It has always taken an unapologetically atheist, anti-religious stance. In Issue 1 (May, 1881), Foote set out The Freethinker's purpose:
The Freethinker is an anti-Christian organ, and must therefore be chiefly aggressive. It will wage relentless war against superstition in general, and against Christian superstition in particular. It will do its best to employ the resources of Science, Scholarship, Philosophy and Ethics against the claims of the Bible as a Divine Revelation; and it will not scruple to employ for the same purpose any weapons of ridicule or sarcasm that may be borrowed from the armoury of Common Sense.
Although closely linked with the National Secular Society for most of its history (NSS Presidents and General Secretaries have at various times also served as Freethinker editor), The Freethinker is strictly autonomous and is not, and never has been, published by the NSS; it has been published by G. W. Foote & Co. Ltd. since its inception.
In 2006, the magazine's front-page masthead was changed from "Secular humanist monthly" to "The Voice of Atheism since 1881".
Daniel James Sharp is the current editor, succeeding Emma Park from April 2024.
Following the publication of anti-religious cartoons in the Christmas 1882 edition of The Freethinker, Foote was prosecuted for blasphemy, and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour. On receiving his sentence from Mr Justice North (a devout Catholic), Foote said "with great deliberation" to the Judge "My Lord, I thank you; it is worthy of your creed". His description of this experience was published in 1886 as Prisoner for Blasphemy.[2]
The April 2014 edition of The Freethinker contained an announcement that the May issue would be the last to appear in print; publication would continue online.[3]The Freethinker kept its own website until all new content was moved to a section of the Patheos website, the first article appearing on 16 July 2021.
The Freethinker bulletin of 22 January 2022 announced that Barry Duke was moving to the newly established OnlySky website. His successor, Emma Park, was announced on The Freethinker website on 27 January 2022. In June 2022 Barry Duke explained that although The Freethinker was due to move from the Patheos website to OnlySky, the board of G. W. Foote & Co. Ltd. decided to keep its own dedicated website and to terminate his editorship. [4] He was succeeded by Emma Park.
On 1 April 2024, a bulletin from The Freethinker announced that Daniel James Sharp had succeeded Emma Park as editor from this date.[5]
A Committee consisting of F. A. Hornibrook, Bayard Simmons, G. H. Taylor May 1954 – August 1959.
Colin McCall replaced Simmons in 1957, his name appearing alongside Hornibrook and Taylor from December that year. He became sole editor from August 1959 until December 1965
Smoker, Barbara (2002). Freethoughts: Atheism, Secularism, Humanism – Selected Egotistically from 'The Freethinker'. London: GW Foote & Co. ISBN0950824356.
External linksedit
The Freethinker website
Google Books (holds Vol. 10 [1890]).
April 27, 2024
freethinker, journal, other, uses, freethinker, disambiguation, freethinker, british, secular, humanist, publication, founded, foote, 1881, world, oldest, surviving, freethought, publications, moved, online, only, 2014, freethinkercover, volume, number, from, . For other uses see The Freethinker disambiguation The Freethinker is a British secular humanist publication founded by G W Foote in 1881 1 One of the world s oldest surviving freethought publications it moved online only in 2014 The FreethinkerCover of Volume III Number 43 from October 1883CategoriesScience magazineFrequencyMonthlyFirst issue1 May 1881Final issueApril 2014 print CountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishWebsitewww wbr freethinker wbr co wbr uk It has always taken an unapologetically atheist anti religious stance In Issue 1 May 1881 Foote set out The Freethinker s purpose The Freethinker is an anti Christian organ and must therefore be chiefly aggressive It will wage relentless war against superstition in general and against Christian superstition in particular It will do its best to employ the resources of Science Scholarship Philosophy and Ethics against the claims of the Bible as a Divine Revelation and it will not scruple to employ for the