02213cam a22003013u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000390011324500470015226400510019930000470025033600260029733700260032333800360034950000310038550800290041652013460044553400450179165300150183685600430185199900170189438104UtSlPG20260610133853.0mcr n260607r2011||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aBL1 aHolyoake, George Jacob,d1817-190610aEnglish Secularism: A Confession of Belief 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2011  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2011-11-22  aProduced by David Widger  a"English Secularism: A Confession of Belief" by George Jacob Holyoake is a philosophical and sociopolitical treatise written in the late 19th century. The book presents a defense of Secularism, positioning it as a distinct system of thought separate from both Theism and Atheism. Holyoake, a prominent figure in the Secularist movement, seeks to articulate a moral framework grounded in reason and empirical evidence, advocating for the separation of church and state influence in societal matters.  The opening of the work sets the stage for Holyoake's exploration of Secularism, outlining its fundamental principles and the need for a clear distinction between secular instruction and religious ideology. He emphasizes the importance of free thought and independent reasoning, contrasting Secularism with the constraints imposed by religious dogmas. Holyoake introduces the notion that moral duty can and should be derived from human experience and rational inquiry, rather than theological doctrines, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive examination of ethics and morality through a secular lens. This introductory section engages with the challenges posed by existing beliefs while asserting the necessity of open dialogue and critical reflection on religious and secular thought alike. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aSecularism40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38104  c78944d78944