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from the average person. The most prominent leader of the thought police in the nineteenth century was Anthony Comstock, proponent of the notorious "Comstock laws."



"In 1873, Comstock worked his magic on the U.S. Congress," Jacoby writes, "although it is not clear how, even with the backing of organized religion, such an inexperienced and obsessed young man managed to sway hard-bitten legislators. Judging from diary entries in which Comstock recorded his endless lobbying in Washington, some congressmen may have voted in favor of the obscenity statute for the sole purpose of getting rid of the angry and intrusive Puritan ghost haunting their offices." It was a devastating blow to freedom of expression in America, from which it has taken a very long time to recover. Comstock targeted several prominent figures, such as Margaret Sanger, for distributing material for women, telling them how they could prevent future pregnancies, and D.M. Bennett, editor of the popular Truth Seeker, whom he actively pursued for three years. Jacoby notes that while Comstock targeted Bennett personally, his real target was the Truth Seeker itself. However, even Comstock couldn’t legally shut the magazine down, because its editorial content focused primarily on politics and religion, and fell within the protection of the First Amendment.

Despite the tremendous achievements of prominent secularists both past and present, our work is far from over. Jacoby points out that "American secularists have fallen asleep at the switch," and have taken too many of our present liberties for granted. This is indeed a dangerous practice, especially in the face of growing opposition to secularism from leaders of the Christian right. "It is crucial for today’s secularists to find a way to convey the passions of humanism as Ingersoll once did, to move hearts as well as to change minds." American secularists have found several ways to accomplish this goal, thanks largely to the efforts of those who publish Freethought Magazines like FREE INQUIRY, and to the webmasters who set up internet forums for both Americans and other world citizens to meet and exchange ideas.

Although historical works can often become dry and uninteresting, FREETHINKERS is anything but. Jacoby makes the history of American secularism and its champions a compelling and highly entertaining read. So buy the book already. And when you do, read it over carefully, from the first page to the last. It will give you the inspiration to challenge the forces of Christian fundamentalism, just as our secularist forebears did.