William J. "Bill" McIlroy (4 July 1928 – 22 August 2013)[1] was a British secularist and atheist activist, writer and editor.
McIlroy was for many years editor of The Freethinker[2] (three stints: 1970–71, 1975–December 1976, September 1981–December 1992) and general secretary of the National Secular Society (two stints: 1963–1970, 1972–1977). In 2005, he received a lifetime achievement award from the NSS for 50 years of service to the secularist movement.[3]
Born in Northern Ireland, he later lived in Coventry, London and Sheffield. His wife Margaret, with whom he had two daughters, predeceased him, dying from multiple sclerosis. William McIlroy lived independently in Brighton for the last 15 years of his life before being diagnosed with cancer in 2012.
Freethinker editor
McIlroy served as editor of The Freethinker for 14 years in total. He first served as editor during 1970–1971, having stepped down as general secretary of the National Secular Society. In Jim Herrick's history of The Freethinker, "Vision and Realism" (1982), Herrick commented on McIlroy's "journalistic flair and sense of humour":
Within a few months, he was running stories like the one headed "Nun-running Scandal Hits the Vatican", about a nun-running racket from the poverty-stricken Indian state of Kerala to meet a shortage of Catholic nuns. His exposure of the indoctrination tactics of sects and cults was ahead of its time. As a former General Secretary of the National Secular Society he was in a good position to use the Freethinker as a campaigning arm and he did much to gain media publicity for secularist activities.[4]
Campaigning activities
As National Secular Society General Secretary from 1963 to 1970, McIlroy worked alongside David Tribe, the Australian-born president of the society 1963–1971. Tribe's memoir of the period, published by the NSS, notes McIlroy's activities in support of liberalising Sunday:
Entertainment, sport, commerce, trade and industry were specifically banned (with exceptions to enable the faithful to attend church). In the early 1960s the potential organisers of such activities were strangely silent until the NSS, notably through William McIlroy's battles with the Lord's Day Observance Society, galvanised them into supportive action.[5]
McIlroy was secretary of the Committee Against Blasphemy Law, which was founded in August 1977 to protest the trial of the editor and publishers of Gay News. In 1989, McIlroy, along with Nicolas Walter, reformed The Committee Against Blasphemy Law[clarification needed] to protest the threat to Salman Rushdie over Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. The committee issued a new Statement Against Blasphemy Law, signed by more than 200 public figures.
——————— (1995). (PDF). Sheffield: Sheffield Humanist Society. ISBN978-0-9525644-0-9. OCLC 32922506. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016.
——————— (2007). Without the Faith: Freethinkers and Freethought in Brighton and Hove. Brighton: Brighton and Hove Humanist Society. ISBN978-0-9555257-0-4. OCLC 144595527.
References
^"National Secular Society mourns the death of Bill McIlroy". Secularism.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
^"National Secular Society - Maryam Namazie Named "Secularist of The Year"". Secularism.org.uk. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
^Herrick, Jim (1982). Vision and Realism: a hundred years of The Freethinker. London: G.W. Foote & Co. p. 105. ISBN978-0950824307.
^Tribe, David. "Godless and Glad Of It: fifty years of militant humanism" (PDF). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
^Duke, Barry (2021-05-08). "Farewell to a Humanist hero: LGBT activist George Broadhead dies aged 87". The Pink Triangle Trust. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
February 27, 2023
william, mcilroy, secularist, william, bill, mcilroy, july, 1928, august, 2013, british, secularist, atheist, activist, writer, editor, mcilroy, many, years, editor, freethinker, three, stints, 1970, 1975, december, 1976, september, 1981, december, 1992, gener. William J Bill McIlroy 4 July 1928 22 August 2013 1 was a British secularist and atheist activist writer and editor McIlroy was for many years editor of The Freethinker 2 three stints 1970 71 1975 December 1976 September 1981 December 1992 and general secretary of the National Secular Society two stints 1963 1970 1972 1977 In 2005 he received a lifetime achievement award from the NSS for 50 years of service to the secularist movement 3 Contents 1 Personal life 2 Freethinker editor 3 Campaigning activities 4 Interviews 5 Publications 6 ReferencesPersonal life EditBorn in Northern Ireland he later lived in Coventry London and Sheffield His wife Margaret with whom he had two daughters predeceased him dying from multiple sclerosis William McIlroy lived independently in Brighton for the last 15 years of his life before being diagnosed with cancer in 2012 Freethinker editor EditMcIlroy served as editor of The Freethinker for 14 years in total He first served as editor during 1970 1971 having stepped down as general secretary of the National Secular Society In Jim Herrick s history of The Freethinker Vision and Realism 1982 Herrick commented on McIlroy s journalistic flair and sense of humour Within a few months he was running stories like the one headed Nun running Scandal Hits the Vatican about a nun running racket from the poverty stricken Indian state of Kerala to meet a shortage of Catholic nuns His exposure of the indoctrination tactics of sects and cults was ahead of its time As a former General Secretary of the National Secular Society he was in a good position to use the Freethinker as a campaigning arm and he did much to gain media publicity for secularist activities 4 Campaigning activities EditAs National Secular Society General Secretary from 1963 to 1970 McIlroy worked alongside David Tribe the Australian born president of the society 1963 1971 Tribe s memoir of the period published by the NSS notes McIlroy s activities in support of liberalising Sunday Entertainment sport commerce trade and industry were specifically banned with exceptions to enable the faithful to attend church In the early 1960s the potential organisers of such activities were strangely silent until the NSS notably through William McIlroy s battles with the Lord s Day Observance Society galvanised them into supportive action 5 McIlroy was secretary of the Committee Against Blasphemy Law which was founded in August 1977 to protest the trial of the editor and publishers of Gay News In 1989 McIlroy along with Nicolas Walter reformed The Committee Against Blasphemy Law clarification needed to protest the threat to Salman Rushdie over Rushdie s The Satanic Verses The committee issued a new Statement Against Blasphemy Law signed by more than 200 public figures McIlroy was the keynote speaker at the inaugural meeting of the Gay Humanist Group which became the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association 6 Interviews EditFine Zac 2007 Praise Be for Secularism Rocks Magazine Publications EditMcIlroy William 1970 Educational reform Story of a Campaign London National Secular Society OCLC 39400306 1995 Foundations of Modern Humanism PDF Sheffield Sheffield Humanist Society ISBN 978 0 9525644 0 9 OCLC 32922506 Archived from the original PDF on March 3 2016 2007 Without the Faith Freethinkers and Freethought in Brighton and Hove Brighton Brighton and Hove Humanist Society ISBN 978 0 9555257 0 4 OCLC 144595527 References Edit National Secular Society mourns the death of Bill McIlroy Secularism org uk Retrieved 23 August 2013 The freethinker G W Foote 1975 p 96 National Secular Society Maryam Namazie Named Secularist of The Year Secularism org uk 12 October 2005 Retrieved 23 August 2013 Herrick Jim 1982 Vision and Realism a hundred years of The Freethinker London G W Foote amp Co p 105 ISBN 978 0950824307 Tribe David Godless and Glad Of It fifty years of militant humanism PDF Retrieved 27 August 2013 Duke Barry 2021 05 08 Farewell to a Humanist hero LGBT activist George Broadhead dies aged 87 The Pink Triangle Trust Retrieved 2022 07 24 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William McIlroy secularist amp oldid 1100134857, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
