677: Ending PEPFAR & Why the Self-Esteem Movement Failed with Sharon Hodde Miller
- Phil Vischer
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
When George W. Bush created the PEPFAR program in 2003, it was celebrated by evangelical leaders and has saved more than 26 million lives in Africa from HIV/AIDS. So why weren’t evangelicals outraged when Donald Trump killed PEPFAR, which has already resulted in over 75,000 deaths since January? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn unpack the arguments for and against PEPFAR, and how evangelical support for “small government” only applies to some programs. Then, Kaitlyn talks to Sharon Hodde Miller about what the self-esteem movement gets wrong about insecurity, and how we can recover the Christian virtue of service and self-forgetfulness. Also this week, rotten butter ants invade Europe.
Holy Post Plus:
Bonus Interview with Rachel Martin:
Ad-Free Version of this Episode:
0:00 - Show Starts
3:22 - Theme Song
3:45 - Sponsor - Blueland - Get up to 25% off your first order by going to https://www.Blueland.com/HOLYPOST
4:50 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout.
5:58 - Stinky Ants in Europe!
11:41 - PEPFAR and Evangelicals
21:00 - Spiritual Formation of Small Government Politics
25:35 - Addressing Anti-PEPFAR arguments
48:55 - Sponsor - Policy Genius - Secure your family’s tomorrow so you have peace of mind today. Go to https://www.policygenius.com/HOLYPOST to find the right life insurance for you
50:12 - Interview
55:54 - Insecurity and Ministry
1:08:20 - The Emptiness of Self-Esteem
1:14:30 - Transactional Relationships
1:25:14 - End Credits
Links from News Segment:
Super Ants Invade!
Why Evangelicals Turned Their Back on PEPFAR:
Other Resources:
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus
Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost
Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop
The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Political decisions often seem abstract, but the example of PEPFAR shows that millions of lives depend on them. The silence of those who once supported the program is surprising. In everyday life, I also try to choose only reliable and responsible projects, and in Germany, for me, that has been LuckyHills Deutschland.
My husband is a faith leader in Illinois for the ONE Campaign (Bono's organization that is connected to PEPFAR). He has recently re-launched his blog through Substack after many years dormant. He writes here about Peter Wehner's "Atlantic" article. He also wrote recently about why the church should partner with the government to help the least of these.
https://open.substack.com/pub/swnid/p/pepfar-and-the-finite-church?r=1a7zo&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
When anyone has to go to such lengths and mental gymnastics to defend why they are not required to show compassion, love and mercy (discussion regarding PEPFAR) it strikes me that they are making it too hard. Very simply, ask, what it the way of love? That may vary depending on the situation and how the best interests of others can be best served, but it still remains the basic question tied to the greatest commandment of Jesus.