Joseph McCabe

Joseph Martin McCabe (November 12 1867 – January 10 1955) was an English writer and speaker on freethought, after having been a priest earlier in his life.

Early life

McCabe was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire. He entered the Franciscan order in 1886 at the age of 19, and in 1890 was ordained into the priesthood with the name "Father Antony". After 10 years, McCabe had become disillusioned, and he left the priesthood on February 19 1896. [The Secular Web" by Joseph McCabe [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/] accessdate=2006-04-05] At first he described himself as an agnostic, but he later came to prefer atheism.

Writing career

Shortly after leaving the priesthood, McCabe began writing. He wrote a pamphlet on his experiences, "From Rome to Rationalism", published in 1897, which he then expanded to book length as "Twelve Years in a Monastery" (1897). He then wrote prolifically on science, religion, politics, history and culture, writing nearly 250 books during his life. Many of his books and pamphlets were published by E. Haldeman-Julius, [The Secular Web] both as Little Blue Books and Big Blue Books. Over 100 Big Blue Books by McCabe were published.

McCabe was also respected as a speaker, and gave several thousand lectures in his lifetime. [ The Secular Web]

McCabe is also known for his inclusion in G. K. Chesterton's book "Heretics". In a previous essay he took Chesterton to task for including humor in his serious writings. By doing so, he allowed Chesterton to make the quip "Mr. McCabe thinks that I am not serious but only funny, because Mr. McCabe thinks that funny is the opposite of serious. Funny is the opposite of not funny, and of nothing else."

In about 1947, McCabe accused the "Encyclopædia Britannica" of bias towards the Catholic Church. He claimed that the 14th edition, which had been published in 1929, was devoid of the critical comment about the church that had been in the 11th edition. ["Lies and fallacies of the Encyclopedia Britannica" by Joseph McCabe (Haldeman-Julius Publications, 1947) [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/lies_of_britannica.html] ] McCabe similarly accused the "Columbia Encyclopedia" of bias towards the Catholic Church in 1951. ["The Columbia Encyclopedia's crimes against the truth by Joseph McCabe" [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/encyclopedia_crime.html] ] These and similar actions have made him be termed a "Catholic basher" by his Christian critics. [ [http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&safe=active&q=cache:kF5W6DW1EWwJ:www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2005/PSCF12-05Hendrickson.pdf+%22joseph+mccabe%22+anti-catholicism ASA (An organization of Evangelical Christians)] ] [ [http://www.catholicleague.org/2002report/media2002.html Catholic League] ] Biographer Bill Cooke, however, disputes the allegation, citing McCabe's opinion that "Catholics are no worse, and no better, than others", and "I have not the least prejudice against the Catholic laity, which would be stupid." . [Cooke, Bill. A Rebel to his Last Breath. p.211]

McCabe was also active in organizations, although his biographers note that he had a difficult relationship with some of their leading figures, and consequently relations between McCabe and various groups could also be strained. From 1898–1899 he was secretary of the Leicester Secular Society, and he was a founding board member in 1899 of the Rationalist Press Association of Great Britain. [TSW] McCabe's freethought stance grew more militant as he got older, and he joined the National Secular Society in the year before he died.

Works

The 'Big Blue Books': (a selection of titles available online)
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_01.html The Vatican's Last Crime] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_02.html How the Pope Of Peace Traded In Blood] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_03.html How the Cross Courted The Swastika For Eight Years] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_04.html The Vatican Buries International Law] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_05.html Hitler Dupes The Vatican] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_06.html The War And Papal Intrigue] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_07.html The Pious Traitors Of Belgium And France] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_08.html The Pope And The Italian Jackal] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_09.html Atheist Russia Shakes The World] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_10.html Fascist Romanism Defies Civilization] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_11.html The Totalitarian Church Of Rome] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_12.html The Tyranny Of The Clerical Gestapo] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_13.html Rome Puts A Blight On Culture] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_14.html The Church The Enemy Of The Workers] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_15.html The Church Defies Modern Life] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_16.html The Holy Faith Of Romanists] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_17.html How the Faith Is Protected] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_18.html The Artistic Sterility Of The Church] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/big_blue_books/book_19.html The Fruits Of Romanism] "

Other Works:
* "Religion of Woman" (1905), with an introduction by Lady Florence Dixie [ [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Fdixie.htm Lady Florence Dixie] at spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk (accessed 8 March 2008)]
* "The Existence of God" (1913, 1933)
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/popes_and_church/ The Popes and Their Church] " (1918)
* "A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists" London: Watts & Co. (1920). See List of names in A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists
* " [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/mccabe02.htm The Human Origin of Morals] " (1926) [Little Blue Book No. 1061]
* "Christianity and Slavery" (1926) [Little Blue Book No. ?]
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/taxation_of_church.html Why I Believe In Fair Taxation Of Church Property] " (1930)
* "The True (Hi)Story of the Roman Catholic Church" (1930)
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/atheism_growing_stronger.html Is The Position Of Atheism Getting Stronger] " (1936)
* "A History of the Popes" (1939)
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/dictionary.html A Biographical Dictionary of Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Freethinkers] ". Girard, Kans: Haldeman-Julius, 1945. (Note that online sources often erroneously date this work to 1920, confusing it with his "Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists".)
* "A Rationalist Encyclopædia: A Book of Reference, On Religion, Philosophy, Ethics, and Science" (1948)
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/encyclopedia_crime.html The Columbia Encyclopedia's Crimes Against The Truth] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/lies_of_britannica.html Lies And Fallacies Of The Encyclopedia Britannica] " (originally published in 1935 as "The social record of Christianity; The lies and fallacies of the Encyclopedia Britannica:how powerful and shameless clerical forces castrated a famous work of reference" and in 1947 under the given title)
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/luther_burbank_speaks.html Luther Burbank Speaks Out] "
* " [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/mccabe01.htm The Psychology of Religion] " [Little Blue Book No. 446]
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/condemned_opinions.html Rome's Syllabus Of Condemned Opinions: The Last Blast Of The Catholic Church's Medieval Trumpet] "
* " [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/joseph_mccabe/religious_controversy/ The Story Of Religious Controversy] "
* [http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=1043 "The Story of Evolution"]

References

Bibliography

* Cooke, Bill (2001). "A rebel to his last breath: Joseph McCabe and Rationalism." Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-57392-878-X.

External links

*
* [http://library.pittstate.edu/spcoll/hj-lbb-4.html Checklist of the Little Blue Books] - lists little blue books including Joseph McCabe's, not listed in the "Works" section of this article.