A federal judge in West Virginia has ruled that the state corrections agency can’t force an incarcerated atheist and secular humanist to participate in religiously-affiliated programming to be eligible for parole.
Unfortunately this just means they can’t explicitly force them on paper. They’ll still find ways to punish anyone that doesn’t at least go along.
It’s pointless and stupid. If you’re forced to perform a religious ritual, it doesn’t mean you believe. People believe whatever they want, independent of what they say or do.
Meanwhile, getting a DUI in some places still means that you can be forced to attend religious-leaning AA meetings.
Has anyone ever tried suing over that?
Unfortunately, all AA is religious. The 12 step program they use inherently assumes you surrender to a higher power. There has been some push back to make that higher power into something you personally consider higher than yourself, but the intention is ‘God’.
That’s incorrect. AA is explicitly spiritual, not affiliated with any religion. Everyone gets to choose their own path, there is no endorsed religion.
But it’s still magical thinking. You said it yourself, “spiritual”.
The government shouldn’t be forcing anyone to believe in magic, even if the details of that magic are undefined.
The fact that it can be essentially anything just proves the point that it’s meaningless.
Any dictionary will help you with the difference between the two.
spir·it·u·al /ˈspirəCH(əw)əl/ adjective 1. relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. “I’m responsible for his spiritual welfare” 2. relating to religion or religious belief. “the tribe’s spiritual leader”
If I were ever forced to go to AA my argument would be that the only higher power I recognise is Vince MacMahon.
“Son of a bitch!”
The fact that they even tried in the first place is what is most disturbing. Amazing how so many Americans (Republicans) have apparently zero respect for or understanding of the principles in which the country was founded (ie. as a SECULAR nation by design) - but of course in reality they understand EXACTLY what they are doing and they do it anyway because Christianity today is far closer to being being just a front door for fascist ideology rather than something which aims to actually help people.
Lol the fact something like this even got to court omg
I know, it seems like it’d have been so easy to make an exception in this case so he wasn’t harmed by it and not allow it to set a precedent.
There should be significant additional legal penalties when the state violates long established laws and precedents.
