Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition by Bertrand Russell | (PDF) Free Download

Description

While its tone is playful and frivolous, this book poses tough questions over the nature of religion and belief. Religion provides comfortable responses to the questions that have always beset humankind – why are we here, what is the point of being alive, how ought we to behave? Russell snatches that comfort away, leaving us instead with other, more troublesome alternatives: responsibility, autonomy, self-awareness. He tells us that the time to live is now, the place to live is here, and the way to be happy is to ensure others are happy.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐An influential thinker of our time. Very interesting analysis of religion. Integrated historical and philosophical approach

⭐Perhaps what is most interesting is the grievance lodged against Dr. Bertrand Russell, by those who we’re opposed to his appointment at the city College of New York. Ironically it is the same grievance lodged against Socrates: corruption of the youth.Bertrand Russell most certainly should be read and youth should be corrupted. For without this corruption we would all be prone to arguments that are otherwise logical and prone to the vicissitudes of emotion.

⭐The intro is so good. It explains the logical reasons why Christianity is overrated. It is one of the best books one can find

⭐One of the world’s brilliant minds of the 20th century with a fascinating view on religion and atheism. Not light reading but filled with very valuable and debatable ideas.

⭐Simply magnificent. Still highly actual and I have re-read it many times. Also makes for a great gift.

⭐Had the author of known that his position on Christianity was so far ahead of his time, I imagine he may of written more upon the subject. By addressing the theist position in terms of its meta-physical, philosophical and moral conponents, Russell makes a sobering and persuasive dissection of Christianity as it was in the early part of the century.Although the religion of the time of this writing is vastly different to contemporary Christian observance, the fundamentals have been largely retained – and this is where Russell lays his devastating blows. Though, he is not mean-spirited, not bitter or cynical, but merely rational.His thoughts on sexuality are included and are hugely progressive, and an included essay on the life of Thomas Paine is a fascinating addition to the collection. Paine’s unique life and brilliance is summarised concisely and with awe. This great thinker and writer was shamefully treated by the French and United States governments, and Paine’s thoughts on G. Washington are included in their cutting wittiness.This edition includes a detailed account of Russell’s appointment and removal from a position as Professor of Philosophy from the College of the City of New York. This insane trial was enacted on what seems completely trivial by today’s standards, but its implications at the time struck directly at Russell’s consitutional rights. This perversion of justice is detailed as a close to this short collection of mixed-topic essays.Thomas Paine once wrote: “I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.”Russell’s writings echo this courageous position brilliantly.

⭐Christianity or a belief in “God” has been doing so much harm to the world that one barely knows where to begin when discussing the issue. Of course this applies equally as well to all other religious faiths.The magnificent intellectual Bertrand Russell more than meets the task of unmasking superstitious nonsense such as a belief in God and an afterlife in this classic work, which should be required reading for all those who wake up early each Sunday and proudly trudge off to one or another house of worship. Free-thinkers should be rejoicing that over the last few decades church attendance has been in a steady decline. That these most successful cults in world history have suffering membership rates is cause for celebration.Russell points out that most people believe in God simply because they have been taught from infancy to do so. Moreover during troubling times a spiritual belief gives them the reassuring feeling of an older brother type of figure watching over them. It is emotional rather than scientific reasons that lead people to make this leap of faith. Often one wonders why these dutiful Christians hold “Jesus” in such high regard given some of his more sadistic views. Why I am Not a Christian is loaded with insightful quotes from Jesus demonstrating his more sadistic side such as everlasting punishment and turning family members against one another.Russell demolishes the well worn First-cause argument by logically reducing it to the question of ‘Who made God?’ He points out the leap of faith involved when someone believes in God. It is clearly a question that lies outside the realm of probable knowledge where there is as much a likelihood the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy exist as a God or afterlife. As the late Carl Sagan wrote: ‘extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.’ Russell goes on to discuss simple biological reasons for rejecting a belief in an afterlife. Since what constitutes a person is a series of experiences connected by memory, and the brain is rendered useless at death (obviously memory along with it), it is preposterous to assume a human survives death and enters a “heaven” or “hell.”During the first three centuries of the Christian era individuals were powerless to have an effect on the politico-economic environment under which they lived. Why I am Not a Christian accurately remarks that this is primarily why much of Christian doctrine is largely obsessed with making an individual perfect in an imperfect world and that the good life has little to do with external social conditions and everything to do with a warped view of inner personal piety (especially dealing with sexual matters). It should be noted that for centuries the church opposed the abolition of slavery. The only reason some contemporary Christians still do not adhere to some of their more outlandish tenets is due to the debt they owe to the generations of rationalists, humanists and free-thinkers who from the Renaissance to the present day have caused religionists to become embarrassed over some of their more ridiculous traditional beliefs. Russell mentions that cruelty in society has almost always ran in direct correlation with the amount of dogmatic religious belief. All one has to do is study the Inquisition and Puritan New England to realize the plethora of women burned as witches to come to this rather pragmatic conclusion.Perhaps one of Christianity’s most pernicious effects on the world is its war against knowledge. Because knowledge can be a force to bring about universal happiness – religion is a chief impediment to realizing this goal.Why I am Not a Christian is an absolutely outstanding work that some day may be more widely read. It is an obvious classic for intelligent people who adhere to a scientific outlook. Hopefully as the culture of the United States slowly evolves out of what can accurately be described as almost a pre-Enlightenment society, a great thinker of Russell’s stature will be given his proper due. In a nation where Pascal’s Wager keeps a large amount of religious worshipers in tow, and where a substantial percentage of the population has a literal belief in the “Devil,” it cannot happen soon enough.

⭐Here is an excellent set of essays indeed. However, I was disappointed to find that one essay ‘What I Believe’ (about 30 pages) was left out of this publication. I bought the book because the pages are falling out of my much older copy (Allen & Unwin, 1967) and I was particularly interested in this essay. Although the book purports to be a full reprint of a valuable modern classic, there is no mention of the omission. Perhaps if I buy another book from this publisher (Routledge) I will find the essay. Other recent publications include the essay. Look around before you buy.

⭐Brilliantly written and a great read

⭐As relevant today as when he wrote it

⭐A bit dated now in its language, but he puts the case so well for why he is(was) not a Christian; good examples in the essays of how ‘the establishment’ views anyone that threatens their cosy little world. A master of reason.

⭐Bit of a mish mash though thought provoking

⭐A whole variety of essays put together in this interesting book. Russells clear thinking is as some others have said ‘A breath of fresh air’. Never was it more so than in the transcript of the televised arguement of 1948 with Br. Copeland. I could barely understand what the erudite brother was talking about but Russell kept his calm and politely put him in his place on several occasions.Russell was a champion of womens rights during some fairly chauvanist years. I like many of his thoughts on this matter ie. Girls should not consider having children before the age of 20, people in their 20s should be free to go in and out of relationships without hangups as long as children are not involved, thereby learning what they really want and that money and intimate relationships should not be mixed. It all makes a lot of sense to me though of course this is contrary to much religious thinking where in many places women are virtually owned by men. What a shame BR is no longer around, what would he think of the present days? I hope he would be pleased that some progress is being made, in UK at least we live in a secular state where there is much freedom, people do not feel the need to marry unless they really want to and the likes of Brother Copeland with his convoluted though no doubt sincere thinking would be largely ignored.

Keywords

Free Download Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition in PDF format
Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition PDF Free Download
Download Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition 2020 PDF Free
Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition 2020 PDF Free Download
Download Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition PDF
Free Download Ebook Why I am not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (Routledge Classics) 2nd Edition