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In Memoriam Tom Flynn

Tom Flynn, the long-time editor of Free Inquiry, died unexpectedly on August 23, 2021, at the age of 66, a great loss to the world of humanism and freethought.

Tom Flynn, the long-time editor of Free Inquiry, died unexpectedly on August 23, 2021, at the age of 66, a great loss to the world of humanism and freethought.

Remembering Tom Flynn

Tom Flynn is in the back row, sixth from right; Paul Pfalzner is seventh from right.

Tom Flynn is in the back row, sixth from right, wearing a pink shirt.

Tom Flynn was an institution – the “beating heart of the Center for Inquiry and indeed the wider freethought movement,” as the Center for Inquiry where he worked for decades put it in their tribute. One of the senior editors of Free Inquiry for many years, he became THE Editor in 2000 (although Center for Inquiry founder Paul Kurtz remained Editor-in-Chief until mid-2010). I met Tom in person only a few times, unsurprisingly at humanist meetings, including one at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, New York.

But over the years I communicated with him by email on several occasions.  I held him in very high esteem – and not only because he shared two of my major concerns: the stupendous growth of the human population in the 20th century and beyond, and the threat presented by Islam to Western civilization and the freedoms we hold dear (or at least claim to). Of course, I was pleased when Tom on two occasions republished my articles in Free Inquiry, one on Malthus and one on Islam.

Tom himself often wrote about population-related issues, and his last two editorials were titled “Will World Population Drop Far Enough, Fast Enough?” and “Is Collapse Imminent?” (The latter was published posthumously in the October/November issue of FI.) But Tom’s interests and knowledge covered a wide range of topics. He inveighed against feelgood rituals among secularists (Why Seculars Don’t Sing, April/May 2012), he took on the ideological left (The Left Is Not Always Right, October/November 2013), and he argued about the definition of atheism (What Doesn’t Atheism Mean?, August/September 2016), and much else.

Tom was a relentless promotor of secularism, and even opposed telling children about Santa Claus.

Tom was a relentless promotor of secularism, and even opposed telling children about Santa Claus. (I confess that Santa brought presents when my kids were young.) Tom seemed to have an unending well of energy when it came to his advocacy or freethought – through writing, speaking, and doing. Aside from editing Free Inquiry, he was the director of the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum in Dresden, NY, and the Freethought Trail, a collection of 185 historically significant sites for freethought in New York state. His passing is a great loss not only for the Center for Inquiry, but for the humanism in general. 

~Madeline Weld

A TRIBUTE TO Tom Flynn

I extend my sincere condolences to Sue, and all of Tom’s relatives, friends, and colleagues.

In the early 1980s, I discovered Paul Kurtz and then Tom Flynn (and other fine people in Amherst), shortly thereafter.

Tom inspired us and helped us build the Humanist Association of Canada (now Humanist Canada), regional Canadian humanist associations and Centre for Inquiry Canada, by attending our conferences, giving lectures, and providing strategic guidance for over thirty years. Canadian friends who had met Tom will always say with pride that they had met him and usually add, He is a great guy. Incredible.

When I read Tom’s writings, over the decades, whether it was in Secular Humanist Bulletin or Free Inquiry, or heard him speak, I felt he was expressing my thoughts and opinions…only more eloquently. I learned much from Tom and he influenced me profoundly.

It was a true pleasure having Tom stay with us in our home, when he came to give public lectures sponsored by Humanist Ottawa. While descending the stairs, heading to do some work in my den, located in the basement, he would mumble, something to the effect that he didn’t mind working in the basement, since, after all, he was a troglodyte.

Tom Flynn’s contributions are enormous, and he leaves an astonishing legacy. Losing Tom is extremely sad and a great loss.

I am grateful that he continually reminded everyone that the road we are on is not sustainable and that we must confront population growth, as our ever-increasing population continues to push our ecosystems toward calamity.

When I first met Tom, there were about 4.8 billion people on Earth, and as of last week, we have added more than three billion to our dismally overpopulated Pale Blue Dot.

I think it is appropriate that Tom dealt with this subject in his last Op-Ed (Free Inquiry, Aug/Sept 2021). He urged us (again!) to confront the problem of overpopulation and find solutions as soon as possible, as time is running out. His final sentence in the Op-Ed: Wish us luck.

Tom Flynn’s contributions are enormous, and he leaves an astonishing legacy. Losing Tom is extremely sad and a great loss.

We now must face the reality of trying to overcome humanity’s challenges, in our troubled world — a world without this rational, wise, witty, compassionate curmudgeon — a world without our friend, teacher, and inspiration, Tom Flynn.  Wish us luck, indeed. 

~Richard GL Thain