“I love you more than you could ever hate me,” was  Democrat James Talarico’s response to an evangelical minister’s plea that he be crucified for urging in his campaign that Christians stop seeking political domination and return to the call of Christ for kindness and charity.

In my lengthening life in modern civilization, I’ve never heard of a prominent Christian minister urge another one to die a cruel death. Talario is considered a strong candidate in the Senate race.

I thought his response could not have been smarter, wiser, or more effective in pointing out the degradation of Christianity by politics and power greed.

Talarico, A Democratic nominee for the Senate, responded on Wednesday to Pastor Brooks Pottinger, who had suggested that he should be “crucified with Christ” on his podcast as part of a necessary conversion.

In my mind, Talarico’s response will rank with all time as one of the most remarkable American political responses to an unprecedented attack by one devout Christian on another. I hope Jesus really is not around to hear it.

It’s a wonderful lesson on how to deal with hate.

It feels to me like yet another landmark in the growing disgust in America over political or religious cruelty. It’s a stain on Christianity that was felt deeply.

The Brooks reference was to St.Paul, who, while traveling to Damascus to arrest Christians, was struck by a light, and heard Jesus say, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?

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St. Paul was left blind for three days, but was not killed. He converted.

I believe his reply to Brooks will give him a victory in the Texas election. It struck a deep nerve. It made the news all over the country. It will backfire on him and the people who support him.

The pastor of the Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship in Goodlettsville, Tenn, Brooks evoked a biblical figure who had made one of the most famous conversions to Christianity. ”

“I pray that God kills him,” said a podcast guest. Brooks enthusiastically agreed. “Right, we want him crucified with Christ,” responded Pottinger.

Asked about the assault, Brooks did the new political thing. “Oh, I didn’t really mean it,” I said, “I wouldn’t want to kill or hurt anyone. I was calling for his conversion.”

I don’t know whether Jesus could hear what Brooks said in his name. For his sake, I hope he is gone or elsewhere.

I looked up the meaning of “conversation” in Christianity. “Conversion involves both turning away from a past life and turning toward God, resulting in an interior transformation of the person,” according to ” Catholic Answers.”

I saw no mention of any history of the Church in urging that people die in that way, or differences, or any mention of people wishing people to die at all.