Freethought Day

Every free citizen has the full right to voice their thoughts of a political, educational and scientific nature, no matter how people may criticize the free thinkers. It is they who have the power to change human history, with greats such as Einstein, Da Vinci, Galileo, Newton, and Jesus among them.

History

Freethought Day is celebrated on October 12, due to the day that Governor of colonial Massachusetts, William Phips, wrote a letter to representatives of the British monarchy to express his concern about the Salem witch trials. The trials were based on evidence presented in the court hearings, which the Governor believed to be nothing more than someone’s fantasies and prejudices. In 1997, the Freethinking Society, the American Humanist Association, and the Secular Coalition for America initiated Freethought Day in order to commemorate the persecution of free thought since the Salem witch trials.

Interesting facts

On Freethought Day, these facts related to free-thinking people should be remembered:

• In 335-323 BC, Aristotle wrote his works.
• In 1633, Galileo was sentenced to death by the Roman Inquisition for his free-thinking statements.
• In 1923, Albert Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the photoelectric effect.

How to take part

On the occasion of the holiday, one can review and get acquainted with the opinions of modern opinion leaders, while not rushing to condemn them for this. You can also compare modern speakers with famous cultural and scientific figures of the past, who also expressed unexpected and condemned by society theories. You can read the historical literature, which is rich in such examples, one of which is the trial of the Salem witches. Additionally, one can also commemorate the occasion by organizing an event or a discussion, or simply by expressing their own thoughts openly and without fear of criticism.

When is Freethought Day celebrated in 2023?

Freethought Day is observed on October 12 each year.

Observations