Category: Tributes to Tom Flynn

Thomas W. Flynn died suddenly August 23, 2021. Those who knew him personally and professionally were shocked and saddened. We had looked forward to many more years of his contributions, even though at the time of his death at age sixty-six he had accomplished much more than most people. Flynn was a scholar and a …

I do not remember when or under what circumstances I first met Tom Flynn, but I do know why we hit it off right away. Like me, Tom was devoted to reviving the public’s memory of Robert Green Ingersoll (1833–1899). He was the only person I knew who was as outraged as I was by …

Edward Tabash When we are steeped in promoting controversial ideas that shouldn’t be controversial in an educated society, it’s rare that a colleague comes along who is a true polymath. It’s so unusual to find someone with such a large repertoire of skills that we come to rely on such a person for literally everything. …

Tom Flynn’s The Trouble with Christmas was originally published in 1993 (Prometheus Books) and republished in 2011. The following excerpt initially appeared in the Fall 1993 issue of Free Inquiry. Flynn went on to present his arguments against atheists celebrating Christmas in lectures and media appearances. As associate editor of Free Inquiry and coeditor of …