A more descriptive title for this book for today might be My Path from Christianity to a New Age Religion.
Ms. Besant had a well documented intellectual journey from evangelical Christianity to Victorian Atheism to Theosophy. Quoting from Wikipedia defining theosophy:
“Theosophy refers to systems of esoteric philosophy concerning, or investigation seeking direct knowledge of, presumed mysteries of being and nature, particularly concerning the nature of divinity.
Theosophy is considered a part of the broader field of esotericism, referring to hidden knowledge or wisdom that offers the individual enlightenment and salvation. The theosophist seeks to understand the mysteries of the universe and the bonds that unite the universe, humanity, and the divine. The goal of theosophy is to explore the origin of divinity and humanity, and the world. From investigation of those topics, theosophists try to discover a coherent description of the purpose and origin of the universe.”
Reading her book I was never convinced she was an atheist in the modern sense of the word, a rejection of belief in deities. What she was rejecting was Christianity, especially the Christianity as practiced by the Church of England. She had married a clergyman when she was young. As her intellectual development began and her beliefs changed the marriage fell apart and they were legally separated.
They book is a printing of lectures that she gave on the Secularism. So that you could follow her intellectual evolution she ordered them in the same order as they occurred in her lecturing around England.
What drew me to this book was that her path to “atheism” was similar to my path. However, she is much my intellectual better, and certainly her writings/lectures are to be admired.
As an aside, I actually refer to myself as an agnostic because militant Atheist bother me as much as evangelical Christians.
I made the “mistake” of re-reading the Bible as an adult. If the book is read with a critical eye it falls apart in so many ways. It is rift with inconsistencies. It is a violent, bloody book. The god depicted in the Old Testament is not something to be admired, and certainly not something to be worshiped. Ms. Besant detailed these issues in several of her lectures. A quote from the preface to her book addresses this:
“Most inquirers who begin to study by themselves, before they have read any heretical works, or heard any heretical controversies, will have been awakened to thought by the discrepancies and inconsistencies of the Bible itself. A thorough knowledge of the Bible is the groundwork of heresy. Many who think they read their Bibles never read them at all. They go through a chapter every day as a matter of duty, and forget what is said in Matthew before they read what is said in John; hence they never mark the contradictions and never see the discrepancies. But those who study the Bible are in a fair way to become heretics. It was the careful compilation of a harmony of the last chapters of the four Gospels—a harmony intended for devotional use—that gave the first blow to my own faith; although I put the doubt away and refused even to look at the question again, yet the effect remained—the tiny seed, which was slowly to germinate and to grow up, later, into the full-blown flower of Atheism.”
Something else that drove me into disbelief was fire and brimstone aka hell. It is truly inconceivable to me that a god would create a creature such as we humans then condemn seemingly the vast majority to burn for infinity. Her chapter, On Eternal Torture, agreed with my attitude developed early in my life. Another quote:
The belief in hell fosters religious pride and hatred, for all religious people think that they themselves at least are sure of heaven. If then they are going to rejoice through all eternity over the sufferings of the lost, why should they treat them with kindness or consideration here?
I have long believed that people should be allowed to die with dignity if their quality of life was gone. Her chapter, Euthanasia, is one of the best arguments on this subject I have read.
Another of my long held belief is that religion is really about controlling the populace. As long as people believe that there is a better world coming after they die, they will accept almost any injustice in this life. I have long contended that if people did not believe in such balderdash, they would be more motivated to make the here and now a better place. They would be less inclined to accept the status quo. She has several chapters that deal with this.
Having attended several varieties of Christian services I have seen several forms of the Communion. When it was presented to me that the crackers and wine/juice transubstantiated into the actual body and blood of Christ, I was dumbfounded. It was beyond incredulity to me that anyone could believe such a thing. She covers this subject in her chapter, The Communion Service.
There are several other topics covered, but hopefully this is enough to get you interested in this book.
I try to read both in my basic philosophical structure as well as out of it. This book hit all the highpoints of why I am not a Christian in a well thought out way. If one is going to be religious, it would be better to do so in a thoughtful manner. Blind acceptance of dogma is a scary, scary way to operate. When I begin to question things I studied other religions. When you turn that same critical thinking back on Christianity, it does not hold up any better than other religion. Whether you are a Christian or not this book will give you a new perspective on the religion.
This book is in the public domain and can be downloaded for free.
Audio book from LibriVox.org : My Path to Atheism
e-Book from Gutenberg.org : Annie Besant