I just received an e-mail from the American Humanist Association apprising me of the fact that President Obama had signed H.R. 1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, into law. Intended to foster and strengthen religious freedom abroad, it is also the first US law which includes protections specifically for "non-theists, humanists, and atheists."

According to the AHA is the first known law in history to recognize "non-theists" and protect us from discrimination. The law specifically states "The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or practice any religion." It even goes so far as to condemn "specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs as well as attempts to forcibly compel "non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert."

With any luck, this will at least slightly reduce all of that "freedom of religion does not include freedom from religion" so often spewed by government employees, officers and Congresspersons, and perhaps even reduce such attacks made at the state level. Who knows, the day might even come when we could legally hold office in all 50 states.