Freedom of Religion for Me, but Not for Thee
The Right's reaction to Bishop Budde's sermon demonstrates its hypocrisy and disregard for religious pluralism and the spirit of the Church.

Earlier this week, Donald Trump assumed the Presidency of the United States and, with it, all the power of the office. In this environment, the importance of mercy and decency remains critical to effectively maintaining public trust in government. If people can’t trust their commander-in-chief to be merciful, they can’t reasonably be expected to trust them at all. On Tuesday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde attempted to make that point directly to President Donald Trump and to say the reaction to her sermon has been interesting is nothing short of an understatement.
What the Bishop Said
During her sermon, Bishop Budde urged the incoming President to show mercy to those frightened by his administration. More specifically, warning that LGBTQ people and undocumented families were all worrying about their futures under his rule.
She pleaded, saying:
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives.
The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They…may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurudwaras and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.
Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. Good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.”
The sermon is not particularly surprising. Those familiar with Bishop Budde will know she has been consistently involved in the Episcopal Church for years, emphasizing the importance of God's love. Last year, she was one of 200 Christian religious leaders who signed an open letter urging continued support for democratic values of pluralism and freedom. She also led the Washington National Cathedral through a difficult time, replacing stained glass windows donated by the infamous United Daughters of the Confederacy, honoring Robert E. Lee with depictions of racial equality and justice.
The reality is that the Episcopal Church under Bishop Budde and many other leaders before her has strived to emphasize the love of God even if it meant that the powerful chafed at such checks on their narratives.
The GOP’s Reaction
What should shock Americans is not the sermon—although the sermon is to be expected when someone like Trump is coming to power—but the unmitigated audacity with which Trump and some of his supporters have reacted to the freely expressed religious beliefs of a duly ordained bishop. In response to Bishop Budde, Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA) posted on Twitter that Budde should be added to “the deportation list.”

Trump himself responded in a post on Truth Social, questioning her fitness to be a Bishop and calling her a “…Radical Left hard-line Trump hater.”

Aside from the repetitive and false claims about immigrants coming out of mental asylums and prisons, the response is typical from Trump and his ilk. Rather than take the plea on the chin as an expected part of attending mass, Trump and his allies argue that such criticism is illegitimate. The fact they see this plea for mercy and love as political is yet another sign that this administration sees cruelty as the point of its power.
Trump is Wrong about the Sermon
If Trump had listened to the sermon or considered its overarching themes, he would have recognized direct appeals to scripture and a heartfelt belief in Christ's mercy. When Bishop Budde said, “Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land,” she directly referenced Leviticus, which commands the faithful to respect the alien.
"When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God.” -Leviticus 19:33-34.
This is not merely a one-off or a suggestion. In Deuteronomy, the faithful are again directly commanded to uphold the dignity of the foreigner.
For the Lord, your God is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the Great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the resident alien. So you too should love the resident alien, for that is what you were in the land of Egypt. -Deuteronomy 10: 17-19.
The Prophet Ezekiel makes this clear as day, even as it comes to the inheritance and dividing of land and possessions, saying:
“You shall divide this land according to the tribes of Israel. You shall allot it as heritage for yourselves and for the resident aliens in your midst who have fathered children among you. You shall treat them as native Israelites; along with you, they shall receive a heritage among the tribes of Israel.” -Ezekiel 47: 21-23.
This is not some modern pronunciation or liberal hokum. It is central to the faith that Bishop Budde was attempting to impart to the President of the United States, a man who has portrayed himself as the defender of Christianity and the word of God. The law is important, and nobody should deny that, but compassion and love for the vulnerable are also important.
If Bishop Budde truly wished to attack Trump rather than plead with him, she would have plenty to work with. Instead of emphasizing the love of the stranger, perhaps she could have pointed to Hebrews 13:4-5.
“Let Marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” -Hebrews 13: 4-5.
However, I doubt that would go over well.
References
Banks, Adelle M. 2023. “National Cathedral Windows Shift from Themes of Confederacy to Racial Justice.” RNS. https://religionnews.com/2023/09/23/national-cathedral-windows-shift-from-themes-of-confederacy-to-racial-justice/ (January 23, 2025).
Trump, Donald. 2025. Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113870397327465225 (January 23, 2025).
Douay-Rheims Bible. 2000. Saint Benedict Press (January 23, 2025). (Original work published 1582). https://www.amazon.com/dp/1935302035?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_DXP0M1FAWZF9WCGTCV67&skipTwisterOG=1&bestFormat=true&newOGT=1
The New American Standard Bible. 2020. Catholic Bible Press. (January 23, 2025). https://a.co/d/bH6gtyL.
Dias, Elizabeth. 2025. “The Bishop Who Pleaded With Trump: ‘Was Anyone Going to Say Anything?’” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/us/trump-bishop-plea.html (January 22, 2025).
Full Interview: Rachel Maddow Talks with the Bishop Who Asked Trump Directly to Show Mercy - YouTube. Interview. (January 22, 2025).
Jenkins, Jack. 2024. “200 Christian Leaders across Denominations Call Defending Democracy a ‘Test of Faith.’” RNS. https://religionnews.com/2024/09/19/christian-leaders-call-defendign-democracy-a-test-of-faith/ (January 23, 2025).
Liddell, James. “Prominent Republican Demands Trump Deport Bishop Who Preached Mercy.” The Independent. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/prominent-republican-demands-trump-deport-bishop-who-preached-mercy/ar-AA1xESsJ?ocid=BingNewsSerp (January 23, 2025).
Rep. Mike Collins [@RepMikeCollins]. 2025. “The Person Giving This Sermon Should Be Added to the Deportation List. Https://T.Co/d7a2z1CM6s.” Twitter. https://x.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1881765967338131546 (January 22, 2025).
Trump Criticizes Church Service after Bishop Makes Plea for Immigrants - YouTube. 2025. Interview. (January 22, 2025).