Is Mercy No Longer... Christian?

The Battle for the Soul of US Christianity

This past week Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Budde unleashed a firestorm of controversy over her sermon at a national prayer service held in Washington, DC, the day after Donald Trump was Inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States.

For context: This was a religious service, not a political gathering. In attendance was the new President of the US, Donald Trump, who had been elected, in part, because over 85% of White Evangelical Christians voted for him. President Trump himself claims to be a Christian and stated on Inauguration Day that God had spared his life so that he could make America great again.

So to have a Christian minister, in a Christian worship service, preach Christian teachings, should come as no surprise.

But apparently it did.

Rather than printing her words, I’m posting the “controversial” part so you can see her and hear her for yourself. The full message is available here.

Here are a few of the responses to her message from the Religious Right:

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins: The cause of America’s decline was not what was sitting in the pew but what was standing behind the pulpit. What we heard today was not a prophetic voice from the church, but rather pathetic.

Robert Jeffress, often referred to as President Trump’s Favorite Pastor: Attended national prayer service today at the Washington National Cathedral during which Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde insulted rather than encouraged our great president. There was palpable disgust in the audience with her words.

Megan Basham, author and journalist: What you need to understand is that the left-wing infiltration into churches has for decades been organized & well funded by secular foundations intent on hollowing out their spiritual doctrines & replacing them with political programs this is the fruit.

William Wolf, Executive Director for Baptist Leadership (and former Trump staffer during the first administration): Mass immigration and transgenderism are fundamentally gnostic heresies They both deny the reality and the goodness of the physical world—nations on one hand and our God-given bodies on the other In other words, this “Bishopess” was preaching a false faith that’s not Christianity at all.

Turning Point co-founder Charlie Kirk: Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She's the first woman to hold the position. She was given a great honor today, a chance to unify America around a Christian message at the dawn of a new administration. Instead, she disgraced herself with a lecture you'd hear on CNN or an episode of The View. What an embarrassment.

You can read several more leaders expressing outrage here.

Finally, the President himself: The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!

All of this because she asked the President to act with mercy?

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You might want to go back and listen once again to what she said—and how she said it. She made no policy statements. Again, she simply asked that the President act with… mercy.

That used to be a Christian value.

That used to be a highly regarded virtue in our country.

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The anger to her remarks by religious leaders is stunning, especially in light of the teachings of Jesus:

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.” (Matthew 25:31-46, The Message)

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Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36, NRSV)

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Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13, NRSV)

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The anger by Religious Right leaders over a Christian pastor imploring the President of the United States to act with mercy toward the vulnerable, points to the battle being waged over the Gospel in the US.

Is the Gospel about grace, justice, love, mercy, and equality for all—even non-Christians?

Or is the Gospel a power grab to try to impose an angry, judgmental, grievance-based religion on all of us?

Is the Gospel only for people who believe like the Religious Right do?

Or is the Gospel for all—including those the Religious Right don’t agree with (i.e., Democrats, gays, lesbians, trans, the vulnerable, the poor, etc.)? And, I should add, those with whom I disagree?

Love your enemies, anyone?

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The next four years are fraught with danger.

That’s not a political statement.

It’s a religious one.

Which version of Christianity will win the day?

Right now, the loudest voices are the meanest voices. Those are the voices turning more and more people away from the church and from Jesus.

Perhaps it’s time for the quiet voices to join with Bishop Budde and loudly and clearly proclaim—For God so loved the world!

He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)