I loved the first six episodes. I thought it was really interesting. I was somebody who was a young unwed teenage mother and luckily for me I was supported by my family. I was lucky. I get that. But the 7th episode became very political and that's too bad. The person who she was interviewing made an odd statement that people have less mental issues with abortion than putting their babies up for adoption. And that probably is 100% true. But she also lacked to say that there had been a bonding because of giving birth and carrying the baby she made it sound like people were better about having an abortion and it was not the facts. The facts are when you have a full pregnancy You have a bond and birth chemicals so She is comparing apples to oranges. If you're having an abortion early on, there isn't an attachment . Once you felt the baby move inside your body it's different. I wish you would've compared apples to apples and not apples to oranges. You're spreading your false narrative because you're comparing is not right. I mean, I agree if women have support they could keep their babies, but you're not telling the full story .

I liked the podcast until the interview with Gretchen Sisson. I just can't get behind her totally negative view of adoption. It feels very narrow minded and privileged to say the least. Not everyone who has children should raise their children or be encouraged to do so. I am so happy I was not raised by my biological mother. And I know from just my lived experience I am by far not the only one. This kind of black and white thinking is dangerous.

Amazing, traumatic, heart breaking series into the realities of systems in the US. As a social worker (who recently) moved about an hour away from liberty, I’ve seen first hand the coercion and the way that these crisis pregnancy clinics and organizations prey on people in a most vulnerable situation. I imagine (and hope) there will continue to be investigations into facilities like these to come. The perpetuation of trauma in these families is heartbreaking - thank you so much for helping to shed light

Though I appreciate the discovery of evidence and the story telling of heartbreaking trauma, the journalist/author seems to be making an unsaid case that abortion is a better option than adoption. Once hearing the tragic stories of adoption, and the fact that these girls were manipulated into not keep their babies… It’s almost as if the host is trying to say if they would’ve just gotten an abortion, they would’ve never been faced with this nor had the hardship. I could be way off base but as much as the godparent house manipulated these girls, I think our host is doing the same for abortion. Also, can we talk about how parental shame for teen sex is the (silent) abuse part of the story.

Let me just say I also came here because Candace referenced your podcast. While I am pro-life, I really appreciate your journalism and all these stories are so heartbreaking for not only these moms but their children. I was so angry at Abby’s parents for how they treated her and made her do. She was so voiceless. My sister was a teen mom in a very strict Baptist Church and this is not how she was treated. Our mom was heartbroken initially but supported her and the church even threw her a baby shower. I know she felt judged when we were kids but She kept her baby and raised him as a single mom. What happened to these moms was not right and is awful. I hope Abby and Nate get to explain everything to their son one day and reconnect with him.

I’m here because of Candace Owens. Liked it until the liberal propaganda at the end

The writer and host clearly did a great job researching and interviewing birth mothers who went through the Liberty Godparent Home, however the cadence of her narration distracts from the story. Trust your listeners, you don’t need to pause….for….emphasis. That being said, we are going to need more and more informative reporting on this given the current administration shaping of the United States.

This was such a great podcast! I shared with many friends. Any negative reviews can probably be easily traced back to Liberty graduates and MAGA voters.

I was a resident in 2001 when I was 16 and pregnant with my daughter . I have stories for days .. however I will say we were treated well . But like I said I have stories for days .

My grandpa and his high school girlfriend had a baby who was given up for adoption during the baby scoop era. I don’t know my uncle’s adoptive family, so I’m not going to try to paint them in a certain way. However, I do know my grandpa’s situation was eerily similar to Nathan’s, down to him not being allowed to see my uncle’s mother. And given that my grandpa and his girlfriend were only teenagers at the time, I have to wonder just how much consent went into my uncle’s relinquishment. I know not all adoptive parents are bad people or all adoptees have a horrendous time being raised by their adoptive families, but stories like these really make you realize how much we need to reexamine the ethics of forcing purity culture and the nuclear family model onto others, as well as using a system that’s supposed to provide safe external care for children in crisis with nowhere else to go as a family-building tool

This show started off great, and ultimately I am glad this story is being told because what is happening in these families’ stories is tragic and should not have happened. However, the reporter’s ending thoughts and extrapolating these isolated stories to insinuate that the entirety of adoption is problematic, that all crisis pregnancy resources that are faith-based are coercive, and absolute lack of viewpoint of adoptive parents shows a clear bias that is not wholly honest and fair reporting. I wish this would have included a more rounded viewpoint of other perspectives at the end or clearer explanation of what this reporter thinks good reform in these industries would look like. It ends with a lot of blame and finger pointing with no solutions, which makes this feel more like a sensationalist hit piece rather than reporting.

