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=                      Why_I_Am_Not_a_Christian                      =
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                            Introduction
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"Why I Am Not a Christian" is an essay by the British philosopher
Bertrand Russell. Originally a talk given on 6 March 1927 at Battersea
Town Hall, under the auspices of the South London Branch of the
National Secular Society, it was published that year as a pamphlet and
has been republished several times in English and in translation.


                              Contents
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Russell questions the morality of religion, which is, in his view,
predominantly based on fear.

Russell opens by defining the term 'Christian', rejecting overly broad
definitions in favour of two minimal beliefs: that God exists, and
that Christ is a supreme moral role-model. He then sets out his
reasons for rejecting both of these beliefs, and hence for not
labelling himself a Christian.

Russell argues that, although people are usually Christian for
emotional reasons or due to their upbringing, it is Catholic dogma
that belief in God can be defended by reason alone. Russell then
proceeds to attack the main arguments of this kind. The first cause
argument is rejected on the grounds that God may not be the first
cause or that there may be no first cause at all. The natural law
argument is rejected on the grounds that quantum physics produces a
probabilistic rather than law-like picture, that the laws are just
human descriptions of reality rather than prescriptions (like law in
the ordinary sense), and that there is no satisfactory account of
God's role as law-giver even if there are such laws. The design
argument is rejected on the grounds of evolution and the problem of
evil. The moral argument is rejected on the grounds of the Euthyphro
dilemma, and a modified version based on the remedying of injustice
the non-existence of perfect justice (due to the improbability of an
afterlife or similar).

Russell then moves on to Christ, and argues that although some of his
teachings are praiseworthy, the balance is such that he is not the
supreme moral role-model (in comparison to Socrates or Buddha).
Russell expresses doubt in the historicity of Jesus, but suggests that
even if the account in the Gospels is accepted in its entirety then
Christ is still not worthy of worship. Russell highlights Christ's
teachings on turning the other cheek and helping the poor as examples
of the praiseworthy kind, but suggests that these are ironically those
least often followed by Christians. Russell then cites chiefly
Christ's frequent invocations of Hell (but also the stories of the
Gadarene swine and the fig-tree) as examples of those teachings that
suggest imperfection in both kindness and wisdom.

Russell closes by suggesting that religion is the chief obstacle to
moral progress, and an appeal to replace it with science (which can
dispel the fear that Russell suggests is the chief cause of all
religion) and the moral aim to make the world in which we live a
better place.


                              History
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The first German edition was published in 1932 by 'Kreis der Freunde
monistischen Schrifttums', a monist association in Dresden inspired by
Ernst Haeckel. In 1957, Paul Edwards preferred Russell over the then
more fashionable Ludwig Wittgenstein and published the essay and
further texts referring to the background of 'The Bertrand Russell
Case'. Russell had been denied a professorship in New York for his
political and secular views, tolerance for gay and lesbian behaviour,
and support of eugenics, particularly directed towards sterilizing
"feeble-minded women". Some countries banned the book, including South
Africa. The enhanced version has been republished in various editions
since the 1960s. The New York Public Library listed it among the most
influential books of the 20th century.


                           External links
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* [http://users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html Text of essay] at the
Bertrand Russell Society website
* [http://xahlee.org/wordy/p/why_not_christian.html Annotated text]


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