Rev. Leon Milton Birkhead (April 28, 1885– Dec. 1, 1954) was an American
Unitarian minister who founded the Friends of Democracy in 1937 "after two trips to Germany had caused him alarm over the growth of the Nazi movement and what he believed to be its associations in the United States." He opposed
Nazi sympathizers in America in the 1930s. He was in dispute with
Gerald Burton Winrod
Gerald Burton Winrod (March 7, 1900 – November 11, 1957) was an American antisemitic evangelist, author, and political activist. He was charged with sedition during World War II, charges were later dropped.
Biography
He was born on March 7, ...
from the 1920s. As the author of ''The Religion of Free Man'' (1929) he suggested dropping "God out of consideration," and represented the
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humani ...
rather than
theist
Theism is broadly defined as the belief in the existence of a supreme being or deities. In common parlance, or when contrasted with ''deism'', the term often describes the classical conception of God that is found in monotheism (also referred to ...
wing of the modern Unitarian church.
[Man the measure: an essay on humanism as religion Arthur Hazard Dakin - 1939 "been powerful enough to threaten a rift between theists and non-theists in American Unitarianism. 18 Humanist centers ... Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Mo.; LM Birkhead, minister; 1185 nominal members, ..."]
For additional information see "Leon Milton Birkhead" by Jim Grebe in the ''Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography.'' https://www.uudb.org/birkhead-leon-milton/
References
1885 births
1954 deaths
American Unitarians
American anti-fascists
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