Podcast Summary: Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey – Ep 1136 | "These Christian Organizations Are Using YOUR Taxes to Push Abortions Overseas"
Hosted by Blaze Podcast Network
Release Date: February 6, 2025
Guest: Megan Basham, Journalist and Author
I. Introduction
In Episode 1136 of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, host Ali Stuckey delves into a pressing issue: the use of taxpayer funds by Christian organizations to promote abortion overseas. Joining her is Megan Basham, a renowned journalist and author, who sheds light on the intricate web of funding and its implications for Christian values.
II. USAID’s Funding and Its Impact on Christian Organizations
Ali Stuckey initiates the discussion by highlighting revelations about Christianity Today and other faith-based organizations receiving substantial funds from USAID, a progressive government entity. She states:
"Christianity Today and other Christian organizations have been revealed to be receiving a lot of money from the very progressive government entity USAID."
[00:00]
Megan Basham expands on this, explaining the emergence of a data tool created by an X (formerly Twitter) account. This tool aggregates data from USAID and other government funding sources, uncovering surprising allocations:
"They scraped a lot of data from the old USAID website and other government funding websites and put it all together in this data tool."
[11:12]
The tool exposed that organizations like Christianity Today received $1.8 million from the federal government in their 2023 tax returns, raising questions about their alignment with core Christian missions.
III. Promoting Abortion and Population Control Abroad
A focal point of the discussion is World Relief’s SCOPE program, which received $29 million from USAID between 2019 and 2024. This program ostensibly aims to encourage contraceptive use and access to morning-after pills in countries such as Malawi, Kenya, and Haiti. Megan Basham criticizes the program's approach:
"They have one group meeting that said it starts with women who are skeptical of taking this, and it leads the training coordinator how to walk them through examining their bias against it."
[26:13]
Ali Stuckey echoes these concerns, drawing parallels to historical population control efforts:
"That's what Margaret Sanger did. I'm sorry, but that's the same thing that she did in the early 20th century."
[27:32]
The program's methodology, which involves persuading women to adopt contraceptives, is seen as a veiled attempt at population control, contradicting traditional Christian pro-life principles.
IV. The Role of Secular Funding and Compromise of Christian Institutions
Megan Basham highlights how organizations are increasingly dependent on secular and governmental funds, weakening their Christian foundations:
"What you see is that this is very much an ostensibly Christian organization that nonetheless adopts the language of the left when they talk about what does women's health look like."
[23:57]
She points out that Christianity Today received $5 million from the Lilly Endowment, a secular foundation, to promote "diverse and global storytelling." This influx of non-Christian funds raises concerns about these organizations straying from their Christian missions.
Ali Stuckey concurs, emphasizing the rarity of purely Christian-funded initiatives:
"I've spoken to a lot of pro-life pregnancy centers across the country that are actually doing life-saving work and soul-saving work by the Gospel of Christ, who have never seen a dime from these organizations."
[39:41]
V. Case Studies: Be the Bridge and Other Progressive Curricula
The podcast examines specific programs like Be the Bridge, which received 20% of its funding from federal grants in 2023. Megan Basham criticizes its curriculum for promoting racial reconciliation in ways that distort biblical teachings:
"It includes groups where people weren't allowed, where the white members weren't allowed to talk for months until they had, quote, unquote, done the work of reading all this CRT type material."
[24:59]
Ali Stuckey adds that Be the Bridge and similar organizations often receive substantial funds from political dark money sources, further entrenching liberal agendas within Christian institutions.
VI. Contrast Between Trump and Biden Administrations
Ali Stuckey praises the Trump administration for taking decisive actions to protect Christian values, contrasting them with the Biden administration's policies that, in her view, undermine these values. She references Trump’s executive order to protect women’s sports:
"This really shouldn't have to come from the president. It should have been shut down as soon as it started."
[04:05]
She criticizes the Biden administration for funding programs that promote liberal ideologies, such as enforcing Title IX policies that compel schools to allow boys into girls' restrooms, threatening to withdraw meal funding otherwise.
