FOREWORDS It is impossible for me to present the whole of my case in the space at my command; I can only give an outline. Neither can I do it as well as it ought to be done, but only as well as I am able. To make up for my shortcomings, and to fortify my case with fuller evidence, I must refer the reader to books written by men better equipped for the work than I. To do justice to so vast a theme would need a large book, where I can only spare a short chapter, and each large book should be written by a specialist. For the reader's own satisfaction, then, and for the sake of justice to my cause, I shall venture to suggest a list of books whose contents will atone for all my failures and omissions. And I am justified, I think, in saying that no reader who has not read the books I recommend, or others of like scope and value, can fairly claim to sit on the jury to try this case. And of these books I shall, first of all, heartily recommend the series of cheap sixpenny reprints now published by the Rationalist Press Association, Johnson's Court, London, E.C. R.P.A. REPRINTS Huxley's Lectures and Essays. Laing's Modern Science and Modern Thought. Mathew Arnold's Literature and Dogma. Grant Allen's Evolution of the Idea of God. Herbert Spencer's Education. Some Apologists have, I am sorry to say, attempted to disparage those excellent books by alluding to them as "Sixpenny Science" and "Cheap Science. The same method of attack will not be available against most of the books in my next list: The Golden Bough, Frazer. Macmillan, 36s. Supernatural Religion, Cassel. Watts, 6s. The Martyrdom of Man, Winwood Reade. Kegan Paul, 6s. The Story of Creation, Clodd. Longmans, 3s. 6d. Buddha and Buddhism, Lillie. Clark, 3s. 6d. Black, Is. Shall We understand the Bible? Williams. What Is Religion? Tolstoy. Free Age Press, 6d. I also recommend Herbert Spencer's Principles of Sociology, and Lecky's History of European Morals. Of pamphlets there are hundreds. Readers will get full information from Watts & Co., 17 Johnson's Court, London, E.C. I can warmly recommend The Miracles of Christian Belief and The Claims of Christianity, by Charles Watts, and Christianity and Progress, a penny pamphlet, by G. W. Foote (The Freethought Publishing Company). I should also like to mention An Easy Outline of Evolution, by Dennis Hird (Watts & Co., 2s. 6d.). This book will be of great help to those who want to scrape acquaintance with the theory of evolution. Finally, let me ask the general reader to prejudice, and give both sides a fair hearing. books I have mentioned above are of more put aside all Most of the actual value to the public of to-day than many standard works which hold world-wide reputations. No man should regard the subject of religion as decided for him until he has read The Golden Bough. The Golden Bough is one of those books that unmake history. GOD AND MY NEIGHBOUR THE SIN OF UNBELIEF HUXLEY quotes with satirical gusto Dr. Wace's declaration as to the word "Infidel." Said Dr. Wace: "The word infidel, perhaps, carries an unpleasant significance. Perhaps it is right that it should. It is, and it ought to be, an unpleasant thing for a man to have to say plainly that he does not believe in Jesus Christ.” Be it pleasant or unpleasant to be an unbeliever, one thing is quite clear: religious people intend the word Infidel 'an unpleasant significance" when they apply to it one. It is in their minds a term of reproach. they think it is wicked to deny what they believe. To call a man Infidel, then, is tacitly to accuse him of a kind of moral turpitude. Because But a little while ago, to be an Infidel was to be socially taboo. But a little while earlier, to be an Infidel was to be persecuted. But a little earlier still, to be an Infidel was to be an outlaw, subject to the penalty of death. Now, it is evident that to visit the penalty of social ostracism or public contumely upon all who reject the popular religion is to erect an arbitrary barrier against intellectual and spiritual advance, and to put a protective tariff upon orthodoxy to the disadvantage of science and free thought. The root of the idea that it is wicked to reject the popular |