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State Dept: ‘Atheism grant’ may have been misused
Highland County Press ^ | May 25, 2024 | Susan Crabtree Real Clear Wire via Highland County Press

Posted on 02/02/2025 11:51:47 PM PST by ransomnote

House Republicans who have led a nearly two-year investigation into a $500,000 State Department grant to an organization that promotes humanism and secularism are pressing the agency to conduct more diligent oversight after it admitted that the organization may have misused taxpayer funds.

Rep. Mike McCaul, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who heads the panel’s human rights subcommittee, have accused the State Department of trying to promote atheism overseas under the guise of advancing religious pluralism, a longtime U.S. foreign policy priority. Rep. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican who chairs the panel’s oversight and accountability subcommittee, has also helped spearhead inquiries into the grant.

For more than a year, the trio has been investigating the decision-making behind the State Department’s April 2021 solicitation bid for a $500,000 grant titled “Promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing and Non-Affiliated Individuals.” The agency awarded the grant to Humanists International, or HI, an organization aimed at promoting humanism, an outlook and system of thought attaching prime importance to human effort rather than divine or supernatural powers.

In a letter sent to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma Wednesday, McCaul, Smith, and Mast charged the State Department with engaging in a “pattern of obfuscation and denial” throughout the investigation in order to “expand atheism networks” overseas. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause of the Constitution bars the use of tax dollars to promote theocracy, a specific religion or belief system.

It was not until Foreign Affairs Committee staff contacted the HI to schedule a transcribed interview, and the organization retained legal counsel, that the “true scope” of the grant’s programming was revealed, the GOP House members asserted. HI’s attorneys contacted the State Department and admitted it had provided the wrong slides presented during its training session in Nepal.

“Legal counsel for the grantee uncovered in a matter of weeks what the Department obfuscated, misrepresented and denied for years,” they wrote, expressing skepticism about the agency’s stated commitment to recoup any misused funds and take action to bar HI from further State Department grants.

Much more at the link: https://highlandcountypress.com/opinions/state-dept-atheism-grant-may-have-been-misused#gsc.tab=0

 



TOPICS: Local News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 202104; atheism; atheismnetworks; brianmast; constitution; establishmentclause; fiduciarymalfeasance; fiduciarymisconduct; grant; grants; hi; humanism; humanists; humanistsint; humanistsintl; mikemccaul; misappropriation; nepal; pluralism; religiousliberty; secularism; statedepartment; statedept; trumpmas
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1 posted on 02/02/2025 11:51:47 PM PST by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote

The Left, worldwide, is largely funded by taxpayer money.

Trump knows that, and is prioritizing cutting them off.


2 posted on 02/02/2025 11:58:53 PM PST by SauronOfMordor (Either you will rule. Or you will be ruled. There is no other choice.)
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To: ransomnote

BTTT


3 posted on 02/03/2025 12:02:58 AM PST by nopardons
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To: ransomnote

Gee, ya think???????


4 posted on 02/03/2025 12:05:43 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: ransomnote
House Republicans who have led a nearly two-year investigation

I wonder how much they spent on the investigation.

5 posted on 02/03/2025 12:30:31 AM PST by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: ransomnote
Oh, they must be referring to the NPR and PBS grants.

6 posted on 02/03/2025 12:31:22 AM PST by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: Jeff Chandler

Obfuscation + “lawyering-up”...


7 posted on 02/03/2025 1:46:17 AM PST by Does so ("Climate Change" creates empty fire hydrants...🇺🇦...Dem☭¢rat...≣ ∅ ™ ¿ ¡ ☞)
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To: ransomnote

For those who may not know, Europe’s turn towards Atheism is why the Muslims are having such an easy time conquering it, and likewise our slower turn in that direction is making it tougher for Muslims, and Leftists in general, to do the same in the US.

And that’s probably why Biden’s State Department was fueling Atheism.


8 posted on 02/03/2025 2:05:36 AM PST by BobL
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To: ransomnote
‘Atheism grant’ may have been misused

It was spent by believers in God. /sarc

9 posted on 02/03/2025 2:31:53 AM PST by PghBaldy (12/14/12 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15/12 - 1030am - Obama team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: ransomnote
The godless corruption of what used to be the United States Of America, the USA in which I grew up, has given itself over to Satan so thoroughly, I'm surprised the Lord has not given us a Sodom and Gomorrah event.

Please Lord, let us proceed full steam ahead with our recovery and protect President Trump in the process. In Jesus' name, amen.

10 posted on 02/03/2025 3:45:17 AM PST by LouAvul (1 John 2:22: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" )
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To: ransomnote

“State Department of trying to promote atheism overseas under the guise of advancing religious pluralism, a longtime U.S. foreign policy priority.”

“Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society”.

Diversity. Yeah.

For example the fairly recent tolerism for Satanic religion. Its now tax exempt you know...https://abovethelaw.com/2019/05/irs-grants-tax-exempt-status-to-satanic-temple/


11 posted on 02/03/2025 4:25:29 AM PST by Beowulf9 ( )
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To: ransomnote

We are supporting ATHEISTS??


12 posted on 02/03/2025 4:31:41 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: LouAvul

Amen


13 posted on 02/03/2025 4:34:31 AM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: Ann Archy

Who wants to bet satanists as well.


14 posted on 02/03/2025 4:35:12 AM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: ransomnote

Another question is of the $500,000 grant which politician(s) received a donation to their campaign/family foundation and how much?

This is one way they become millionaires. Give away other people’s money by the bucket and receive a kickback to their campaign or family foundation.

It must be very addicting. The more you give away other people’s money, the more you personally get back. Nice work.


15 posted on 02/03/2025 4:43:07 AM PST by Hang'emAll (Gold is the money of kings, silver=money of gentlemen, barter=money of peasants, debt=slave's money)
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To: LouAvul

Please Lord, let us proceed full steam ahead with our recovery and protect President Trump in the process. In Jesus’ name, amen.
*********
And let all Jewish people see that the Democrats are not their friend. Hear oh Isreal, the Lord, thy God is One.


16 posted on 02/03/2025 4:51:11 AM PST by yldstrk (Nothing like the truth)
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To: ViLaLuz
No matter. They all worship the same god. (Humanists, secularists, satanists, progressives, demoncrats, homos, ad infinitum).

You (universal "you") either worship God through Christ or you worship the devil.

There is no worship of God unless it's through Christ. (See my tagline.)

17 posted on 02/03/2025 4:51:46 AM PST by LouAvul (1 John 2:22: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" )
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To: Jeff Chandler

“I wonder how much they spent on the investigation.”

Likely more than the $500,000 grant.

Congress daily demonstrates it is incapable of managing the public purse.


18 posted on 02/03/2025 4:54:53 AM PST by Soul of the South (The past is gone and cannot be changed. Tomorrow can be a better day if we work on it.)
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To: LouAvul

That’s the TRUTH!


19 posted on 02/03/2025 5:00:42 AM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: ransomnote

Grand theft. Guantanimo.


20 posted on 02/03/2025 5:48:46 AM PST by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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