuality
• 16:05 — April questions the “Jesus wrote the whole Bible” claim
• 22:08 — Tim & April critique “prescriptive vs. descriptive” and prooftexting
• 23:58 — Exodus 21 and abortion in the Hebrew Bible
• 31:55–32:40 — Matthew 19, divorce, and LGBTQ exclusion
• 37:47 — Stuckey accuses Talarico of lying about scripture
• 42:33–44:56 — Analyzing Stuckey’s on-air persona and pattern of deflecting criticism
• 47:20 — The heresy label and the diversity within Christianity
• 49:23 — “Fruit” as the real test of beliefs and policy impact

Tone and Style

• Conversational, candid, occasionally irreverent
• Strong mix of personal anecdote, scriptural and historical analysis, and cultural critique
• Focus on honesty, clarity, and “calling out” logical fallacies and inconsistencies
• Openly challenges the pride and certainty seen in right-wing Christian voices
• Encourages listeners to embrace nuance, humility, and a deeper engagement with scripture and community

Takeaways

• The episode offers a sharp, informed deconstruction of Allie Beth Stuckey’s arguments, exposing both their logical and historical weaknesses.
• Tim and April encourage listeners to examine the human impact (“fruit”) of Christian political movements and to look beyond prooftexting, simplification, or selective literalism.
• The hosts challenge listeners to embrace a faith rooted in compassion, humility, and intellectual honesty rather than culture war talking points or exclusionary dogmas.

Episode ends with encouragements to the community, an invitation for feedback, and a reiteration of the show’s commitment to honest, inclusive faith conversations.