White House Promoting Worldwide Atheism (Part 1)

Biden exporting atheism to the developing world

[Part I of a two-part series on State Department funding of Humanism overseas.]

US House Republicans are accusing the State Department of using taxpayer dollars to advance the cause of atheism.

America has been exporting its filth for decades, of course. As it has de-Christianized over the past 60-plus years, under the banner of "individual liberty," the United States has funneled untold billions into expanding — across the globe — the reach of contraception, abortion, pornography and all things LGBT.

But under self-identified Catholic Joe Biden, the export machine has gone into overdrive. Not satisfied with imposing America's fleshly rot upon the world, Biden officials are accused of supplementing their promotion of depravity with proselytization of an ideological cornerstone of hedonism — humanism.

To better grasp what it is that Democrats in the State Department are promoting, a primer on the humanist movement follows.

An Atheistic Belief

The roots of humanism sprang from heretical religious movements emerging in the wake of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Over time, these factions, which included Unitarianism and Universalism, drifted deeper into error. By the early 20th Century, adherents, enraptured by Darwinian thought, had begun to embrace materialism, the philosophical belief that there exists nothing beyond the natural world — no God, no supernatural, no afterlife.

In 1933, pioneers of the movement drafted the Humanist Manifesto, a statement of principles reflecting their evolving worldview.

"Today man’s larger understanding of the universe, his scientific achievements, and deeper appreciation of brotherhood, have created a situation which requires a new statement of the means and purposes of religion," the authors wrote. "While this age does owe a vast debt to the traditional religions, it is none the less obvious that any religion that can hope to be a synthesizing and dynamic force for today must be shaped for the needs of this age. To establish such a religion is a major necessity of the present. It is a responsibility which rests upon this generation."

The authors went on to explicitly declare their atheism:

"Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created. ... Humanism asserts that the nature of the universe depicted by modern science makes unacceptable any supernatural or cosmic guarantees of human values. ... Religion must formulate its hopes and plans in the light of the scientific spirit and method. ... It follows that there will be no uniquely religious emotions and attitudes of the kind hitherto associated with belief in the supernatural."

The Humanist Manifesto also reflected a bedrock belief in Darwinism — its authors asserting that evolution is responsible for man's biological, religious and cultural development.

"Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as a result of a continuous process," they declared. "Humanism recognizes that man's religious culture and civilization, as clearly depicted by anthropology and history, are the product of a gradual development due to his interaction with his natural environment and with his social heritage."

Having spurned belief in God, the faction's founders also rejected Catholic teaching regarding man's purpose — that we were created to know, love and serve God in this life so as to be happy together with Him in the next. To fill the resulting void of purpose, the humanists replaced piety with social activism.

"Religious Humanism considers the complete realization of human personality to be the end of man's life and seeks its development and fulfillment in the here and now. This is the explanation of the humanist's social passion," Manifesto authors wrote. "In the place of the old attitudes involved in worship and prayer the humanist finds his religious emotions expressed in a heightened sense of personal life and in a cooperative effort to promote social well-being."

As a result, from the movement's earliest days, humanists have thrown themselves headlong into remaking the world in man's image. Their stated aim, as laid out in the Manifesto, is the total reconstitution — and control — of all institutions according to the humanist worldview.

"Religious humanism maintains that all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life," the authors explained. "The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism."

Not surprisingly, the Manifesto declared socialism to be a key component of the new atheistic utopianism:

"The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls, and motives must be instituted. A socialized and cooperative economic order must be established to the end that the equitable distribution of the means of life be possible. The goal of humanism is a free and universal society in which people voluntarily and intelligently cooperate for the common good. Humanists demand a shared life in a shared world."

Because humanism is devoid of doctrine, it is by nature evolutionary, and in the 91 years since the Manifesto was issued, the movement has morphed constantly to accommodate the shifting spirit of the age. Humanists, for example, were among the first to embrace and promote "rights" to contraception, abortion and euthanasia; and were early advocates of all things LGBT.

Rejecting moral absolutes, humanism is relativistic to its core. Humanist Corliss Lamont, writing in The Philosophy of Humanism, notes: "For Humanism no human acts are good or bad in or of themselves. Whether an act is good or bad is to be judged by its consequences for the individual and society."

In other words, in the absence of God, man alone determines what is right and wrong. Considering the crimes humanity has committed against itself over the past century, it is clear that the humanist standard is deeply flawed — and dangerous. For the US government to promote such a worldview abroad — using taxpayer dollars, no less — is nothing short of state sabotage.

Advancing Unbelief

In April 2021, the State Department issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), soliciting bids for a $500,000 grant aimed ostensibly at augmenting religious pluralism in South or Central Asia, or in the Middle East and North Africa.

Titled "Promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing and Non-Affiliated Individuals," the notification laid out a number of "expected outcomes" recipients would be tasked with achieving:

"Increased availability of mechanisms for members of minorities and marginalized groups — particularly atheists and nonbelievers — to advocate with community leaders and local and regional government officials regarding their religious freedom concerns ...

Increased capacity among members of atheist and heterodox individuals to form or join networks or organizations, implement advocacy campaigns, and to engage with the public on issues of tolerance and acceptance of all regardless of faith ...."

Likewise, the State Department suggested a number of potential program activities that recipients could direct grant money toward, including:

"Creating or strengthening networks of advocates for the diverse communities of atheist, humanist, non-practicing and non-affiliated individuals of all religious communities in target countries.

Strengthening the capacity of organizations representing diverse communities of atheist, humanist, non-practicing and non-affiliated individuals of all religious communities to advocate for their rights to political, legal, and societal leaders. 

