Is Spiritualism Based on Fraud? The Evidence Given by Sir A.C. Doyle and Others Drastically Examined

"Is Spiritualism Based on Fraud?" by Joseph McCabe is a critical examination of the claims of Spiritualism, written in the early 20th century. The book primarily focuses on analyzing various phenomena associated with Spiritualism, including mediums, materializations, and the alleged communications with the dead. McCabe argues against the validity of these practices, emphasizing the overwhelming evidence of fraud that underpins the movement. The opening of the work introduces the context of a debate between McCabe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle regarding Spiritualism, setting the stage for McCabe's critique. In the preface, McCabe outlines his experience debating Doyle's claims and expresses his intent to dissect the practices of Spiritualism, touching on the role of mediums and the infamous raps and materializations associated with them. He highlights that many well-known mediums have been exposed for fraud, often preying on the bereaved, and insists that the persistence of these fraudulent practices calls into question the legitimacy of Spiritualism as a whole. The contentious nature of the debate reflects the broader societal tensions regarding belief in the supernatural and the pursuit of truth. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Joseph Martin McCabe was an English writer and speaker on freethought, after having been a Roman Catholic priest earlier in his life. He was "one of the great mouthpieces of freethought in England". Becoming a critic of the Catholic Church, McCabe joined groups such as the Rationalist Association and the National Secular Society. He criticised Christianity from a rationalist perspective, but also was involved in the South Place Ethical Society which grew out of dissenting Protestantism and was a precursor of modern secular humanism.