Snapshot 1839… Is an atheist’s sworn statement in court valid?

September 22, 2023 by  
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Let’s be honest, if a journalist posed this question in a mainstream newspaper today, the pushback for even asking the question would likely go viral within minutes, if not seconds. However, in 1831 the Boston Police Court was wrestling with this very question. In fact, the language used to describe such a situation was not one of validity, but competency. The article is too long to show in full, but for those who may be curious I’ve included 2 photos below – one each of both of the introduction and the conclusion.

Note: Some might also find the slavery-themed content within this same issue rather interesting as well: Daily National Intelligencer, July 2, 1839.

 

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