According to the notification, relevant capacity-building activities could include "improving management structure, public engagement skills, legal rights advocacy, digital security, physical security, psychosocial support and coalition building techniques," and could incorporate "public fora, town halls, journalism, public outreach/education, media campaigns, small grants, and other work."

Demanding Answers

Word of the notification soon made its way to Congress. On June 30, 2022 a group of 15 Republican members of the House, led by Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, penned a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing his agency of "promoting radical, divisive, and destructive cultural policies."

"We are writing to express our grave concern that the State Department is using appropriated funds to support atheism and radical, progressive orthodoxy across the world," the representatives began. "To be clear, atheism and 'humanism' are official belief systems."

"It is one thing for the Department to be tolerant and respectful of a wide range of belief systems, and to encourage governments to respect the religious freedom interests of their citizens. It is quite another for the United States government to work actively to empower atheists, humanists, non-practicing, and non-affiliated in public decision-making."

The signatories slammed the grant's "constitutionally dubious legal foundation," noting that "Any such program — for any religiously-identifiable group — in the United States would be unconstitutional."

"This is not 'religious freedom,'" they noted. "This NOFO ... prioritizes atheists and humanists above all other potential recipients. Not only does such a priority violate both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses, but also the No Religious Test Clause of Article VI of our nation's constitution."

Spotlighting the agency's hypocrisy, the representatives continued: "In the NOFO, the State Department characterizes atheists as a unique religious group while then encouraging the building of 'networks and advocacy groups' for atheists," they observed. "This would be analogous to official State Department promotion of religious freedom 'particularly for Christians' in China, with the express goal being to build a corresponding missionary network."

"Obviously, this goal that would never pass constitutional muster and would be derided by radical leftist bureaucrats in your agency as completely out-of-bounds," they said. "So why is this atheist NOFO not viewed with similar objection?"

The lawmakers also questioned "how such a grant or cooperative agreement program advances the foreign policy interests of the United States."

"Were such programs known by the citizens of the target countries," they warned, "we would expect that local populations, interest groups, and governments would bristle at what any 'objective observer' would see as 'covert' funding from a foreign power designed to shatter local religious and cultural relationships."

"Americans rightly discern this as a part of the broader effort on the part of your administration to promote radical, progressive orthodoxy abroad," the lawmakers noted, adding:

"Atheism is an integral part of the belief system of Marxism and communism."

In addition to Rep. Banks, the signatories included Reps. Barry Moore of Alabama; Paul A. Gosar of Arizona; Doug Lamborn of Colorado; Daniel Webster of Florida; Lisa C. McClain and Tim Walberg of Michigan; Claudia Tenney of New York; Tim Burchett of Tennessee; Dan Crenshaw and Randy Weber of Texas; Jeff Duncan and Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin; and Alex Mooney of West Virginia.

Stonewalling

State Department officials rejected accusations of wrongdoing, with a spokesperson telling the Washington Times that the programs "never promote specific religious philosophies or doctrines," but rather, "promote the rights of all people to live free from abuse or discrimination."

Officials refused to disclose the name of the grant recipients, in order to "protect the ability of rights advocacy organizations to accomplish their objectives in highly sensitive international settings." They insisted, however, that the agency would be "pleased" to engage concerned members of Congress further on the matter.

In spite of their supposed willingness to discuss the controversy with lawmakers, authorities at the State Department continued to stonewall Republicans throughout 2022.

In early December, Rep. Banks — chairman of the Republican Study Committee — voiced frustration over officials' ongoing refusal to disclose information about the grant.

On Dec. 1, Banks and several other congressmen spoke at length with Mariah Mercer, an assistant to Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain. The exchange proved fruitless, with Mercer refusing to disclose any information regarding the identity of grant recipients, how they were selected, and how the State Department was evaluating their performance.

Following the discussion, Rep. Banks issued a statement denouncing the obstinacy of Biden officials:

"After six months and multiple letters, the Biden State Department is still hiding basic information about their funding of atheism abroad. They know that the details would outrage American taxpayers and they're worried they'd also expose the program as unconstitutional. Congress gave them this money but apparently we're not allowed to know which countries are getting the money. It's insane."

Speaking separately to The Epoch Times, Rep. Banks said that the "Biden State Department has abused US taxpayer dollars to push critical race theory, fly the pride flag at the Vatican, fund atheist networks abroad, and fund gender transition surgeries. US taxpayers deserve diplomats who champion their values abroad, but the Biden State Department stands for the far-Left only."

Recipient Named

State Department officials eventually awarded the grant to Humanists International (HI), a group dedicated to bolstering atheism worldwide, for its proposal targeting the South Asian nation of Nepal, a Hindu-majority state.

Crowning itself "the global representative body at the heart of the humanist movement," Humanists International describes its mission this way:

"We build, support and represent the global humanist movement and work to champion human rights and secularism. ... We campaign on humanist issues. ... We lobby for humanist values at international institutions, including the United Nations. And we work to build the humanist movement around the world."

In view of the values humanists promote, the State Department's selection of Humanists International sparked a backlash among GOP lawmakers in Washington, and today, the fallout continues to unfold.

Writer, editor and producer Stephen Wynne has spent the past seven years covering, from a Catholic perspective, the latest developments in the Church, the nation and the world. Prior to his work in journalism, he spent eight years co-authoring “Repairing the Breach,” a book examining the war of worldviews between Christianity and Darwinism. A Show-Me State native, he holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pepperdine University and an Executive MBA from the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

To support articles like this, please consider a donation to Souls and Liberty