Why I Am Not a Christian
Why I Am Not a Christian (Original Title: Why I Am Not a Christian ) is an essay by the British philosopher, mathematician and Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell.
The text is based on a lecture, the Russell 1927 held in the city hall of Battersea under the auspices of the National Secular Society. He was released the same year as the essay. 1932 was first published in a German translation, published by Circle of Friends monistic Literature in Dresden. 1957 was Paul Edwards the English text, added some essays by Russell on the same subject and one appendix The Bertrand Russell Case ( on the problems that arose Russell for his advocacy of the rights of homosexuals in the United States when he early 1940 wanted to teach years there), newly out as a book. This expanded version was published in 1963 in Munich Szczesny -Verlag and 1968 in numerous high reprints Rowohlt.
Content
Russell analyzed in a first part, first a series of proofs of God, such as the argument of the First Cause, the teleological proof of God and moral existence of several arguments. It assesses these arguments to be logically compelling and even as the idea of God's omnipotence or omniscience contradictory.
In a second part, he studied Christian theology and comments on the practice of Christian churches. Jesus he calls a good one, but not very good people, as he had those who did not follow him repeatedly threatened with hell and eternal damnation. His belief in the imminent end of the previous world be with wisdom and omniscience probably not compatible
Making the everyday life of the Christians neglected or actionable moral laws of the New Testament and the within and between societies of the churches do not or hardly reduced, but rather sponsored violence for him the churches to the main enemy ( "principal enemy" ) of moral progress.
Conclusion
Russell sees the fear as the basis of religion and associated conflicts. He hopes that religion is overcome by science and man creates with the power of his intelligence a better world.
"Religion is based primarily and mainly upon fear. Part of it is the fear of the unknown and partly, as I said, to feel the desire that you have a kind of big brother who will stand by one in all the difficulties and struggles. Fear is the basis of the whole - fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder that cruelty and religion go hand in hand because both arise from the fear. [ ... ] A good world needs knowledge, kindness and courage, she does not need a painful longing for the past, no fettering of the free intelligence by the words that were spoken long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook on the future and a free intelligence. "
References
Following Russell traces the Australian philosopher John Leslie Mackie has the justifications for the existence of God brought together a far larger scale and comes after its detailed analysis also to the conclusion that there was no rational reason to believe in the existence of the Christian God. ( JLMackie: The Miracle of Theism, Reclam Stuttgart, 2013, p 402)
The occurring under the pseudonym Ibn Warraq critics of Islam published in 1995 in Why I Am Not a Muslim a polemic.
The American writer Philip Roth cites in his 2008 novel, Indignation (German indignation ) detail of Russell's lecture.
The German philosophy historian Kurt Flasch published in 2013 his rejection of Christianity under the almost same title Why I am not a Christian. Report and reasoning
Expenditure
- Bertrand Russell: Why I am not a Christian. Edited by Paul Edwards. George Allen & Unwin, London 1957, OCLC 460,035,794th Reprint with a new introduction by Simon Blackburn: Routledge, London / New York 2004, ISBN 0-415-32510-2.