VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer says ‘God is not male’ in ‘nonbinary’ row
VeggieTales (Big Idea Entertainment/DreamWorks Classics)
VeggieTales co-creator Phil Vischer has said the Bible shows God is not “male” after conservative fury over James Talarico’s “God is nonbinary” comments was reignited.
“‘God is a biological male’ is a weird hill to die on,” Vischer wrote on X.
The exchange began after Gunther Engelman, a right-wing pundit and podcaster, posted on X on 5 November: “Just a reminder to all Texans… God is not non-binary,” in a jab tied to Texas Democrat James Talarico. Vischer replied directly to the post, prompting a fresh wave of argument.
The row centres on remarks Talarico made in 2021 while discussing the Hebrew used in Genesis. “The first two lines in Genesis use two different Hebrew words to describe God,” Talarico, who has a theology degree, said. “God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between.” He concluded: “God is nonbinary.”
The comments have been repeatedly weaponised in Texas politics. In May, Ken Paxton targeted Talarico over the same issue, calling him “weird” for supporting trans kids and claiming:”“He’s a vegan who thinks God is nonbinary and that there’s actually six biological sexes.”
‘You have departed from Christian orthodoxy’
In a follow-up X post on 7 November, Vischer wrote: “I’m amazed at the [number] of Christians who believe, since God took on the human form of a biological male, we can conclude that God the Father is eternally male,” adding: “Also amazed at the anger generated by pointing out this is not historic Christian teaching.”
Two days later, Vischer sharpened his argument in another X pos: “Let’s be clear: If you believe the eternal God, creator of the universe, is a male (or female) of a gendered species, you have departed from Christian orthodoxy.”
Phil Vischer’s religious cartoons
Vischer’s comments on the gender of God aren’t exactly a “gotcha” to the right wing, or a show of support for the LGBTQ+ community. Instead, he was just pointing out what he believes the Bible states as fact.
He has previously criticised LGBTQ+ representation in children’s TV. In 2019, he told The Christian Post: “If I get pressure from Hollywood to show two men getting married because we’ve all decided it’s right and correct, my pushback is: ‘No, I won’t. Because that’s not what I believe is best for kids.’”
VeggieTales, which he co-created with Mike Nawrocki, is a Christian animated series, which tells Bible stories or tales with a biblical spin.
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