FFRF questions $700 million HHS initiative favoring faith-based providers 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is raising concerns after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent touting of an expanded role for faith-based recovery organizations.

At a June 18 event in Michigan, Kennedy announced a $96 million funding opportunity through the Trump administration’s Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) program, along with an additional $612 million in behavioral health funding opportunities. Kennedy emphasized that one of the initiative’s goals is to restore federal funding opportunities for faith-based groups.

“One of the features of our STREETS is opening up funding once again for faith-based organizations,” Kennedy said. “The Biden administration actively discouraged funding to faith-based organizations for recovery. We think they’re critical.”

Kennedy also dismissed evidence-based harm reduction strategies, claiming that “harm reduction doesn’t work” and attributing the nation’s addiction crisis to policies such as needle exchange programs and safe consumption sites. However, decades of research have demonstrated that syringe service programs reduce the spread of infectious diseases and connect individuals with treatment services without increasing crime.

Kennedy’s repeated reliance on spiritual and religious narratives to justify federal addiction policy is particularly troubling. During his remarks, Kennedy cited Alcoholics Anonymous and recounted a story involving psychiatrist Carl Jung’s belief that recovery from alcoholism required a “profound spiritual realignment.”

“The federal government should not be steering addiction treatment toward religious approaches,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Substance use disorders are medical conditions that require evidence-based interventions, not government-sponsored spirituality.”

This announcement follows a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase the role of religious organizations in federally funded health programs. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services formally encouraged faith-based organizations to apply for federal addiction and behavioral health grants, citing President Trump’s executive order last year directing agencies to facilitate the participation of religious entities in government programs.

FFRF has previously warned that these initiatives risk undermining constitutional safeguards and public health objectives.

“Taxpayer-funded public health programs must be secular, science-based and free from religious coercion,” Gaylor says. “Addiction recovery is a medical and public health issue, not a vehicle for government-sponsored evangelism.”

FFRF notes that while religious organizations may compete for public grants on equal terms, the Constitution prohibits the government from favoring religious providers or funding religious activities. Federal dollars may not be used to support worship, religious instruction or proselytizing.

The concerns are heightened because the Trump administration has already rescinded prior protections that required faith-based providers receiving federal funds to inform clients of secular alternatives. The administration has also affirmed that religious organizations may use religious criteria in hiring, even while operating taxpayer-funded programs.

The new initiative will award eight communities up to $3 million annually for four years to develop treatment systems for individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, serious mental illness and co-occurring conditions. FFRF stresses that any federally funded services must remain accessible to all beneficiaries regardless of religion and must adhere to established constitutional limits.

“Federal health dollars should expand access to proven, inclusive treatment,” Gaylor adds. “They must not be diverted into programs that impose religious doctrine, exclude qualified staff based on faith, or substitute ideology for science.”

FFRF will continue to monitor HHS implementation of these funding programs and urges Congress and federal agencies to ensure that behavioral health funding remains evidence-based, nondiscriminatory and firmly grounded in the separation of state and church.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

The post FFRF questions $700 million HHS initiative favoring faith-based providers  appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The 11 CRAZIEST Things Mormons Are Taught

The 11 CRAZIEST Things Mormons Are Taught

Christian Nationalist “historian” caught citing a quotation that doesn’t exist

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The latest lie coming from Christian pseudo-historian David Barton and his equally ignorant son Tim Barton is one that’s easy to fact-check, yet a very gullible religious audience ate it up without question.

A quick refresher: Barton has made a career out of twisting and distorting the words of the Founding Fathers and the Bible in defense of Christian Nationalism, homophobia, and bigotry. He’s such an egregious Christian liar that he claimed to have an earned Ph.D. that was later revealed to be a hoax. And he once wrote a book about Thomas Jefferson that was so full of misinformation that his Christian publishers pulled the book from the shelves, saying, “There were historical details—matters of fact, not matters of opinion, that were not supported at all.” (The book was ironically titled The Jefferson Lies.)

And yet conservative Christians and Republican politicians still cite him as an authoritative source of information to the point that Barton is literally a consultant for the Texas Board of Education. Conservatives all know the sort of people who take them seriously aren’t really interested in honesty. They just want someone to say, with total confidence, whatever they all wish was true. Barton has capitalized on that by tying together his religious fantasies and his ignorance of U.S. history.

