Bertrand Russell Why I Am Not A Christian Summary

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The subject I am writing about pertains to the essay written by Bertrand Russell titled, "Why I Am Not A Christian". This is my response to the views expressed in the essay in question.
What is a Christian? I would first like to express that Mr. Russell is true in saying that the word "Christian" is used and applied in a more relaxed way than it was in previous centuries. Sadly, that is where my agreement with Russell ends. The entire argument of this paper is built upon Mr. Russell's own definition of Christianity. He says that to be a Christian (according to his terms) you have to believe in God and immortality and have some type of belief in Jesus. The issue I have with this statement is that Christianity is not marked by having "some kind of belief in Christ". First, the wording of Mr. Russell's statement is not ideal because even if you do not belief Christ exists that is still a belief about Christ. Secondly, I would argue that to be a Christian you must agree fully with the contents of the Bible. That agreement includes understanding who Jesus blatantly professes to be- God in the flesh. If Jesus is was just a man, Christianity has no meaning behind it. If you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, than you cannot believe the rest of the Bible, and if you do not believe in the rest of the Bible, you consequently do …show more content…

All people are wicked, not just those who are not Christians (refer to Romans 3:23). I think the question that must be asked when examining the accusations Mr. Russell makes against Christianity is whether those who profess Christ yet do not follow His teachings are actual Christians. Like previously stated, if I claimed to be an atheist yet also believed in God, my stance would be illogical. The same applies to those who use the Bible and Christianity to justify murder, segregation, the dehumanization of an individual, or any type of

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