|
|
|
|
|
|
HomeBooksCooking, Food & Wine |
|
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 A Secular Constitution Sep 26, 2009
"Freethinkers" is a kinder, gentler word for nonbelievers - who don't conduct their lives with any acknowledgement of supernatural supervision (or interference) over their lives or over this universe. Freethinkers are a pretty loosely knit group. Many of them have been important in the history of our country - but acknowledged only reluctantly when credit could not be hidden. Most US history books have been written with a hat tip toward our religious friends.
I think Jacoby's "Freethinkers" fills a void. As far as I know, no one has previously documented how influencial freethinkers have been in creating and changing the political and social structure of the United States. The bibliography is full of bits and pieces about prominent freethinkers, including many biographies. There are books about freethinkers involved in the fights over abolition, women's suffrage, civil rights, the constitution, and many other US social conflicts - but this book is unique in putting it all together.
In one important example, the influence of freethinkers has been critical - that being the specific and premeditated omission of God from the constitution. The creators of the Constitution (most of them religious) tried to insure that religious concerns could not, by law, influence US governance. This was a unique concept at the time and has been critical to the success of this nation - thanks to the influence of free thought concepts at the Constitutional convention.
If it weren't for these Enlightenment concepts, Thomas Jefferson's prototype Virginia Constitution, various influential freethinkers such as Paine and Madison, and some underdog religious groups who yearned for parity, this country's destiny could have been very different. Other freethinkers influenced important movements in the 19th and 20th centuries. For a unique look at US history from an underappreciated perspective, "Freethinkers" is a gem.
PS: Jacoby's resurrection of Robert Ingersoll, the "Great Agnostic" of the late 1800's was long overdue.
DB
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Inspirational look at some great Americans Jul 17, 2009
This book works on many levels. First, it is well researched and full of interesting information about some heroic Americans that aren't particularly well known outside of freethought circles. People like Thomas Paine, Robert Green Ingersoll, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The author makes a persuasive for the enormous impact that secular thinkers had on the development of the United States, in spite of the fact that there's always been a strong cultural bias against recognizing the impact of people who trusted their own minds and refused to blindly accept the dominant religious dogma of the day. The author also has some important things to say about the intellectual climate that existed when the country was founded. While many Christian apologists still cling to the idea that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, the author puts this notion to rest rather easily. Indeed, the Constitution contains no reference to God and the separation of church and state was clearly one of the most important principles of the country's founding. Paul Gehrman, Author, Kaleidoscope
Learning from the Past May 08, 2009
This is an excellent history of secular thought or "Free Thought" in American and its painfully small influence in our "religiously correct" society. It is hard to believe that we have degenerated to the point where we are discouraged from questioning religion in the public sphere. Even ridiculous religious sentiments are supposed immune from logic in our current state of discourse. Jacoby offers a powerful argument to counter that offering as examples 19th and 20th century "Freethinkers" who openly shared their views while allowing others to hold theirs (though not without challenge). She also offers an incisive argument for the separation of church and state and how this aspect of the constitution has been eroded particularly in the last 8 years. Finally she counters the illogical argument that at least Christian morality is better than no morality. This is a falsehood rooted in the ridiculous assumption that there are only two choices. As many others have pointed out, the humanists have a much better human rights record than the Christians. This is a provacative book that i highly recommend
 Interesting but poorly written Apr 26, 2009
The contents of history regarding secularism in American are mixed together with asides and editorial comments making a hard to follow book. The subject matter made me read the entire book, the facts that were offered made me glad I did, but this is one book you find yourself putting down every few pages because the author's schizoid approach to writing. One sentence will be history, next an editorial comment, and the next a personal interest item that doesn't enhance either the history or the editorial side of the book. Funny after reading this book I want a secular version of secularist history, because her own believes are so intertwined with the facts it lessens the importance of the history that is told.
Excellent read Oct 25, 2008
This book was excellent in its presentation of the secularist outlook of many American freethinkers. It exposed the nonsense that is presented by many "fundamentalists" and other gullible species and emphasized how many people are led astray by alleged "moral" teaching.
I would recommend the book to all sensible readers.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
![Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2Beipy8-L._SL75_.jpg "Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
