Freethought Day is October 12th, the annual observance by freethinkers and secularists of the anniversary of the effective end of the Salem Witch Trials.
Over 300 years ago, on October 12, 1692, Governor William Phipps of the Colony of Massachusetts made a decision that brought to an end the horrendous Salem Witch trials.
A Christian, nevertheless he declared that spectral evidence (supernaturalism) would no longer be admissible in court, and so the trials, due to lack of appropriate evidence, came to an end. The governor’s decision was a distinct departure from the general community’s extant thinking and a giant step on the path toward the principle of legal neutrality that would, when the United States incorporated into its brand new Constitution a Bill of Rights, assure each U.S. citizen the freedom to follow his/her conscience regarding matters of ultimate belief.
In our increasingly pluralistic nation of today, the Freethought Day Celebration of Reason and Church/State Separation serves as a reminder that our courts and public institutions should be places of fairness and justice for everyone. (Freethought Day)
We would love to hear your Freethought Day celebrations stories and experience your Freethought Day celebrations pictures. You see, we have never celebrated Freethought Day, nor knew anything about it until today! So, please help educate us on Freethought Day by sharing your experiences.
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