That’s what he and his son were doing this past April at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Midway through their interview with the church’s pastor, Tim Barton claimed that Americans owed a debt of gratitude to preacher John Wise, who allegedly inspired the Declaration of Independence. To make his point, Tim held up a book containing two of Wise’s sermons and explained the connection to the Founders:

This is a book with two sermons from John Wise. These sermons were actually preached back in the early 1700s, but this was reprinted in 1772…

… In one of these two sermons, John Wise, and I quote, says, “All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” [Lengthy pause]

That’s in the Declaration!

This is also where they got the idea he taught that God’s preferred form of government was the consent of the governed. He taught—and this is in these sermons, these two sermons—he taught that taxation without representation is tyranny.

Those are all things that show up in the Declaration.

This was reprinted by the Founding Fathers…

There’s just one problem with that link: The material Tim Barton was quoting never appears in those sermons. He flat-out lied about that.

You can read the “sermons” here. The part he literally quoted? It’s not in there. There are references to basic concepts of democracy but it’s not like those were original thoughts either. They were ideas that had been floating around at the time.

Warren Throckmorton, who brought this to my attention and who’s written extensively about the Bartons and their lies, pointed out that it’s far more likely both Wise and Jefferson were influenced by someone else: Enlightenment writer Samuel Pufendorf.

The more general claim that ministers and sermons directly contributed to what Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence is not supported by an appeal to John Wise. Whereas Wise’s books may have encouraged some readers to integrate Enlightenment views of natural rights with Christian theology, there is no evidence that Jefferson owned or read Wise’s books. It seems more plausible that Jefferson was influenced by Pufendorf independent of Wise. Furthermore, Jefferson’s own testimony points to other influences.

There’s a simple way to counter this, of course. The Bartons could just show us where in Wise’s sermons he ever said—and I quote—”All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” They won’t do that because they have a longstanding habit of never opening the books they cite.

Why would they lie about this? Because they know their audience won’t challenge them. They know the pastor isn’t going to follow up and ask, “Wait, what page is that quote on?” They also have a larger purpose in mind. Throckmorton writes:

Christian nationalists want their audiences to believe the US is a nation inspired and created by Christian influences alone. They seem to feel this gives them an advantage in political battles now. If the nation was inspired by Christian principles at the founding, the reasoning goes, then surely it ought to be ruled by Christian principles (as they define them) now.

He’s absolutely right about that. It’s obvious why Tim Barton was saying this: He wanted to make the point that the Founding Fathers took their best ideas from Christianity, furthering the idea that we live in a “Christian nation.”

That’s why these aren’t honest mistakes. It’s not like two researchers overlooked a footnote or misremembered a quotation. The younger Barton held up this book in front of a church audience and attributed to it a specific sentence that does not exist. It’s the same move pastors make whenever they insist God’s commands are perfectly in line with Republican cruelty. They know damn well that the members of their congregation are never going to dig into their lies.

But it’s not like this is the first time the Bartons have done this. That’s why no actual historians take them seriously. They’re con artists. Their goal isn’t to understand the Founding Fathers; it’s to rewrite history in a way that elevates conservative Christian goals. Every lie they tell serves the same purpose: convincing Republicans that their political agenda is the natural continuation of America’s original mission. They have their conclusion figured out before they ever dig into the evidence.

The Bartons know what every professional liar has already figured out: Confident lies are way more persuasive than verifiable truths. It’s what they’ve built their careers on.

And the problem with that is that these lies are used to justify real policy changes. If you can convince Christians that America was founded exclusively on Christian principles, you can argue that Christianity deserves special authority today. Hell, you can argue that children need to be taught Christianity in school for historical reasons, not religious ones. That’s what this is all about. If you can rewrite the past convincingly enough, you can reshape the future. And far too many white evangelicals love being lied to.

The 11 CRAZIEST Things Mormons Are Taught

The 11 CRAZIEST Things Mormons Are Taught

New episode of ‘We Dissent’ podcast discusses government attack on nonprofits

A guest from a leading public policy institute joins the hosts of “We Dissent” to tackle a scary topic: the recent assault of the U.S. government on nonprofit organizations.

On Episode 54, Brennan Center for Justice’s Rachel Levinson-Waldman speaks with FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Legal Director Rebecca Markert and National Women’s Law Center Director of Nominations & Democracy Alison Gill about the Trump administration and Congress’ weaponization of the government to attack nonprofits and punish speech and viewpoints they don’t like. Then, the speakers explore how executive orders and anti-terrorism statutes are being abused to investigate, defund and intimidate civil society — and how this strategy is essential to the broader project of transforming the United States from a democracy to an autocracy.

