Originally posted by Pianoman1
So far in 2014, for what it's worth, my books have been:
1). Bertrand Russell Why I am not a Christian - Interesting
2). Richard Dawkins The Greatest Show on Earth - The evidence for evolution (typical Dawkins wit and academic polemic)
3). Christopher Reid The Scattering - A book of poems written after his wife died of cancer (very moving)
4). The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok Preparatory to my visit in March
* “I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment.” -Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects
> Certainly an understandable conclusion if one disregards and/or dismisses the divine integrity character attributes of justice and righteousness as well immutability and respect for human volition: "everlasting punishment" is by choice.
* “There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ's moral character, and that is that He believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment...
... There are other things of less importance. There is the instance of the Gadarene swine where it certainly was not very kind to the pigs to put devils into them and make them rush down the hill to the sea. You must remember that He was omnipotent, and He could have made the devils simply go away; but he chooses to send them into the pigs.
Then there is the curious story of the fig-tree, which always rather puzzled me. You remember what happened about the fig-tree. 'He was hungry; and seeing a fig-tree afar off having leaves, He came if haply He might find anything thereon; and when He came to it He found nothing but leaves, for the time for figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it: "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever,"...and Peter... saith unto Him: "Master, behold the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away".' This is a very curious story, because it was not the right time of year for figs, and you really could not blame the tree. I cannot myself feel that either in matter of wisdom or in matter of virtue Christ stands quite as high as some other people known to history. I think I should put Buddha and Socrates above Him in those respects.” -Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects
> How interesting to discover that Russell had more than a passing acquaintance with both the Old and New Testaments in the thundering diction of the Authorized King James Translation; further, that he seems quite comfortable and at home with the voluntary capitalization of the second person pronoun in antecedent reference to the Person of Christ as "He". Respect?
* “I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive.”
-Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects
> What's not to love in an intellect's conversational style that cuts to the quick with "rot" in contrast to the almost wistful belief "and nothing of my ego will survive". Reminiscent of Rubenstein's "Let sonorities fade". A measure of honest doubt?
Pianoman1, thank you for listing your variations on a theme personal diet of books within the past twenty six days. I like it.
Books
20 Jan '14 14:41
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