Intellectual Honour

By -
Frederick J Gould was Secretary and Organiser at Leicester Secular Hall from 1899 until 1908. He was a prolific writer of books, newspaper, magazine and journal articles for children and adults. The following snippet is from his Stepping-Stones to Agnosticism (no date):


We do not wantonly doubt. We make no boast of the failure of our vision to penetrate the secrets of infinity. Forced by the imperious necessities of reason to renounce the popular faith, we regret our severance from time-honoured churches and their hallowed associations. We would fain enter and join the assembly. But the price of entrance is one that intellectual honour and moral dignity forbid us to pay.

Comments

  1. Harry19 February 2010 at 13:46:00 GMT

    Yes, for many the price is too high - but as in any market I suspect there are many 'members' of the local church who do pay it, putting aside their scepticism to participate in pre-existing community activities - especially in villages where the church plays a bigger role.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ann Atkins at it again

By Anonymous -
Below is an email our member Frank Friedmann sent to the BBC, concerning Ann Atkins' latest "Thought for the Day", and their response. ====== -- To BBC -- Dear Sir, Ann Atkins used the programme on 9 May 2006 today to launch an attack on Rationalists. That she can do so shows up the lack of natural justice in the policy of denying atheists access to the programme - they can be collectively slandered and misrepresented but have no right of reply. I notice that speakers on the programme do not use it as a platform from which to condemn the adherents of other religions - I don’t know if this is out of respect or because they are constrained by editorial rules, but it does emphasise the injustice in the censorship of atheism. Were you to change the policy, might I put forward my wife, Eleanor Davidson, as a candidate? She has just become the country’s first Humanist member of a hospital chaplaincy team (See First Person article in Leicester Mercury 29 April 2006). [See also
Read more

Hindu Council UK objects to talk on "Hinduism: A Wretched, Immoral Compass"

By -
Image
The Society hosted a talk on the caste system on 3rd December 2023. Before the talk on 19th November the Secretary of the Society received the following email - We write to express our deep concern and offense regarding the title of an event scheduled to take place at your venue, titled "Hinduism: Wretched Immoral Compass." It has come to our attention that such a choice of words is not only derogatory but also appears to be anti-Hinduism.   Hinduism, a faith with a rich history spanning thousands of years and followed by over one billion people worldwide, deserves respect and understanding. Using such inflammatory language seems designed to appeal and incite hatred towards Hindus, who are one of the largest and most peaceful communities globally. As a secular society, we believe it is your responsibility to avoid language that may be offensive or disrespectful towards any faith.   We urge you to consider the implications of this event title and whether it aligns with t
Read more

Statement about recent violent incidents in the City.

By -
Leicester Secular Society condemns the recent violence promoted by religious extremists. We condemn those of any religion who seek to divide society, advocate for the domination of their religion and use violence against those with different beliefs. We believe that a truly secular city and county is the only way to guarantee equality to the many different religions and communities we have. We believe that the continued existence and further creation of faith schools in Leicester can only drive communities apart and encourage the growth of intolerance. We do not want to see any more segregation in Leicester. Belfast demonstrates the danger of a failure to promote inter community friendships. We don't ever want to see "peace walls" appearing in our city. Since 1851, the Leicester Secular Society has opposed religious discrimination and stands for an inclusive and plural society.
Read more