I’m a devout atheist. Have been since the age of 8. I grew up in a secular Jewish home with parents who weren’t observant in any way. My encounter with religious nonsense happened when in fourth grade I was given a Gideon bible and then was required to relinquish it because the rabbi didn’t want the children of his congregation to be exposed to any Christian scripture. 

At 8, I was already a rabid reader. For me, this bible was just another story book. At 8, I was offended by the oppressive way the rabbi (and my acquiescing parents) determined to restrict my reading choices. At 8, I quietly took a stand. I would become a skeptical Jew. 

At age 12, I prepared for a Bat-Mitzvah. Not the same full religious coming of age ritual in which boys participate, just a small contribution within a Friday evening service. That, in itself, spoke loudly to me of the inferior status of women within Judaism. Worse, was my encounter with the book of Leviticus during the preparation for the service. I was particularly offended by the description of the “uncleanliness” of women. The rabbi offered flowery explanations of those passages when I questioned the proscription. I didn’t buy them – they were male rationalizations against the essence of woman. At age 12, I walked away from religion.

So I respond to Bishop Budde’s sermon in an a-religious way. I respond to the politics of her act. I respond to her courage to confront these significant social issues in a very public way with the very people deciding the fate of many frightened people!

If you haven’t seen the critical part of her sermon you must watch it:

Listen to her words and watch the faces of the powerful!

If you want to understand why she took a deep breath and spoke aloud these deepest tenets of her faith watch her interview with Rachel Maddow: 

John Pavolitz urges other religious leaders to follow suit: 

Don’t Let Bishop Budde Stand Alone: A Challenge to Every Minister in America

Not only am I an atheist, I’m a Canadian not an American citizen. But the escalating chaos I see as an outside observer makes me fearful for the majority of US citizens because the rising tide of hate and xenophobia will pit neighbour against neighbour, will break long standing friendships, disrupt families, make the vulnerable even more vulnerable. 

Steve Schmidt sounded a warning in his Substack today: 

The Warning with Steve Schmidt: The big lie

These and many more upcoming decisions by trump and his administration are going to have world-wide consequences. I don’t claim to be prescient; but the rising tide is obvious to anybody willing to see.