On Ecclesiastical Vandalism

Politicising the pulpit for woke agendas:

No, I am not talking here about people going around vandalising churches, be it with graffiti or arson attacks or what have you. There is certainly far too much of that already occurring, even here in the West. But what I am speaking about is vandalism from within: when those who are supposed to be leading the churches are doing a great job of tearing them apart.

There is plenty that has already been said about the woke wonder in Washington who used the pulpit to make a leftist political attack on the just-inaugurated President of the United States. Terrific commentary has already appeared and more keeps coming.

So I will only mention the event here, offer some brief thoughts of my own, and then run with some of the words of others. The story is this:

On Tuesday, January 21 at the Washington National Cathedral the far-left Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde used her sermon time to castigate Trump and Co for not caring about migrants and being an existential threat to gay, lesbian and trans children. Um, never mind that both Trump and Vance are married to migrants, and they have not said a word about harming anyone.

To the great credit of Trump, Melania, Vance, Usha and others in attendance, they sat there quietly and respectfully. They showed far more grace, dignity and tolerance than this wolf in sheep’s clothing did that day. But later Trump did say what he thought of the whole event:

“She brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. 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!”

Here are a few of my own thoughts on this outrage:

-The Episcopalians are of course among the most hardcore left – and therefore unbiblical – denominations in the country. So we should not expect anything else from these folks. And this was meant to be a time of focusing on national unity, as most of the other speakers did.

Pastor Lorenzo Sewell who had prayed the benediction over Trump at the Inauguration had some strong words for Budde. Watch this short video interview: https://www.foxnews.com/video/6367533296112

-I know it has been a custom to use this church for such occasions, but it is time to find another church – a real church with real gospel preaching and real biblical beliefs. This church service featured a number of speakers in its interfaith service, but with no solid evangelicals among them.

-There is a time and a place for prophetic jeremiads, but this was not one of them. It was meant to simply be a Christian service to help recognise and bring in the new administration. It was to be a National Prayer Service, and it was meant to be a solemn occasion. But not after this church wrecker finished her crusade.

-Her calls for mercy and respect for others is so much baloney. She has none of this for the unborn of course, being a rabid pro-abortionist, and she does not give a rip about children being permanently maimed and disfigured by trans activism. Spare us the sermons Budde.

Here are excerpts from three Australian commentators on this matter. Peter Smith said this in part about the service:

Unfortunately, Budde is just one example among phalanxes of priestly do-gooders (to be extremely generous) who put their simpering socialist politics above the Bible. Let us try to bring clarity to the matter. According to Budde, LGBTQ+ people and children are scared of what Trump will do? Answer: I am sure that any impressionable LGBTQ+ person around Budde would get scared. She’d scare the bejesus out of them and then blame Trump.

 

It is true that Trump is a threat to transgender activists. That is a good thing, even if it results in just one teenage girl, confused about her sexuality, getting real help instead of having her breasts cut off. Didn’t hear Budde express concern about children being monstered by twisted activists and mercenary doctors and surgeons.

And as for migrants:

The devil can cite scripture for his purpose, as Antonio put it (in The Merchant of Venice). And so it is that countless times in church I have heard that Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus were refugees too, having fled to Egypt in fear of King Herod. (Matthew 2:13–15) The message seems to be that therefore you must allow countless hordes of culturally clashing young male “refugees” into your communities lest ye be sinful. What a stretch!

 

First, Joseph and Mary knew that Herod was about to kill Jesus. They didn’t flee to enjoy Egypt’s social welfare benefits. Second, they returned to their home as soon as it was safe to do so. And, third, there is no account of them sponging off their hosts or causing trouble or resisting deportation. Another biblical story is apropos. The good Samaritan took the beaten-up Jewish man to an inn and paid for his keep until he recovered. (Luke 10:30-35) He didn’t take him to his home and offer put him up for life in the spare room.

