The British Secular Union was a

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

organisation, founded in August 1877, primarily as a response to what its founders regarded as the "dictatorial" powers of

Charles Bradlaugh Charles Bradlaugh (; 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was an English political activist and atheist. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866, 15 years after George Holyoake had coined the term "secularism" in 1851. In 1880, Bradl ...

as President of the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. It was ...

. The founding members were Kate Watts,

Harriet Law Harriet Teresa Law (née Frost, 5 November 1831 – 19 July 1897) was a leading British freethinker in 19th-century London. The daughter of a small farmer, she was raised as a "Strict Baptist" but later converted to atheism. She became a salarie ...

George William Foote George William Foote (11 January 1850 – 17 October 1915) was an English secularist, freethinker, republican, writer and journal editor. Early life George William Foote was born in Plymouth, the son of William Thomas Foot (a customs officer) ...

and Josiah Grimson;

George Holyoake George Jacob Holyoake (13 April 1817 – 22 January 1906) was an English secularist, co-operator and newspaper editor. He coined the terms secularism in 1851 and " jingoism" in 1878. He edited a secularist paper, the ''Reasoner'', from 1846 to J ...

had accepted the nomination of Vice President of the National Secular Society so only gave support for the formation.Edward Royle, ''Radicals, Secularists, and Republicans: Popular Freethought in Britain, 1866-1915'', Manchester University Press, 1980, p.18. The group adopted the '' Secular Review'' as their official paper. The British Secular Union had broadly the same goals as the National Secular Society but distanced themselves from Bradlaugh's style, especially when it came to the ''Knowlton Pamphlet'', which advocated birth control.Edward Royle, ''Radicals, Secularists, and Republicans: Popular Freethought in Britain, 1866-1915'', Manchester University Press, 1980, p.20. Even though Charles Watts owned the rights to the Knowlton pamphlet (and had no intention of publishing it), Charles Bradlaugh and Annie Besant broke with Watts and published the pamphlet anyway, subsequently facing prosecution.Edward Royle, ''The Infidel Tradition from Paine to Bradlaugh'', MacMilian Press Ltd, 1976, p.68. The issue of birth control was a contentious one within the secular movement. Bradlaugh managed to steer opinion away from the birth control element and instead made secularism a freedom of speech issue.Edward Royle, ''The Infidel Tradition from Paine to Bradlaugh'', MacMilian Press Ltd, 1976, p.68. Like other secular societies, the British Secular Union opened its membership to women.Laura Schwartz, ''Infidel Feminism: Secularism, Religion and Women's Emancipation 1830-1914'', Manchester University Press, 2013, p.42. Aside from membership, women were also able to lecture and run for executive positions.Laura Schwartz, ''Infidel Feminism: Secularism, Religion and Women's Emancipation 1830-1914'', Manchester University Press, 2013, p.42. While the British Secular Union did not have as many members as the NSS, it had strong regional representation with the largest regional secular group, the

Leicester Secular Society Leicester Secular Society is the world's oldest Secular Society. It meets at its headquarters, the Leicester Secular Hall in the centre of Leicester, England, at 75 Humberstone Gate. Founding Founded in 1851, the society is the oldest surviving ...

, joining the union.David Nash, ''Secularism, Art and Freedom'', Leicester University Press, 1992, p.38.

References

{{reflist Skeptic organisations in the United Kingdom 1877 establishments in the United Kingdom