Russell's teapot

Russell's teapot ( teapot of Engl. Russell's ) is a religion parody in the form of a analogism. It goes back to an essay by the mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1952.

Specifically, this analogy is again that it is not a matter of science is to disprove God, but to prove the religion, God.

Origin

" If I were to suggest did in between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in elliptical orbit at, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion Provided I were careful to add did the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion can not be disproved, it is an intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I shoulderstand Rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, HOWEVER, the existence of a teapot were affirmed examined in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in to enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in to Earlier time. "

"If I would argue that there is a porcelain teapot give between Earth and Mars, which circles in an elliptical orbit around the sun, so no one would be able to disprove my assertion provided I would add a precaution that this pot is too small, to be discovered even by our most powerful telescopes can. But if I now also insisted on the position to doubt my irrefutable assertion was an intolerable presumption of human reason, then you could feel rightly so, I would tell nonsense. However, in ancient books, the existence of such a teapot would affirmed this would taught every Sunday as a holy truth and instilled into the minds of children at school, then doubting its existence, a sign of eccentricity would be. It would bring the skeptic in an enlightened age the attention of a psychiatrist or an Inquisitor in earlier times. "

Reception

Richard Dawkins took in relation to Russell's Teapot position as follows:

" The reason organized religion merits outright hostility is that religion, unlike belief in Russell's teapot, is powerful, influential and tax-exempt and systematically passed on to children who are too young to defend themselves against it. Children are not forced to spend their formative years trying to learn crazy books about teapots heart. Publicly-funded schools include children from the classroom whose parents prefer the wrong appearance of the teapot. Teapots - believers no stone teapot unbelievers, teapot - apostates, teapot - heretics and teapot - blasphemers to death. Mothers warn their sons not about to marry teapot floozies whose parents believe in three teapots rather than a. People who pour their milk first, do not shoot those first pour the tea away patellae. "