“We Dissent,” which first aired in May 2022, is a legal affairs show offering legal wisdom from the secular viewpoint of women lawyers. The show is a collaboration of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center.

Find previous episodes here, which examine developments affecting the separation of church and state, particularly in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Past episodes include discussions about court reform, religion behind bars and abortion and also feature a range of expert guests.
      
Episodes are available at the “We Dissent” website, on YouTube, Spotify or wherever your podcasts are found. Be sure to stay up to date with the “We Dissent” podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky.

Tune in regularly at “We Dissent” for compelling legal discussion and insights!

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Freethought Radio – June 18, 2026

Neurosurgeon Dr. Vivekanand Palavali joins us to examine how science unravels near-death and out-of-body experiences. Then, we hear from members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus who are pushing back against Christian nationalism and the false claim that America was founded as a Christian nation.

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September 20, 2026 – Freethinkers Weekend Gathering (Albany, NY)

Make it a Weekend Getaway: Autumn in New York

Capitalize on beautiful autumn in Upstate New York! Late September is prime travel season in the historic Hudson Valley region, offering the perfect, scenic backdrop for this premier national gathering. Because this is a high-demand season for regional tourism and weddings, attendees are strongly encouraged to secure their lodging immediately:

• Optional Saturday Welcome Dinner (Sept. 19): Arrive a day early to mingle and network! Join a large group of fellow attendees for a casual kickoff dinner at 5:30 PM at the Charter Restaurant inside the Hilton Albany (at participant’s expense).
• Discounted Hotel Block: Stay right in the heart of downtown Albany at the Hilton Albany (40 Lodge Street, Albany, NY 12207) for a special rate of $149/night. Rooms must be booked by August 28, 2026. Reserve your room online at unyft.org/hotel or call 1-800-445-8667 using group code 4UNYFT.  

Please remember to also obtain your Sunday tickets at unyft.org/go

Event Description

Open to the general public and FFRF members nationwide, hosted by Upstate New York Freethinkers–a chapter of FFRF, this special gathering combines deep American freethought expertise with top-tier cultural history.

The morning kicks off with an immersive musical welcome featuring secular compositions by FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, followed by an urgent mid-term election year dispatch from FFRF Washington D.C. Governmental Affairs Director Mark Dann on grassroots activism and combating Christian nationalism. Acclaimed author Kate Cohen (We of Little Faith) will introduce the day’s featured keynotes, including David Hoffman, PhD, author of American Freethought, and Jeff Ingersoll, presenting an exclusive spotlight on the historic Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum.

Registration & Tickets

Your registration features a hot buffet luncheon, coffee/tea service, and full afternoon access to the magnificent collections of the Albany Institute of History & Art—providing the perfect backdrop for open mingling, and collaborating on national secular developments.

Tickets are $85 and limited by venue capacity. Secure your spot, view the full lunch menu, and preview the weekend agenda today at unyft.org/go

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Latest episode of ‘Secular Spotlight’ focuses on religious social media influencers

FFRF’s “Secular Spotlight” welcomes back YouTuber Taylor Leigh (The Antibot) for a new episode tracking the rising trend of religious influencers — and how they enrich themselves.

Can Christian influencers run ministries, monetize YouTube channels, sell products and still claim nonprofit, tax-exempt status? FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence join The Antibot to unpack the legal questions surrounding the rise of faith-based influencer businesses.

“The temptation is great for these self-employed missionary types to just say, ‘Hey, I’m a religious entity, I can just not pay taxes and take my chances,’” Cavell begins. “That risk calculus has gotten, I think, a lot friendlier to the exploiters because we have an administration and IRS that’s signaling they’re not interested in enforcing a lot of requirements against religious organizations.”

You can catch this episode of “Secular Spotlight” on FFRF’s YouTube channel, as well as by watching on your smart TV after downloading FFRF’s free app, Freethought TV, which also highlights FFRF’s other video programming. Our recent episodes include a guest appearance by YouTube content creator Tim Whitaker to examine the religious and political rally “Rededicate 250”, and three FFRF staff members discussing their work to counter a religious organization that is devouring public school students’ education hours. Make sure you’re subscribed to FFRF’s YouTube channel for all the latest updates!

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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