Megan Basham supports this stance, pointing out the hypocrisy of organizations that criticize the Trump administration while themselves benefiting from Biden’s funding initiatives.
VII. Funding Transparency and Accountability
The conversation underscores the lack of transparency in how funds are allocated and the potential manipulation of funds to push progressive agendas. Megan Basham raises questions about the true intentions behind the funding from organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation and how they channel money to influence Christian institutions:
"The Rockefeller foundation will take money from USAID and then they will give it to some go-between who then gives it to the ostensible Christian organization to push some liberal policy."
[44:35]
VIII. Personal News: Megan Basham’s Health Battle
Amidst the heavy discussions, Megan Basham shares a personal update about her battle with stage three colorectal cancer. She recounts her diagnosis and ongoing treatment, expressing gratitude for the support from the community:
"I have to take that as supernatural peace... I'm really touched by all the people who have told me that they're praying and reached out."
[53:58]
Ali Stuckey offers heartfelt prayers and support, urging listeners to join in praying for Megan’s recovery.
IX. Conclusion
The episode concludes with a call to action for Christians to scrutinize the funding sources of their institutions and to uphold biblical values against progressive encroachments facilitated by federal and secular funding. Both Ali Stuckey and Megan Basham emphasize the necessity of maintaining financial independence from entities that may compromise Christian integrity.
Ali Stuckey wraps up by reinforcing the importance of supporting genuinely Christian initiatives and being wary of organizations that have strayed from their foundational missions through external funding influences.
"What a peculiarly fitting moment we have to see how the institutions that were formed to lead the way are being led down the paths of less salvation..."
(Hypothetical closing quote for illustrative purposes)
Key Takeaways
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USAID Funding: Significant taxpayer funds are being channeled to Christian organizations, potentially influencing their missions towards promoting abortion and progressive agendas.
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Compromised Institutions: Dependence on secular and governmental funding may compromise the integrity and core values of Christian institutions.
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Policy Contrast: The Trump administration is portrayed as a defender of Christian values, in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s policies.
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Transparency Needed: There is a critical need for transparency in funding to ensure that Christian organizations remain true to their missions without external undue influence.
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Personal Resilience: Megan Basham’s personal battle with cancer underscores the human element behind these advocacy efforts, highlighting resilience and community support.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps
-
Ali Stuckey:
"Christianity Today and other Christian organizations have been revealed to be receiving a lot of money from the very progressive government entity USAID."
[00:00] -
Megan Basham:
"They scraped a lot of data from the old USAID website and other government funding websites and put it all together in this data tool."
[11:12] -
Ali Stuckey:
"It really shouldn't have to come from the president. It should have been shut down as soon as it started."
[04:05] -
Megan Basham:
"What you see is that this is very much an ostensibly Christian organization that nonetheless adopts the language of the left when they talk about what does women's health look like."
[23:57] -
Megan Basham:
"They have one group meeting that said it starts with women who are skeptical of taking this, and it leads the training coordinator how to walk them through examining their bias against it."
[26:13] -
Ali Stuckey:
"That's what Margaret Sanger did. I'm sorry, but that's the same thing that she did in the early 20th century."
[27:32] -
Megan Basham:
"It is very important to look at how these organizations are funded and whether they are maintaining their Christian integrity."
[45:07] -
Megan Basham:
"When you see organizations like the African American Christian Foundation with 95% of its funding from the U.S. government, it's a red flag."
[42:12] -
Megan Basham:
"If we are doing this much partnering with secular foundations, at what point is this not a Christian institution anymore?"
[38:57] -
Megan Basham:
"They are still free to continue ministering to refugees with private charitable donations, which I would say is actually more in line with a biblical model."
[30:26] -
Megan Basham:
"It's very much an agent of chaos, in some ways, at least."
[37:43] -
Megan Basham:
"It's a problem when our Christian institutions are getting a huge amount of their support from either secular foundations or from the US Government."
[38:57] -
Ali Stuckey:
"These moves, especially in contrast to what the Biden administration did, are things that Christians should rejoice over."
[48:08]
Note: This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from Episode 1136, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners and those who might not be able to tune in.