Theologically Sound. Culturally Relevant.

russell-moore

Yes, the Evangelical Immigration Table is Soros backed

It came to the attention of the Capstone Report that it was possible that the Midwest Baptist Theological Seminary President Jason Allen lobbied Governor Mike Parsons to participate in the refugee resettlement program. This accusation was corroborated by Jason Allen’s support for the Evangelicals Immigration Table (EIT). Capstone Report had also shown evidence that the EIT had been lobbying for governors to participate in the refugee resettlement program via Christianity Today. Jason Allen would later deny the Soros ties and denounce the publication that brought about the accusation. While the direct accusation came from an anonymous source, the purpose of this is not to dive deeper into the allegations against Jason Allen, but to rebuke the denigration of orthodox Evangelical publications that we refer to as the Evangelical Dark Web.

The Baptist Press, the media arm of the Southern Baptist Convention hit back at the reporting by publishing their pravda level explanation of the Evangelical Immigration Table. In this “explainer” they detail how the EIT is a nonpartisan Christian organization that is supported by many figures in Big Eva including SBC President JD Greear, the champion of “Pronoun Hospitality“. The report bluntly denies that the EIT receives any funding from George Soros.

However this denies a settled matter. In fact, the matter is so settled, the Baptist Press admitted this fact while trying to deny it.

Some accusing EIT, or member groups of EIT, as being “Soros-funded” point out that EIT is supported by the National Immigration Forum, and that an organization chaired by George Soros had awarded grant money to the National Immigration Forum — which is true.

Additionally, the Baptist Press relies on Snopes, lauding it as a credible fact checking website. Snopes “debunked” this claim, and Christians are supposed to trust the “fact-checkers” who fact-check the Babylon Bee. Once again the Soros ties to the Evangelical Immigration Table are a settled matter and have been since June 2013.

The year is 2013 and Congress is debating the amnesty bill better known as the “Gang of 8”. Christian author and commentator Eric Metaxes leaves the EIT citing Soros funding, setting off these allegations and debates. National Review explains:

The Evangelical Immigration Table’s backstory is of interest here. The EIT is a project of the National Immigration Forum, which (according to its 990s, the IRS form for tax-exempt organizations) receives a substantial portion of its funding from groups backed by George Soros. Although the NIF’s executive director says Soros’s money hasn’t been funneled to the EIT and that it doesn’t endorse any specific legislation, the connection between the two was enough to raise eyebrows.

This establishes a basic connection to between George Soros and the EIT through the NIF. The ties between the National Immigration Forum and the Evangelical Immigration Table need more explanation. Still in 2013, the EIT was not a real organization in and of itself. Breitbart reported:

the EIT is made up of a coalition of (c)3’s and (c)4’s but isn’t itself a legal non-profit organization or corporation. How did it launch the ad campaign reported in the Huffington Post? Loose, informal coalitions cannot purchase advertising. There are also strict limitations on what activities (c)3’s and (c)4’s can undertake, and clear prohibitions on them coordinating on an issue campaign.

EIT says it selected National Immigration Forum to “facilitate” its work. That statement makes it likely that the ad campaign was paid for by NIF. They are certainly free to undertake an issue ad campaign, but not in someone else’s name.

The Institute of Religion and Democracy goes on to explain more about the National Immigration Forum.

So if the EIT is just a front, then what exactly is the National Immigration Forum? NIF received over three million dollars from Soros’ Open Society Institute (OSI) in 2009-2010 alone, as well as one million dollars from the left-wing Ford Foundation. Furthermore, Sojourners is also a recipient of Soros’ money, and their President and CEO, Jim Wallis, is prominent within EIT.

All roads seem to lead to Soros, as a cursory glance into the funding of many religious organizations that have publicly advocated for the recent amnesty legislation find their way back to the Hungarian-American’s bountiful leftist check book. Take, for example, the so-called Nuns on the Bus.

The establishment between the NIF and George Soros is agreed upon by everyone, yet some would be so bold as to claim that the ties between the NIF and the EIT does not also mean that George Soros is funding the EIT even though the EIT is not a real organization and is an extension of Soros backed-NIF.

It seems the next categorical response is to deny that money is fungible. Where have we heard this argument before? Abortion. The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funding for abortions, but the federal government funds Planned Parenthood that not only operates baby killing factories but super PACs as well. To say that the money going to the NIF does not touch the EIT would be like saying the money going to Planned Parenthood does not go towards their baby killing operation. The money provided allows Planned Parenthood to use their other finds directly on baby killing operations if we are to believe their is any real separation between the two. Essentially, those denying the Soros funding of the Evangelical Immigration Table are using arguments that would suggest that the government does not fund abortion.

It’s naivete at best and slander at worst for the Baptist Press and Jason Allen to treat the Soros ties to the EIT as a debunked conspiracy theory to beat independent alternative Christian media over. TheBlaze did a deeper investigation into the ties. Their investigation ultimately points out that Soros has funded many faith based groups, including direct competitors to the EIT that have a much stronger connection.

While the EIT’s funding may be more indirect, it’s founding organization — the NIF, a non-religious group — is most definitely an Open Society recipient. As a result, EIT’s ties to Soros money are valid to point out, however the extent to which the funding is touching EIT outreach projects may not be as strong and direct as it was with these other groups.

The history of the EIT would suggest that Soros money to the National Immigration Forum provided much of the seed money to establish the Evangelical Immigration Table which has since been able to sustain itself through politically leftist donors, thereby limiting the need for as much money or attention that Open Society would give to Sojourner or others. Since Soros money had a deeper ties to the founding of the EIT, its certain that the message and purpose of the EIT are skewed in favor of the open borders policies that Soros supports as evident in 2013 and today.

Once again, while the Soros ties to the Evangelical Immigration table aren’t direct as they are with other faith-based organizations, the EIT isn’t as real of an organization as the others.

 


Interested in learning more? Join the Evangelical Dark Web

Facebook
Twitter
Telegram
Reddit
LinkedIn

One Response

Leave a Reply