Freethought martyr, Giordano Bruno
Campo dei Fiori, Rome
Campo dei Fiori, Rome
Freethought
I've been an unbeliever for most of my life. Some of the terms I've used to describe myself and others like me: atheist, agnostic, secular humanist, freethinker, infidel, pagan, rationalist.
I've written for the secular humanist press since 1974, when my first article appeared in The Freethinker (London). My most extensive writing on the topic is my 1998 book, A Freethinker's Primer of Male Love. (See the Pagan Press booklist.)
This section has a few of my freethought/humanist writings, as well as a vintage freethought book, which I have put into PDF form.
• Homosexuality, Intolerance, and Christianity: A Critical Examination of John Boswell's Work. On 14 September 1980, shortly after the publication of John Boswell's book Christianity,
Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from
the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century,
the New York Gay Academic Union convened a forum to discuss and examine
his work. The speakers at the forum — entitled “Sex and the
Medieval Church” - were Wayne R. Dynes, Warren Johansson and John
Lauritsen. The three talks, along with a substantial annotated
bibliography of reviews of Boswell's book, a new preface, and
biographical notes on the authors, are now on the Pink Triangle Press
web site. To read these click here.
• The Boswell Thesis is a review I wrote for the Gay Humanist Quarterly of a book edited by Mathew Kuefler, The Boswell Thesis: Essays on Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. To read it click here.
• A Place at the Table for Humanists is a mini-sermon I delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Provincetown, 7 March 1999. To read it click here.
• The Greek Spirit is a sermon I delivered when I conducted the service at the UU Meeting House in Provincetown on 23 May 1999. To read it click here.
• Gay Liberation and Humanism HDS is a talk I gave on the panel, “Staying and Leaving: Responses to the Fear in Our Traditions”, at the Harvard Divinity School, Gay Conference, 23 April 1999. To read it click here.
• Gay Liberation and Humanism URI is a longer version of the preceding. It was delivered on 24 March 2000 at the Sixth Annual Symposium on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues at the University of Rhode Island. To read it click here.
• Socrates and the Ladder of Love is a sermon I delivered at the UU Meeting House, Provincetown, 9 September 2001. To read it click here.
• Debunking the Mary Shelley Myth — discussing the authorship thesis of my new book, The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein — was published in the Spring 2007 issue of the Gay & Lesbian Humanist. To read it click here.
• Recovery Without Religiosity: Atheists and agnostics can enjoy good sobriety in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous without sacrificing their principles. To learn more click here.
• Arthur M. Lewis's book, The Struggle Between Science and Superstition (1918), is a great favorite of mine. His descriptions of the martyrdom of Giordano Bruno and the forced recantation of Galileo are especially moving. To read this book in PDF form (the file is 6 mb.) click here.
• The Boswell Thesis is a review I wrote for the Gay Humanist Quarterly of a book edited by Mathew Kuefler, The Boswell Thesis: Essays on Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. To read it click here.
• A Place at the Table for Humanists is a mini-sermon I delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Provincetown, 7 March 1999. To read it click here.
• The Greek Spirit is a sermon I delivered when I conducted the service at the UU Meeting House in Provincetown on 23 May 1999. To read it click here.
• Gay Liberation and Humanism HDS is a talk I gave on the panel, “Staying and Leaving: Responses to the Fear in Our Traditions”, at the Harvard Divinity School, Gay Conference, 23 April 1999. To read it click here.
• Gay Liberation and Humanism URI is a longer version of the preceding. It was delivered on 24 March 2000 at the Sixth Annual Symposium on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues at the University of Rhode Island. To read it click here.
• Socrates and the Ladder of Love is a sermon I delivered at the UU Meeting House, Provincetown, 9 September 2001. To read it click here.
• Debunking the Mary Shelley Myth — discussing the authorship thesis of my new book, The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein — was published in the Spring 2007 issue of the Gay & Lesbian Humanist. To read it click here.
• Recovery Without Religiosity: Atheists and agnostics can enjoy good sobriety in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous without sacrificing their principles. To learn more click here.
• Arthur M. Lewis's book, The Struggle Between Science and Superstition (1918), is a great favorite of mine. His descriptions of the martyrdom of Giordano Bruno and the forced recantation of Galileo are especially moving. To read this book in PDF form (the file is 6 mb.) click here.