Letter: Marxism and Methodism

Nicolas Walter
Saturday 30 July 1994 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

ALAN Watkins's superficial survey of Christian Socialism in Britain managed not to mention its main founders, such as F D Maurice and Charles Kingsley, or its main representatives in the Labour leadership, such as Keir Hardie and George Lansbury. It also failed to offer any balancing consideration of the equally significant opposite tradition of secular socialism, including such leading figures as Thomas Paine, William Morris, Bernard Shaw, H G Wells, George Orwell, Michael Foot and so on. The Labour Party may well owe more to Methodism (and High Anglicanism) than to Marxism, but it also owes much to the Secular and Ethical Societies and the whole free-thought movement.

Nicolas Walter

Humanist Centre

London WC1

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in