Freethought Day

During the Middle Ages, power in Europe was concentrated in the hands of the Catholic Church During this dark time, the Holy Inquisition takes the reins of power and fights dissent by persecuting witches In the Middle Ages, thousands of innocent women were hanged or burned alive at the stake A similar fate befell scientists: Giordano Bruno was anathematized for stating that the Earth was spherical and moving around the Sun, and not vice versa One of the last trials of religious fanatics occurred in the early Renaissance - 1692-1693 In the US it is known as the Salem witch trials As a result of this trial, 14 women and 5 men from a small town founded in Massachusetts by Puritan settlers, members of the Anglican Church, were hanged About 200 people, who were also suspected of witchcraft and serving the devil, were imprisoned The salvation for the suspects was the intervention in the affairs of the community by William Phipps, the state governor He sent a letter to the Privy Council of the British monarchs, in which he indicated that all branches of government, including the judiciary, should be independent of religious dogmas Phipps gave examples of evidence from those accused of witchcraft and the testimony of witnesses that were far from objective The pardon of the Salem witches, who were released from prison, is considered an important event in the history of the country The state governor dismissed the court and closed the case Thanks to his intervention, reason and critical understanding of reality triumphed over the dogmas of religious fanatics Therefore, on October 12, all freethinkers and supporters of secularism, the concept of a secular state, celebrate Freethought Day In honor of Freethought Day, since 2002, ceremonial events have been held in different cities of the United States among atheists and believers who are not alien to a critical understanding of reality The California Festival of Reason, which was first held in Sacramento, and Free Thought Days are a celebration of democracy, the separation of church and state - an important principle enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution Each year Freethought Day is dedicated to a specific theme Thus, the slogan of the 2004 celebrations was “Dare to think for yourself!”, 2009 - “Stay curious!”, and 2012 - “Vote for reason!” Over the years, actress Katharine Hepburn, chemist Maria Skladovskaya-Curie, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, writer George Orwell and other famous personalities have become symbols of freethinking and fortitude at festivals over the years The celebration of Free Thought Day lasts about a week, and sometimes even a month, during which lectures and debates are organized on the triumph of reason, science and progress over religious dogma