After my last post about the timeless schism between militants and moderates in the secular movement, I was directed to an online copy of an old book entitled Secularism, Scepticism, and Atheism recording a debate between these great 19th century luminaries of British secularism and freethought. Here is the title page:
As you might well imagine, it covers a good deal of ground that will be disturbingly familiar to anyone experienced in the contemporary intramovement kerfuffles between secularists, skeptics, and atheists. Historical perspective, of course, can lead to wisdom or fatalism, among other possible destinations.