I believe the methods used in these adoptions were flawed; however, I also think there should be measures in place to assist women, men, and children involved in the process. It is essential that individuals take the initiative to help themselves succeed. It is not solely the government’s responsibility to support our children, and it is unjust for adoption tax credits to be denied. My husband adopted three of my children from a previous marriage, having already raised them for 14 years, and we felt deserving of that tax credit. This is justified for two reasons: first, we do not rely on government assistance such as food stamps, housing, or insurance; second, my husband stepped up to be a father to three children whose biological father explicitly stated he did not want to have a relationship with them. There needs to be a balanced approach to this issue, providing help when necessary without fostering dependency. Many capable parents choose not to seek better employment opportunities because they fear losing their assistance. I was even advised by a DHS worker, during my time as a single mother, to limit my income to retain my childcare assistance. While I am troubled by young mothers being pressured into decisions without access to all relevant information and without their voices being heard, I am equally concerned about the number of parents who fail to support their children. Some choose to rely on government services rather than taking responsibility, and it is frustrating to hear arguments against child tax credits for adoption. There is undoubtedly another perspective that deserves attention.

Like many other reviewers, Ep 7 was so far off base. I can’t quote it but she said something like “no one has mental health effects” from an abortion. Small sample size, I guess? The main podcast was very informative and good - albeit heartbreaking. If a mother *wants* to place her baby for adoption, okay. But these programs are so messed up.

This was a captivating listen. I also felt like it was so agenda focused that it made me a little hesitant to really buy in even though I would side with the rationale of the podcast argument. I feel like good journalism as a duality of sides and this was definitely just trying to take down the man. I appreciate the honesty of the women who shared and respect them so much for sharing their journey and their suffering.

It’s hard to say where I fall on this topic but it’s definitely an experience that shapes your life

Highly recommend a listen no matter what side of the debate you fall on… scary that places like this… essentially baby trafficking operations in the name of faith… still exist

With better writing and a more compelling narrator, this podcast would be a national conversation. Raphael seems to be a good researcher, but is not a very strong presenter, and it’s to the detriment of this very interesting story.

This is an “absolutely must" listen series about the horrors of Liberty Lost at the hands of the “Christian” Falwell greed machine. This series exposes Liberty University as nothing more than a modern day Magdalene Laundries, stealing children from scared young women. Want to see the Falwell’s hypocrisy in full detail? Watch “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down A Dynasty” on Hulu.Greed - the human race’s fatal flaw…

I understand this situation was very difficult. Teen pregnancy is a hard thing to go through especially because adults take over. I experienced the opposite of this and was told abortion was my only choice and it was horrible, I listened to this and thought wow at least their child is alive. Mine is dead and my situation was horrible and not my choice. Life isn’t fair, but I’d rather it be unfair and still have a living child.

I’ve now listened to this podcast twice. What happened to this family is heart-wrenching, shocking and completely haunting. I will spend the rest of my life wondering how it all concludes in the long run. Personally the podcast made me a million times even more grateful for my children and even inspired us to consider having even one more. Do not let this podcast pass you by. The world must know these women’s stories.

TJ, this was an excellent and eye-opening series. I really enjoyed it and was hooked, with often a facial expression of “holy smokes”. Great job! Learned about this from the American Scandal on Georgia Tan.

Started out really good and compelling (listening on 1.5 speed bc omg painfully slow). But then it dragged on. Abbi started to become a lot less likable, which I'm sure was not the goal! Also, I found myself yelling "abort" over and over again. Ladies: you'll save yourself a lifetime of heartache by just taking care of it!

