William George
''Prisoner for Blasphemy'' is a book written by William George, a British journalist and author. The book is a biographical account of the life and trial of Charles Bradlaugh, a prominent atheist and political activist in Victorian England. Bradlaugh was charged with blasphemy for publishing a pamphlet that criticized the Bible and denied the existence of God. Despite his defense that he had a right to express his beliefs, Bradlaugh was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison. The book provides a detailed examination of the trial, the political and social context in which it took place, and the impact it had on the debate over freedom of speech and religious tolerance in England. It is considered a landmark work in the history of free speech and civil liberties.It is a curious thing that such a fervid champion of religion should always attack unbelievers with private circulars. Yet this is the policy that Henry Varley has always pursued. He is a religious bravo, who lurks in the dark, and strikes at Freethinkers with a poisoned dagger. More than once he has flooded Northampton with the foulest libels on Mr. Bradlaugh, invariably issued without the printer’s name, in open violation of the law. He is liable for a fine of five pounds for every copy circulated, but the action must be initiated by the Attorney-General, and our Christian Government refuses to punish when the offence is committed by one of their own creed, and the sufferer is only an Atheist.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
