Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN) and other members of congress recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinkin requesting information on a State Department grant program meant to "promote atheism" around the world.
The members wrote the letter to express their "grave concern" that appropriated funds were being misused by the State Department in promoting atheism as an official belief system.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) at the State Department released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in April 2021 entitled "DRL FY20 IRF Promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing and Non-Affiliated Individuals," the letter stated. Grants of up to $500,000 would be awarded through a competitive process to organizations "committed to the practice and spread of atheism and humanism" particularly in South/Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa.
Banks, who serves on the Armed Services, Education and Labor, and Veteran's Affairs Committees, was joined by 14 other members of Congress in signing the letter.
"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," read an excerpt from the letter.
"To be clear, atheism and 'humanism' are official belief systems,” the letter stated. “As an initial matter, therefore, we would like to know what other United States government programs supported with appropriated funds are being used either to encourage, inculcate, or to disparage any official belief system – atheist, humanist, Christian, Muslim, or otherwise. 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. Any such program – for any religiously-identifiable group – in the United States would be unconstitutional."
The elected representatives also questioned how such a program could advance the foreign policy interests of the United States, according to the letter.
“Were such programs known by the citizens of the target countries, 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," the letter stated. "This is not “religious freedom.” This NOFO, like others we have reviewed, 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."
The letter requests the Biden administration provide responses to the members' questions by July 15.
The project is described by the State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor as an "open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support religious freedom globally," according to the Department’s website.
The objective of the program is to “combat discrimination, harassment and abuses against atheist, humanist, non-practicing and non-affiliated individuals of all religious communities by strengthening networks among these communities and providing organizational training and resources,” the DOS website stated.
The project page states certain outcomes should "particularly" focus on atheists and nonbelievers. Some of the expected outcomes from the program include 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, according to the State Department.
The State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor is led by Acting Assistant Secretary Lisa Peterson, according to the bureau's website.