Fascinating but definitely has sad parts. Well told. I was hooked from the beginning.

I’ve never been so infuriated and enraged by a podcast. It’s unbelievable that this has not only been allowed in the past but continues and is growing. This is what happens when religious extremism and capitalism combine to ruin kids lives and especially girls. This should be on everyone’s playlist. As a mom my heart shattered for Abby. And those adoptive parent are NOT innocent in this. They are adults knowingly and willfully manipulating these girls. Those babies will grow up to learn the truth.

Ireland HAD the Magdalene Laundries to punish pregnant mothers & to make money selling Irish babies to Catholic families in the US. Liberty U continues the tradition of Philomena cruelty, and Trump is funneling 💰to Falwell to expand imprisoning moms & taking babies. There’s money in babies, and not all adoptive parents are good parents!

If….YOU….like HALTING….narration and….slow….DRAMATIC….pauses….THIS podcast….IS….for YOU.

After listening to this I was upset so much so that I called to ask questions. I was immediately told that the home was under construction, that they didn’t have any current residents, and that the home wouldn’t reopen until Spring of ‘26. I pray that Abbi is able to talk to her son and give him the answers me may need. I pray that Nathan is able to hug his son again.

Seemed like a captivating story, with good actors, that started out as extreme religious family reasons for being pressured into adoption. Next thing, they’re talking about pro-abortion rights and how that would have been a better option. Ironic and hypocritical that they believe that killing their unborn babies would be less traumatic than childbirth and adoption. You should interview women who have actually had abortions and can’t get over the guilt even after fifty years. Good job on sucking me in, but the political spin was a major turnoff.

I couldn’t stop listening! Thank you for all your hard work

all these hard=of-thinking cultists saying "its very one sided"......uh.....honey....the prevailing narrative has been running the show for centuries. then someone comes along and tells the other side that rarely gets shown and they scream "ITS ONE SIDED!" well so is your cult, darling- get over yourself. Your RELIGION IS ONE SIDED. DEAL WITH THAT. You are probably the types who scream "SHE DOESN'T SAY WHY HE BEAT HER!" idiots

I rode the entire emotional roller coaster through this series - disgust, anger, sadness, happiness. I wept that last episode. Worth the listen.

A lot of the discourse is one-sided; specifically, from an economics perspective. The last episode is a bit unsettling from someone that suffered from infertility for 10.5 years. Of course, it’s easy for the interviewee to say, not everyone can have a child because she has 3. The statement almost has a taunting feel to it, like, I have this precious thing and you don’t, so get over it. If you have a heart condition, and the doctor recommends a heart transplant, do you say, oh well, your heart is not good, so deal with it? Or do you get yourself on the transplant list, knowing that someone must die in order for you to live. Why is infertility any different? I doubt the interviewee would make that comment, if she did not have children and may not have experienced a birth with medical or life threatening challenges, so the hypocrisy there is upsetting. Then there is not enough conversation about the natural mother that wants adoption. In the same way that women have a right to abort, the same should be afforded for adoption. I appreciate the injustice that could happen with adoption, but a blanket assumption that ALL adoption is inequitable is incomplete. One of the questions I ask our natural mothers is, “if you had the money and the support to parent, would you?” When I get money and support are hindrances, we don’t move forward with the adoption.

So moving and progress and then you interview the antithesis of your podcast. I get giving equal time to both sides, but this woman in the last episode moves the message to this podcast to the garbage. Why? You had a moving end, why bring this episode at the end? You totally let down the mothers that you shared their stories and vulnerabilities. So disappointing. I feel for, see, recognize, and support the mothers on this podcast.

This is eye opening, well narrated and seemingly well researched. The host does provide a few voices of women who wanted to place their kids or who did not have the kinds of coercive relationships with the Liberty Godparent Home that the subjects in this show did. Also, the fact that Toni, Zoey, Abbi and others were treated the way they were is enough to question the Godparent Home and their practices. They were manipulated and it some cases laws were broken. It’s heartbreaking and this is not an old timey issue in light of Dobbs. TJ - please do more reporting in this realm!

