THE MILITANT AGNOSTIC

One of the things one notices when reading the free thought classics is how little religious fundamentalism has changed over the years.  Attacks on science, individual rights and liberties and progress in general have always been the focus of fundamentalist wrath.

This fact was certainly obvious to Emanuel Haldeman-Julius.  The Philadelphia-born Julius (1889-1951) was a central figure in the freethought movement in the first half of the twentieth century.  He is best remembered as the publisher of the series of “Little Blue Books” and “Big Blue Books” which he printed and sold at extremely low cost in order to make literary classics as well as free thought information available to the general public.  Due to the scope of the subject matter as well as the low price, these small books became extremely popular.  In addition to being a promoter of free thought literature, Julius himself was a gifted writer, as The Militant Agnostic makes clear.

This book is a collection of Julius’ articles and essays.  The topics cover quite a diverse range of interests.  Under such colorful headings as: “Churches and Jazz,” “Devil’s Dances,” “China’s Revolt Against Quackery,” and “Do you Believe in Mermaids?” Julius tantalized his readers and challenged their beliefs.

In “Churches and Jazz,” Julius comments on the declining influence of religion on most people in society, many of whom are more interested in popular forms of entertainment than in dreary sermons.  “Devil’s Dances” discusses Dr. John Roach Straton’s thundering denunciation of dancing which he saw as an affront to Christian morality.  Julius dismisses him as a “holy-holy windbag.”  “China’s Revolt Against Quackery” rails against Christian missionary endeavors, but reports happily that the Chinese “are refusing to allow the missionaries to bamboozle them with their divine hocus-pocus.”

“Do You Believe in Mermaids” is particularly interesting.  Here, Julius tells us that even the most devout religious fundamentalist would question the existence of mermaids. Why?  Not because they don’t exist, but rather because such creatures are not mentioned in the Bible.  To freethinkers, the mindset of such people is laughingly ridiculous: while the existence of mermaids can be dismissed, demons who cause illness and disembodied voices speaking from the heavens are to be treated with the greatest solemnity and reverence.  Julius sardonically notes that “had Eve been represented as a mermaid, or Lot’s wife as having been turned into a mermaid, or Jesus has having been born of a mermaid” then the “Christian yokels” would be “demanding an amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit any teaching in these states reflecting on the sacred verity of mermaids.”

It is to be hoped that Prometheus Books will see fit to re-print the other Haldeman-Julius books as it is virtually impossible to find the originals.  These books are a most valuable asset to the free thought community, for if we don’t understand our own past, we head blindly into the future.

E. Haldeman-Julius was an informed and articulate critic both of religion and the social conditions of his time.  His witty and biting commentaries are as refreshing today as the day they were written.  But then, free thought literature in general, like a fine wine, only seems to improve with age.