"That man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins — all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built."
Bertrand Russell From “A Free Man’s Worship” 1902
Does he realize that with his every word he contradicts the very words he speaks? If "unyielding despair" is the only safe resort, why try to convince anyone about it? Every moment of his life in which he believed this "truth" as he calls it but also was not trying to commit suicide, was a moment in which he showed himself to not believe a word his mouth was saying.
Also it is ironic that he speaks of "no philosophy which rejects them (despair) can hope to stand." Two points on this Bernie.
1. Christianity is a philosophy based on great hope. Enough hope and joy that saints throughout its 2000 year history have gladly spilled their blood for that hope with joyful, happy smiles on their face! Christianity is 1/3 of the earth population and growing Bernard, and we have had plenty of time for our planet to think about your philosophy of despair. We reject it. Right now only 3% of the earth is atheist.
2. The history of mankind is the history of religion. There is no reason to believe this will ever change.
Human beings desire God. Sad, tired, old philosophies of men like Russell are the chaff that is blown away in the wind of the Spirit which draws men to the cross.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Very Cheery Bertrand Russell
"That man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins — all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built."
Bertrand Russell From “A Free Man’s Worship” 1902
Does he realize that with his every word he contradicts the very words he speaks? If "unyielding despair" is the only safe resort, why try to convince anyone about it? Every moment of his life in which he believed this "truth" as he calls it but also was not trying to commit suicide, was a moment in which he showed himself to not believe a word his mouth was saying.
Also it is ironic that he speaks of "no philosophy which rejects them (despair) can hope to stand." Two points on this Bernie.
1. Christianity is a philosophy based on great hope. Enough hope and joy that saints throughout its 2000 year history have gladly spilled their blood for that hope with joyful, happy smiles on their face! Christianity is 1/3 of the earth population and growing Bernard, and we have had plenty of time for our planet to think about your philosophy of despair. We reject it. Right now only 3% of the earth is atheist.
2. The history of mankind is the history of religion. There is no reason to believe this will ever change.
Human beings desire God. Sad, tired, old philosophies of men like Russell are the chaff that is blown away in the wind of the Spirit which draws men to the cross.
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