Elizabeth Dias looks at the courageous decision of Episcopal bishop Mariann Budde to speak truth to power in a sermon confronting Trump to his face, and sees two versions of US Christianity confronting each other:

[lachasseuse@mastodon.scot]

@wdlindsy Humanity will go under if we don't rid ourselves of the mind virus called "religion" very soon. Religion is divisive, causes wars, and is one of the pillars of patriarchy, enforcing heterosexual male supremacy in societies.

[john_loader@ohai.social]

@wdlindsy Christianity in the US may not be Christian through rich evangelists and support for cruel policies

[leefellerguy@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy If I recall, it was religious institutions which, burned alleged witches at the stake and sponsored the inquisition, and then we have Iran and the Taliban.

[leefellerguy@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy Uh, what about the obvious Misogynism in the Catholic church, it rivels the Taliban.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Leefellerguy Who do you imagine is overlooking the misogyny in the Catholic church? Jessica Grose? I wouldn't think so.

Me? Have you read anything at all I've ever written for years now that overlooks the toxic misogyny in the Catholic church?

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Leefellerguy Perhaps you'd care to read the very next comment in the thread, which states,

"Religious bodies can exercise great cruelty and do horrific injustice. I know this personally as someone who has worked for church institutions and experienced deplorable discrimination in them."

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@John_Loader Christianity in the US is a big, broad, diverse thing. The valuable research done by PRRI over quite a few years now shows how divergent the views of Black and white Christians are, as well as how the views of Latino Catholics diverge from those of white Catholics.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@LaChasseuse Sorry, but I'm going to continue to celebrate what Bishop Mariann Budde has just said and done.

You can certainly choose to do otherwise.

[engagedpureland@mstdn.social]

@wdlindsy so true. Let’s work together, religious and non-religious to treat each other with respect and kindness, and push back at the forces of hate and division in our world.

[edwardchampion@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy I don't place a lot of stock in Jennifer Rubin's odious neoliberalism, but one interesting side effect of the present efforts to turn America into a theocratic state will be the schisms within Christianity. Red state pastors (and some GOP lawmakers) have reached a point where they can no longer look the other way at the blatant assaults on human rights and basic decency. Whether they hold the humanist line depends an awful lot on how much they will need to save their own skin.

[paxil@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy Some state governments weaponize religion, mainly #Protestant #Christian, to control women's bodies, teach faith as reality, and saturate communities with evangelism in an effort to indoctrinate residents into their own personal beliefs behind a shroud of perceived morality.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@EngagedPureLand It just seems totally insane not to form solidarity across unimportant dividing lines, as we all try to push back against an unprecedented threat from the political and religious right today. And I agree, as we do that without amplifying the hate and division that are everywhere in our world today….

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Paxil Yes. If you follow what I post here for any length of time, you'll find that, as a scholar with a Ph.D. in the history of Christian thought and institutions, I'm very well aware of that fact and have long pushed hard against this way of weaponizing religion.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@edwardchampion I frequently share excerpts from commentators with whom I have serious disagreement on some scores — because I think it's important for us to do all we can to find common ground at present with anyone pushing back against an unprecedented threat from the political and religious right.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"Right-wing media launched an all-out assault on Budde that revealed exactly how power plans to deal with dissent in Trump's second term. …

All of this—the full machinery of right-wing outrage—deployed against a religious leader who simply asked for kindness toward vulnerable people. The disproportionate response tells us exactly what we're dealing with."

~ Parker Molloy

#Trump #BishopBudde #mercy #morality
/9

The Price of Speaking Up in Trump's America

A bishop asked the president to show mercy to immigrants and scared children. The response tells us everything about the next four years.

(www.readtpa.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"Remember this moment. Remember that asking for mercy toward scared children and immigrants was enough to trigger a full-scale campaign of intimidation from the highest levels of government and media. Remember that a sitting congressman suggested deporting an American citizen for the crime of asking the president to be kind."

#Trump #BishopBudde #mercy #morality
/10

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

As he reminds us that there's a long history in the US of religious leaders calling out presidents, John Nichols says,

"Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who stirred the wrath of Donald Trump and his conservative allies this week with a National Prayer Service homily that urged the newly inaugurated president “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” speaks a reflective and compassionate language of faith.

#Trump #BishopBudde #mercy #morality
/11

The Bishop Who Spoke Truth to Trump Was Doing Her Job

The Nation Magazine

The Nation (www.thenation.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others.

~ Mariann Budde

#Trump #BishopBudde #mercy #morality
/12

'I Am Not Going to Apologize': Bishop Who Confronted Trump Speaks Out

In an interview with TIME, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde discussed the response to her sermon, including the death threats and Trump's anger.

TIME (time.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"In stark contrast to that shameless, transactional groveling [of rich men kissing Trump’s ass], I want to highlight three women who have courageously stood up to Trumpism and acted with moral clarity and unflinching resolve."

Jay Kuo then points to Mariann Budde, Tanya Chutkin, and Jennifer Rubin. He then notes the "hate and vitriol" that "a direct plea to Trump for mercy toward others" is eliciting among Trump supporters.

#Trump #BishopBudde #mercy #morality
/13

The Truth Speakers

In a terrible week for our country, three stars shone brightly through the gloom.

(statuskuo.substack.com)