THERE’S a surprise entry on the shortlist of a poll to decide “who will be crowned 2007’s most scurrilous enemy of reason”.
The “Bad Faith” poll is being conducted by the excellent New Humanist via its website. There’ve been months of nominations, but now the shortlist has gone up, and it contains several rather predictable suspects, including the odd bishop, priest and cardinal, an army chief and a pope – well, the Pope, actually, Joseph Nazinger, a bookies’ favourite if ever there was one.
But the surprise entry is . . .
Well, you’d better look at the site yourself – and cast a vote while you’re there. (Clue: the mystery contender is an academic and never far from the thoughts of freethinkers.) The New Humanist reader who put that particular name forward is being branded a heretic – no doubt in the best possible taste.
The winner of the poll will be announced in January. We hope to bring you the result here, too.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
December 9th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
That’s interesting. Why should [name deleted] be considered an enemy of reason? I would consider him/her one of reason’s greatest advocates in an age of unreason.