"Why I Am Not A Christian"

"Introductory note: Russell delivered this lecture on March 6, 1927 to the National Secular Society, South London Branch, at Battersea Town Hall. Published in pamphlet form in that same year, the essay subsequently achieved new fame with Paul Edwards' edition of Russell's book, Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays." 1957. Final Remarks:

"What We Must Do" "We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world -- its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it. *The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men.

When you hear people in church debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptible and not worthy of self-respecting human beings. We ought to stand up and look the world frankly in the face. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all these ages.

A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and a free intelligence. *It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time toward a past that is dead, which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create." http://www.users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html

Romans 1:22, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkened unto counsel is wise.”

Proverbs 14:16, “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”

Proverbs 26:12, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him."

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby

Romans 1:22, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkened unto counsel is wise.”

Proverbs 14:16, “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”

Proverbs 26:12, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him."

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Originally posted by twhitehead

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"Harm: All cruelty springs from weakness." Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable." Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"Business, Wind, Sailing: The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity." Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"I don't consider myself bald, I'm just taller than my hair." Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]

Romans 1:22, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkened unto counsel is wise.”

Proverbs 14:16, “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”

Proverbs 26:12, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him."

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I love it when these very [b]general verses are applied to a specific issue. They do nothing at all to establish Russell's position as wise or foolish; they just invoke the authority of the Bible to condemn something that (in the poster's opinion, and no one else's!) is foolish.

They can be used in any situation, really.

Q: "What do you ...[text shortened]... e the Bible says, 'professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.'

Such a cheap tactic.[/b]

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
[b]I love it when these very general verses are applied to a specific issue.
No, you don't.
Otherwise, you wouldn't employ sarcasm to make the point.

Moreover, while the passages quoted are general in nature, they are specific in topic; namely, they address the situation of man's arrogance, specifically related to considering his own thinki ...[text shortened]... nal upbringing stunted a more normal upbringing thereby condemning him to a life of despondency.[/b]

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Hey, look, it's GB's bodyguard. 😵

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
SG, most everyone other than old ladies and decrepit codgers in nursing
homes will need an online 'bodyguard' or two at "DOGG's 2nd coming".

Originally posted by SwissGambit
You better believe it. 😀

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"Why I Am Not A Christian" by Bertrand Russell

[quote]"Introductory note: Russell delivered this lecture on March 6, 1927 to the National Secular Society, South London Branch, at Battersea Town Hall. Published in pamphlet form in that same year, the essay subsequently achieved new fame with Paul Edwards' edition of Russell's book, Why I Am Not ...[text shortened]... gence can create." Having rejected "the whole conception of God"... did Russell worship himself?[/b]

Originally posted by Suzianne
I'm sorry.

I can't really be bothered by most of what Bertrand Russell has to say.

Ditto Richard Dawkins.

Ditto Christopher Hitchens.

Originally posted by Suzianne
I'm sorry.

I can't really be bothered by most of what Bertrand Russell has to say.

Ditto Richard Dawkins.

Ditto Christopher Hitchens.