 

A really important point to make is that Jesus asks us all as individuals to love our neighbours. I can’t find any biblical injunction to make generous offers on behalf of others. I don’t know where Budde lives. I imagine as a bishop she lives in a good neighbourhood in a nice house. How many illegal immigrants does she personally house and take care of? How many are crowding out her surrounding streets and threatening her as she shops? These people are in the business of despising their own American community, while fawning over ‘the other’. See what I mean about C.S. Lewis. https://quadrant.org.au/news-opinions/religion/no-wonder-the-pews-are-empty/

And David Robertson wrote this:

I agreed completely with your comments about the culture of contempt which seeks to demonise and threatens to destroy us – what is known as the outrage industrial complex. I assume you will also apply this to those who demonise people like President Trump – and that you will demand that people do not use your sermon to further stir up hatred and division?

 

In that regard it was less than helpful to scold the President about LGBT children who you said were scared – some for their lives. Even if this were true (and what is your evidence for this somewhat scary statement?), it is not your job to feed such false fears. Because false they are. President Trump has nowhere threatened the lives of LGBT children (incidentally as a bishop are you not more than a little concerned about the labelling of children in this way?). For you to imply that these fears were legitimate was either dishonest or ignorant. Stoking fear to make a political or even a theological point is something that no preacher should do. We should speak the truth in love. As you stated in your sermon, honesty is foundational to unity. At this point you were less than honest. Practice what you preach!

 

The same can be said about your remarks on immigration. The situation is not as simplistic as you put it. Although it has to be admitted that simple political (progressive) fundamentalism does allow you to engage in fine sentimental rhetoric, immigration is a much more complex issue than your 1-minute soundbite portrayed. Donald Trump and JD Vance both married immigrants – it is clear that they are not opposed to all immigration. The question is what should be done about illegal immigration? If you have any ideas, then engage constructively – don’t virtue signal from a pulpit 12 feet above contradiction.

 

You will forgive me saying this but there was also an inherent contradiction in your statement about the dignity of every human being. Your denomination doesn’t believe that. The Episcopal Church in the USA supports abortion on demand up to birth. That is an astonishingly evil and anti-Christ position to take. You cannot possibly take the high moral ground on humanity when you teach such anti-human doctrines. Your plea for mercy when you support such cruel policies is, to say the least, somewhat hypocritical. What about mercy for the most vulnerable human beings – those still in their mothers’ wombs? https://theweeflea.com/2025/01/25/speaking-the-truth-to-power-a-letter-to-bishop-budde-ct/

Finally, James Macpherson offers a bit of background to all this:

The fact is that Episcopalians don’t have an issue with Trump; they have an issue with the Bible. The church came out in support of same-sex marriage back in 2015, ordained its first gay priest in 2003, and approved the ordination of transgender priests in 2012.

 

In 2018, the church committed to oppose all legislation that restricts men identifying as women from accessing female restrooms, locker rooms and showers. I expect they’ll be re-crucifying Jesus sometime next week. Like I said, Trump shouldn’t feel special. The Episcopalians hated Jesus long before Trump Derangement Syndrome took hold of the church.

He concludes: “As for Bishop Budde… she should run for Congress at the next election. She has no place in the church.” https://dailydeclaration.org.au/2025/01/24/trump-upsets-woke-bishops/

Jesus of course warned us long ago that there would be wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking to destroy the church from within. ‘Bishop’ Budde is clearly Exhibit A in all this.

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4 Replies to “On Ecclesiastical Vandalism”

  1. Spot on Bill. Its good that Trump and others spoke out about the demonic message so people wake up about some churches. If Trump had his way he would have sacked her. Looks like there is a lot to keep praying for before America and the world is set free from all these ideologies.

  2. I would say that the next National Day of Prayer might be held in the nearby very large Catholic Basilica, except that the Pope has seen fit to assign a far-left new Archbishop to D.C. The most sensible suggestion I’ve seen was to hold any such events on the National Mall, outdoors.

  3. Biblically speaking she has no right call herself a Bishop in the first place. So much for any authority she claims.

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