Obama Signs Law Protecting Atheists From Religious Persecution
In a historical first, President Barack Obama signed legislation on 16 December 2016 extending protections against religious persecution to people with non-theistic beliefs, including those who subscribe to no religion at all. Passed with the overwhelming support of both parties in Congress, H.R. 1150 amends the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), which established a watchdog commission to monitor and report on abuses of religious freedom around the world. The amended law includes this provision defining “freedom of thought, conscience, and religion”:
The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs and the right not to profess or practice any religion.
The bill further defines “the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs” as a form of religious persecution, a change lauded by believers and non-believers alike, according to a report by Religion News Service:
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