With Obama's signature, U.S. religious freedom law now protects atheist

Obama’s signing of amendments to the International Religious Freedom Act on Friday wasn’t widely noticed — except among the community of atheists, agnostics and others who categorize themselves as “humanists.”

For the first time, the law — which was originally passed in 1998 — specifies that “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.”…

“That non-theists are now recognized as a protected class is a significant step toward full acceptance and inclusion for non-religious individuals, who are still far too often stigmatized and persecuted around the world,” Speckhardt said.