MY PATH TO ATHEISM

By Annie Besant

[Third Edition]

London:

Freethought Publishing Company,
63, Fleet Street, E.C.

1885.

TO

THOMAS SCOTT,

WHOSE NAME IS HONORED AND REVERED WHEREVER

FREETHOUGHT HAS—

WHOSE WIDE HEART AND GENEROUS KINDNESS WELCOME

ALL FORMS OF THOUGHT, PROVIDED THE THOUGHT

BE EARNEST AND HONEST;

WHO KNOWS NO ORTHODOXY SAVE THAT OF HONESTY, AND

NO RELIGION SAVE THAT OF GOODNESS;

TO WHOM I OWE MOST GRATEFUL THANKS,

AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST OF MY FREETHOUGHT FRIENDS,

AND AS THE FIRST WHO AIDED ME IN MY NEED;—

TO HIM

I DEDICATE THESE PAGES,

KNOWING THAT, ALTHOUGH WE OFTEN DIFFER IN OUR

THOUGHT,

WE ARE ONE

IN OUR DESIRE FOR TRUTH.

ANNIE BESANT.

CONTENTS

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.

ON THE DEITY OF JESUS OF NAZARETH

A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FOURTH GOSPEL AND THE THREE SYNOPTICS

ON THE ATONEMENT.

ON THE MEDIATION AND SALVATION OF ECCLESIASTICAL CHRISTIANITY.

ON ETERNAL TORTURE.

ON INSPIRATION

ON THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

NATURAL RELIGION VERSUS REVEALED RELIGION.

ON THE NATURE AND THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.

EUTHANASIA.

ON PRAYER.

CONSTRUCTIVE RATIONALISM.

THE BEAUTIES OF THE PRAYER-BOOK.

MORNING PRAYER.

EVENING PRAYER.

THE LITANY.

PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

THE COMMUNION SERVICE.

THE BAPTISMAL OFFICES.

THE ORDER OF CONFIRMATION.

THE FORM OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY.

THE ORDER FOR THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.

THE ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.

A COMMINATION OR DENOUNCING OF GOD'S ANGER AND JUDGMENTS AGAINST

FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA.

THE FORM AND MANNER OF MAKING, ORDAINING, AND CONSECRATING OF BISHOPS,

THE ARTICLES.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CATECHISM

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.

The Essays which form the present book have been written at intervals during the last five years, and are now issued in a single volume without alterations of any kind. I have thought it more useful—as marking the gradual growth of thought—to reprint them as they were originally published, so as not to allow the later development to mould the earlier forms. The essay on "Inspiration" is, in part, the oldest of all; it was partially composed some seven years ago, and re-written later as it now stands.

The first essay on the "Deity of Jesus of Nazareth" was written just before I left the Church of England, and marks the point where I broke finally with Christianity. I thought then, and think still, that to cling to the name of Christian