Anyone giving this podcast a bad review is obviously a freak follower of the evil falwells. So disgraceful to justify anything those horrible people so.

This podcast was written and delivered perfectly. It is heartbreaking and so informative to see the other side to adoption.

This podcast was done so well. I have worked with pregnant teens throughout my entire career as a public health nurse. I just wish there was a way for teens to understand that one bad choice can change their life forever. These poor girls have suffered for a mistake that they made as children. The God Parent home was deceitful and took advantage of the teens and their parents at their most vulnerable moments.

It’s disappointing but not surprising the amount of ppl leaving reviews who still cannot tolerate or accept these young girls and women’s lived experience. They cannot find it in their hearts or minds to offer validation, only criticism bc it doesn’t align with their world view. They cannot accept that many of these women gave up their parental rights through coercion and manipulation. It’s an ugly truth about religion and adoption but it’s true nonetheless and I appreciated and deeply felt for these mothers.

Liberty Lost is a gripping, unflinching exposé that peels back the polished veneer of Liberty University and its affiliated maternity home, revealing a deeply disturbing intersection of religious extremism, exploitation, and profit. This podcast doesn’t sensationalize—it documents. With careful reporting, survivor testimony, and sharp investigative focus, Liberty Lost exposes how vulnerable young women—often unwed and pregnant—are funneled into so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” tied to Liberty’s ideology. Once inside, they are subjected to religious coercion, emotional manipulation, and immense pressure to surrender their babies for adoption—all under a façade of spiritual care and moral redemption. What emerges is not just a story of institutional abuse, but of commodification: young mothers treated as vessels in a deeply transactional system, where their pain and choices are overridden by a far-right evangelical agenda cloaked in righteousness. The scars left behind are real, lasting, and often silenced. Liberty Lost ensures those voices are finally heard. For anyone who still believes Liberty University is simply a religious institution with conservative values, this podcast is a necessary reckoning. It is a powerful reminder that faith, when twisted into a tool of control, can become one of the most dangerous weapons of all.

The synopsis tells you what you are in store for. It is a good resilient story that highlights the underbelly no-one wants to talk about. It seems like some reviewers are upset that it wasn’t the propaganda that they’re used to hearing. Imagine having a system where 70% of the things are broke and you just want podcasters to focus on the 30% that isn’t broke. Next time, I’ll just come in your house and break your microwave, oh—don’t be sad! 30% of your microwave still works! You just can’t heat up your food anymore :). If you want happy propaganda that makes you mind dull and your CSF melt out of your ears then go listen to those stories. THIS is not that story.

Can’t believe you couldn’t find even one woman to interview who had a positive experience with allowing a loving family to adopt her baby

I couldn’t even listen to the entire series. The way the story is told and the way Liberty Godparent home is portrayed is disgusting. Clearly the podcast group did not do their due diligence and speak to more individuals that had a different or positive experience. They took one side and ran with it.

Great work

What great story telling! Artfully done! I’m disappointed in many of the negative reviews. Many of the reviews seem to lack the underlying point of the podcast, which is choice, options, and autonomy for all women and girls.

The podcast felt heavily one-sided. It had the potential to be truly impactful, but unfortunately, it lacked the perspective of an adoptee with a positive adoption experience. Adoption can be a beautiful, selfless act rooted in love and the desire to give a child the best possible life. Including a broader range of viewpoints, especially from someone with a successful adoption story, would have made the discussion more balanced and meaningful. Wish it was done right.

sorta floats the idea that you must have a perfectly healthy body and perfect environmental and socioeconomical status in order to have a baby. These ideals slightly align with the idea of eugenics!! Yikes!

These girls all seem stuck in their teens. Seriously how can a 13 year old raise a child? Liberty seemed like a good option because the girls’ families were not able or willing to care for them. Blame your parents not liberty. I’m not religious so I’m unbiased.

Just an awful podcast.

I listened to this with a heavy heart. I had no idea that this was happening and it’s sickening. Thank you for presenting a different aspect of the adoption process, something I’ve rarely considered.

Maternity homes and coerced adoption are subjects I had no idea about before. They sound like little prisons!