same purpose any weapons of ridicule or sarcasm that may be borrowed from the armoury of Common Sense Although closely linked with the National Secular Society for most of its history NSS Presidents and General Secretaries have at various times also served as Freethinker editor The Freethinker is strictly autonomous and is not and never has been published by the NSS it has been published by G W Foote amp Co Ltd since its inception In 2006 the magazine s front page masthead was changed from Secular humanist monthly to The Voice of Atheism since 1881 Daniel James Sharp is the current editor succeeding Emma Park from April 2024 Contents 1 History 2 List of Freethinker editors 3 Citations 4 Bibliography 5 External linksHistory editFollowing the publication of anti religious cartoons in the Christmas 1882 edition of The Freethinker Foote was prosecuted for blasphemy and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour On receiving his sentence from Mr Justice North a devout Catholic Foote said with great deliberation to the Judge My Lord I thank you it is worthy of your creed His description of this experience was published in 1886 as Prisoner for Blasphemy 2 The April 2014 edition of The Freethinker contained an announcement that the May issue would be the last to appear in print publication would continue online 3 The Freethinker kept its own website until all new content was moved to a section of the Patheos website the first article appearing on 16 July 2021 The Freethinker bulletin of 22 January 2022 announced that Barry Duke was moving to the newly established OnlySky website His successor Emma Park was announced on The Freethinker website on 27 January 2022 In June 2022 Barry Duke explained that although The Freethinker was due to move from the Patheos website to OnlySky the board of G W Foote amp Co Ltd decided to keep its own dedicated website and to terminate his editorship 4 He was succeeded by Emma Park On 1 April 2024 a bulletin from The Freethinker announced that Daniel James Sharp had succeeded Emma Park as editor from this date 5 List of Freethinker editors editGeorge William Foote May 1881 October 1915 Edward Aveling edited the paper during Foote s imprisonment 1883 Chapman Cohen October 1915 June 1951 Frank Ridley June 1951 April 1954 A Committee consisting of F A Hornibrook Bayard Simmons G H Taylor May 1954 August 1959 Colin McCall replaced Simmons in 1957 his name appearing alongside Hornibrook and Taylor from December that year He became sole editor from August 1959 until December 1965 David Tribe January 1966 May 1966 Kit Mouat June 1966 January 1967 David Collis January 1967 October 1967 Karl Hyde November 1967 August 1968 David Reynolds September 1968 July 1970 William McIlroy August 1970 December 1971 Nigel Sinnott January 1972 September 1973 Christopher Morey October 1973 December 1974 William McIlroy January 1975 December 1976 Jim Herrick January 1977 August 1981 William McIlroy September 1981 December 1992 Peter Brearey January 1993 May 1998 Barry Duke June 1998 January 2022 Dr Emma Park January 2022 March 2024 Daniel James Sharp April 2024 Citations edit Atheism and Humanism Links Arthur Chappell Retrieved 12 October 2016 Prisoner for Blasphemy by George William Foote www gutenberg org Retrieved 2022 09 06 The future of the Freethinker an important announcement Archived from the original on 2014 05 04 Duke Barry 2022 06 05 Renowned atheist magazine falls victim to woke culture sacks gay editor The Pink Triangle Trust Retrieved 2022 09 06 Letters from the editor The Freethinker 2024 04 01 Retrieved 2024 04 12 Bibliography editCohen Chapman 1940 Almost an Autobiography Confessions of a Freethinker London Pioneer Press Herrick Jim 1982 Vision and Realism A Hundred Years of The Freethinker London GW Foote amp Co ISBN 0950824305 Marsh Joss 1998 Word Crimes Blasphemy Culture and Literature in Nineteenth Century England Chicago University of Chicago Press ISBN 0226506916 Smoker Barbara 2002 Freethoughts Atheism Secularism Humanism Selected Egotistically from The Freethinker London GW Foote amp Co ISBN 0950824356 External links editThe Freethinker website Google Books holds Vol 10 1890 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Freethinker journal amp oldid 1218574825, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
