Should Mariann Buddy have remained neutral?

theworriedwell yes. And she commented on that too.
It was in 2020 as you say.

Trump went to the St. John's Episcopal Church which was damaged during the George Floyd protests. He used it as a photo opportunity.

The Right Reverend Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop the church that oversees St. John's, criticized Trump for using the church "as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything our churches stand for."

"He didn't come to pray. He didn't come to lament the death of George Floyd. He didn't come to address the deep wounds that are being expressed through peaceful protest by the thousands upon thousands. He didn't try to bring calm to situations that are exploding with pain," Budde added.

Allira

Luckygirl3

Well done that lady!
What is the point of clerics if they do not pronounce the beliefs of their religion?

Some Anglican churches including those in the USA, do allow same-sex marriage but there are some around the world which do not, including the Church of England, some Anglican churches in Africa, S America and Asia.
So it is not a religious belief as such, it is dependent on which branch of the church.

I am afraid you missed the point.
The beliefs of her religion are to do with compassion. This is what she was declaring. And good for her.

Luckygirl3

Allira

Luckygirl3

Well done that lady!
What is the point of clerics if they do not pronounce the beliefs of their religion?

Some Anglican churches including those in the USA, do allow same-sex marriage but there are some around the world which do not, including the Church of England, some Anglican churches in Africa, S America and Asia.
So it is not a religious belief as such, it is dependent on which branch of the church.

I am afraid you missed the point.
The beliefs of her religion are to do with compassion. This is what she was declaring. And good for her.

I realised her message was compassion and posted about that earlier.

However, from your post I thought you meant that Anglicans all had the same beliefs about certain issues which they don't..

A misunderstanding.

Religion is not just a set of beliefs and rituals. It is a way of life. The bishop was speaking in a Christian church, with the President present and reminded him of what social values Christians espouse.

The Catholic Church has officially joined her in asking for Christian compassion to prevail.

Jesus was of course very political, and his teachings are very clear.

Jesus was of course very political

Yes he was.

The Bishop was speaking in her church, the House of God and the POTUS should respect that even if he does (stupidly) disagree with her.

Agreed of course.

From the Catholic Church

"I wish to reiterate that the Catholic Church is not aligned with any political party, and neither is the bishops’ conference," the letter goes on.

"No matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged. It is our hope that the leadership of our Country will reconsider those actions which disregard not only the human dignity of a few, but of us all," it reads.

"Following the ancient tradition, Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope. As Christians, our hope is always in Jesus Christ, who guides us through storm and calm weather. He is the source of all truth," it goes on.

"Our prayer is one of hope that, as a Nation blessed with many gifts, our actions demonstrate a genuine care for our most vulnerable sisters and brothers, including the unborn, the poor, the elderly and infirm, and migrants and refugees. The just Judge expects nothing less," it concludes.

Between this letter and the blunt sermon remarks delivered by Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Budde at the National Cathedral, this has been a historically bad week for relations between Trump and key religious leaders.

As it turns out, real Christians don't support hatred, bigotry, and fascist politics.
The famous Gandhi quote applies to Trump and his Evangelical supporters more than ever: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

No, she should not have remained neutral.

Nor should the Pope or really any Christian, imo.

A church is God’s House, she spoke God’s word

How neutral was she? Are transgender children really in fear of their lives? I think the exaggerations in her speech not only moved it into the political arena but also diluted what she was saying.

Whitewavemark2

I would say absolutely the reverse.

She has a duty as a Christian to speak out.

I completely agree.. She was I think giving her normal kind of address.. compassionate, kind and inclusive rather an anathema to Trump..

Nowadays I'm not religious but well versed in the Scriptures, and it's obvious to me as it should be to all those so-called Christians who devoutly follow Trump, that the Bishop was saying just what Jesus would have said in the same circumstances.

That reference was a small part - one sentence - see full speech page 2 - in a sermon that focused mainly on the plight of the undocumented and asylum seekers.
If she has met other groups who feel threatened its valid to do so.

Overall it was a powerful call for mercy and compassion.

25Avalon

How neutral was she? Are transgender children really in fear of their lives? I think the exaggerations in her speech not only moved it into the political arena but also diluted what she was saying.

Why does she have to be your view of neutral, Avalon. She seems to be prepared to stand up for the views of the church she has been given the job of presiding over. She, as far as I understand it, broke no laws, and she knows that, just like Jesus before her, the power of those who don't like hearing what she said could well be used against her.

Aren't you in favour of the "freedom of speech" those, who now want to silence her, often claim as their defence.

Spent time today doing some reading about Chruch and 'neutrality' and discovered (shame on me for never knowing about him before) - the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the son of a Bourgeois family from Berlin who decided to study theology after WW1. What an amazing story. He put his life in true danger, and lost it- standing up against Hitler, and also saved many Jews.

A couple of quotes ' and yet, in the face of Evil, Christian leaders are silent' (in fact the Church in Germany officially allied itself to the Third Reich and got rid of all dissidents).

'Silence in the face of Evil, is itself silence. God will not hold us guiltless, not to speak, is to speak. Acts of defiance in the face of overwhelming darkness are a profound statement of our humanity'

As for Jesus being neutral 'politically', think again.

Proverbs 8.13
Ephesins 5.11
Romans 12.21
Psalms 94.16
1 Corinthians 15.33
Ephesians 5.11.12
Isaiah 5.20

just a few great examples.

Senator Bernie Sanders, a wise man, is not staying silent.

USA edition of The Guardian.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/23/bernie-sanders-trump-inauguration-speech

Norah

Senator Bernie Sanders, a wise man, is not staying silent.

USA edition of The Guardian.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/23/bernie-sanders-trump-inauguration-speech

Yes Norah truly deplorable.. It was obvious to all caring, compassion people and I'm sure to the large percentage of Americans who didn't vote for him that he has no intention of actually improving people's quality of life or dealing with the massive discrepancies in their living standards.. Obama tried to make healthcare more accessible and even he didn't manage that... I'd be so scared living there..