''Free Inquiry'' is a bimonthly journal of secular humanist opinion and commentary published by the Council for Secular Humanism, a program of the Center for Inquiry. Philosopher Paul Kurtz was the editor-in-chief from its inception in 1980 until stepping down in 2010; he was succeeded by Tom Flynn, the current editor. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics from a freethinking perspective. Common themes are separation of church and state, science and religion, dissemination of freethought, and applied philosophy. Regular contributors include well-known scholars in the fields of science and philosophy.

Controversy

In Free Inquiry's April–May 2006 issue, the magazine published four of the cartoons that had originally appeared in the Danish newspaper ''Jyllands-Posten'' and that had sparked violent worldwide Muslim protests. Kurtz, editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry said, "What is at stake is the precious right of freedom of expression". The Borders Group refused to carry this issue in their Borders and Waldenbooks stores because of the cartoons. The reason given by Borders for their decision was not sensitivity to religion but fear of violence. The story made national and international news and the implications of this self-censorship were widely discussed, including by CBS News, ''The Washington Post'', and ''The New York Times''. The "blogosphere" widely condemned the decision of Borders to ban the magazine and columnist Christopher Hitchens lamented the action in an article.

Columnists

Regular columnists include: *Ophelia Benson – Author and blogger *Russell Blackford – Author and philosopher *Greta Christina - Author and blogger *Shadia Drury – Professor of Philosophy and Political Science *Tibor Machan – Professor of Philosophy *Mark Rubinstein – Economist *Faisal Saeed Al Mutar – Commentator and social critic

Editorial Board

*Editor in Chief: Paul Kurtz (until May 2010) *Editor: Thomas Flynn *Managing Editor: Nicole Scott *Assistant Editor: Julia Lavarnway *Senior Editors: Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Ed Doerr, James Haught, Jim Herrick, Ronald A. Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin

References



External links

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Dogma Free America podcast interview with Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry
{{Skeptical magazines Category:Bimonthly magazines published in the United States Category:Political magazines published in the United States Category:Freethought in the United States Category:Magazines established in 1980 Category:Secular humanism Category:Scientific skepticism mass media Category:Magazines published in New York (state)