Free Inquiry

Given this, it is not surprising to say that the main focus of the magazine is on secular humanism issues and ideas. However, every issue has articles that really do apply to a much wider audience. They cover such general topics such as church-state separation, ethics and issues faced by any religious minority. I'm not surprised to find people referring to back issues for articles on various Supreme Court decisions or discrimination issues.

The magazine's editor is Paul Kurtz, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo and founder of Prometheus Books. With this kind of influence, I have always found the articles to be well written and logical. They also run the gambit from complex philosophical treaties to humorous op-ed essays.


The antidote to the irrationality that is religion   May 10, 2005
Kelly Garbato (Kearney, MO USA)
27 out of 28 found this review helpful

Produced by the Council for Secular Humanism, Free Inquiry's mission statement is "to promote and nurture the good life - life guided by reason and science, freed from the dogmas of god and state, inspired by compassion for fellow humans, and driven by the ideals of human freedom, happiness, and understanding."

Common topics include secular humanism, atheism, church-state issues, and the rights of religious minorities. A sampling of articles from their most recent issue (February/March 2005) is illustrative of their objective; stories include "Fundamentalist Power in America" (by James A. Haught), "Crime and Causality: Do Killers Deserve to Die?" (Thomas W. Clark), "Law Reform, or DIY Suicide" (Peter Singer); and Jihad in the Netherlands (courtesy of the brilliant and ballsy Christopher Hitchens). They post some of each issue's offerings on their web site, so be sure to check it out.

However, it's well worth the price to spring for a subscription, freebies or not. The articles are consistently well-written and thought-provoking, the topical selection varied yet absorbing. I usually read each new issue cover-to-cover within a week of arrival in my mailbox. Nor do old issues grow stale; it's the kind of magazine you can return to time and again. Hubby and I still have copies from the early `90s that we peruse on occasion!

If you want scholarly yet understandable discourse, sound logic, and in-depth research, Free Inquiry is the magazine for you! It's an excellent change of pace from some of the fluff that passes for news nowadays. Another outstanding option is Skeptical Inquirer, from the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). Skeptical Inquirer is quite similar to Free Inquiry (indeed, it's published by the same company and many of the contributors pull double duty), but with a narrower focus (it tends to focus on aliens, faith healers, miracles, and other "supernatural" nonsense).

Also, if you enjoy the magazine, you might also like their "Web Columns"; go to their web site for more details!

- Kelly Garbato

Lifelong skeptic and atheist


Humanistic Answers To Big Questions   June 20, 2004
Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

FREE INQUIRY is published bimonthly by the Council for Secular Humanism. Sample article titles in the current issue (June/July 2004) are "The Religiosity of George W. Bush" and "From Regenerative Medicine to Human Design." Contributors include Christopher Hitchens, author and columnist, and Robert Price, a member of the Jesus Seminar. Other familiar names of secular humanists mentioned in the magazine are Edward O. Wilson, the late Sir Peter Ustinov, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. and Gore Vidal.

The tone of a few of the articles can occasionally be quite strident in the style of a fundamentalist preacher. In these rare instances FREE INQUIRY reads like a journal for a rigid nontheistic religion. Fortunately this does not happen too often.On the inside of the front cover is a list of twenty-one humanistic principles endorsed by the Council for Secular Humanism. I am definitely not a secular humanist but I do believe in reading alternative viewpoints especially when they address several of the most important issues of the day.


A breath of fresh air   January 9, 2004
Lee Tasey (U.S.A.)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

With religious fundamentalism on the rise, Free Inquiry is a breath of fresh air. Free Inquiry offers a secular viewpoint on the social issues of our time. Creation science, prayer in schools, euthanasia, abortion and reigious studies--all these issues and more are covered in this wonderful little mag.

Subscribe to Free Inquiry. I subscribe to several magazines and always look forward to getting this one the most.

Also recommended: The Gospel of Arnie


An intellectual's publication   May 5, 2005
Keen Anthony (Scottsdale, AZ)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Intelligent, insightful, and often witty. This is a great publication for those interested in thoughtful discussions of socio-political philosophy, as well as for those who want to learn more about secular humanism, humanist morality, and the often political nature of religion in American society and beyond.

Each article is presented as a treatise, and is written with a very engaging and thought-provoking style by columnists, scholars, and philosophers for an audience that the "Letters" section would indicate are also intellectuals.

While Free Inquiry is focused on issues of secular humanism, atheism, church-state separation, and issues affecting the rights of religious minorities; the magazine does not resort to childish name-calling, nor does does it serve as a mouthpiece for any one political party as so many popular publications are apt to do.