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.

  • Nythos@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    The country was founded of freedom of religion by the fanatics who were too fanatical for England.

    • cmbabul@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      No certain colonies were founded by zealots too fanatical for England and the Netherlands, the country was founded by slave owning wealthy people

      • steltek@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        1 year ago

        The Founders were steeped in the Age of Enlightenment. Modern Americans wouldn’t even recognize it as Christianity. Like The Jefferson Bible

        … completed in 1820 by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson’s condensed composition excludes all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including sections of the four gospels that contain the Resurrection and most other miracles, and passages that portray Jesus as divine.

        You could label their morality puritanical but I think cynicism would also equally apply. If you view humans as naturally greedy and selfish, society needs to codify expected behavior to keep it in check.

        • yesman@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          their morality

          Jefferson raped other people’s children and sold his own. Washington was not only a slaver but used his victims’ flesh as a cosmetic. (Washington’s famous “wooden” teeth were actually harvested from enslaved humans)

          Secular government is a good idea on it’s own, not because 18th century R. Kelly and Leatherface said so.

    • MostlyBirds@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Nope. This country was founded on the idea that weathly people shouldn’t have to pay their fair share of taxes.