Atheist Inmate's Victory: Judge Rules Against Forced Religious Rehab

A federal judge in West Virginia ruled that the state’s corrections agency cannot force an atheist inmate to participate in a religiously-affiliated substance abuse program to be eligible for parole.

Charleston-based US district court judge Joseph Goodwin decided after Andrew Miller, an atheist and secular humanist imprisoned at the Saint Marys Correctional Center and Jail, filed a lawsuit against the West Virginian state government last April for allegedly forcing Christianity on incarcerated people and failing to accommodate his requests to honor his lack of belief in God.

The Bomb & the Bhagavad Gita: Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' Sparks Fury in India

When Christopher Nolan’s latest film Oppenheimer was released worldwide, it sparked a new Internet phenomenon called Barbenheimer after being screened with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie on the same date, and it also reignited debates on whether the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II were justifiable and necessary.

Locked in Tradition: Shocking Middle Eastern Laws Trapping Women at Home

The Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) region continues to be one of the worst regions in the world to be a woman. Of the 25 countries ranked by the Georgetown Institute for

Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS), at least seven are in the MENA region. Male guardianship laws that restrict women’s rights persist, limiting the opportunities for women to grow.

https://t.co/bQomlJr9AG

The Hijab Ban That's Shaking French Soccer

France's highest administrative court ruled on June 29th that the country’s soccer federation has the right to ban players from wearing headscarves during matches, even if the action means limiting their freedom of expression.

France’s highest administrative jurisdiction says the country's soccer federation is entitled to ban headscarves in matches. https://t.co/YwoqABk0DL

Hindu AI Chatbots Justify Violence Using Religious Texts

With artificial intelligence like Midjourney and ChatGPT improving and evolving each day despite many issues, many people see new developments that can make this new technology even more powerful.

Indians have also jumped on the AI trend and developed chatbots independently. But unlike ChatGPT, which can help you create a 500-word essay in just a few seconds, or Midjourney, which can help you create artwork with just a few prompts, these Indian chatbots take the form of the Hindu god Krishna, trying to provide spiritual guidance and answer questions related to religion.

Why Indian Ex-Muslims Formed a Movement Defending Secularism

Leaving one’s religion can be difficult and more challenging for some people than others. Such is the case of the Ex-Muslims of Kerala (EMU) members, an organization formed by former Muslims living in the southern state of Kerala in India.

Caught between Islamic laws and Islamophobia: Being an ex-Muslim in Kerala @cristweets writes https://t.co/4g3BJf2ESy

Religious Right vs. LGBT Rights: SCOTUS Verdict Undermines Equality

The US Supreme Court ruled in a controversial and historic case on June 30th that a Christian web designer cannot be forced to make customized messages and websites that celebrate same-sex marriage under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Supreme Court rules for web designer who refused to work on same-sex weddings https://t.co/0rk7tZP3WX

Indonesia's Blasphemy Epidemic

Several human rights groups in Indonesia have called on the government to place a moratorium on blasphemy, urging them to amend the country’s laws on blasphemy and calling on the police to temporarily halt the enforcement of blasphemy-related articles to stop the abuse of religious minorities in the Muslim-majority country.

Religious Favoritism? SCOTUS Backs Christian's Fight for Religious Rights

Several religious groups in the United States are celebrating after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian who sued his former employer for alleged religious discrimination after forcing him to work on Sundays, which was against his religious beliefs.

Stoned to Death for Blasphemy: Nigeria's Rising Intolerance

In northwestern Nigeria, an angry mob killed a man after accusing him of blasphemy on June 25th, triggering outrage from human rights groups who raised concerns about the growing threat against religious freedom in the region.