Bertrand Russell on God.

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- Omaar Khayaam
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Bertrand Russell on God.
OP - January 01, 2010, 02:06 PM

This is good short and to the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPOMUTr1qw&feature=player_embedded#
- Saif Rahman
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #1 - January 01, 2010, 02:29 PM

Some very poignant questions with honest responses. Think its a nice video to show to muslims firstly as they seem to have an innate respect for him (didnt he once say Islam is the best faith with the worst followers, something my dad and other muslims always quoted). The video does not directly attack Islam, but questions the very fundamentals of it. Favourited

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- billy
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #2 - January 01, 2010, 02:36 PM

IsLame, I remember reading this a while back, a long discursion by Russell called "Ideas that Have Harmed Mankind"

Just one line:

Quote
Then came Islam with its fanatical belief that every soldier dying in battle for the True Faith went straight to a Paradise more attractive than that of the Christians, as houris (*) are more attractive than harps.

http://www.panarchy.org/russell/ideas.1946.html

Muslims probably have not gained a rounded understanding of Russell's ideas when they quote him respectfully.

Bertrand Russell sure as hell was no Karen Armstrong.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #3 - January 01, 2010, 02:41 PM

I always find it funny how Muslims are desperate for the validation of western intellectuals or sceptics, the whole self-esteem thing, and will jump on anything they say that is mildly agreeable about Islam.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
- abuk
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #4 - January 01, 2010, 02:43 PM

Thanks for the link Omaar. Russell was way ahead of his time not only regarding religion, but his views on morality, ethics and equality of the sexes. Do you have any more of his video links?
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #5 - January 01, 2010, 02:45 PM

Quote from: billy on January 01, 2010, 02:41 PM
I always find it funny how Muslims are desperate for the validation of western intellectuals or sceptics, the whole self-esteem thing, and will jump on anything they say that is mildly agreeable about Islam.

If Muslims were to read his actual works rather than half quotes, they would have no doubt that he despised organised religion, and contributed greatly towards debunking God and religion!
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #6 - January 01, 2010, 02:49 PM

Quote
If Muslims were to read his actual works rather than half quotes, they would have no doubt that he despised organised religion, and contributed greatly towards debunking God and religion!

Exactly!

I once read a breathless pamphlet quoting all the things that Russell had said about the Islamic empires, and how knowledge got transmitted from India to Persia because of it. But the pamphlet didn't understand that this was simply how human civilisation is - cultures and civilisations overlap, exchange knowledge through osmosis - the author of the pamphlet saw it as validation of the supremaciy and superiority and uniqueness of Islam, missing the point completely!

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
- abuk
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #7 - January 01, 2010, 03:01 PM

Quote from: billy on January 01, 2010, 02:49 PM
Exactly!

I once read a breathless pamphlet quoting all the things that Russell had said about the Islamic empires, and how knowledge got transmitted from India to Persia because of it. But the pamphlet didn't understand that this was simply how human civilisation is - cultures and civilisations overlap, exchange knowledge through osmosis - the author of the pamphlet saw it as validation of the supremaciy and superiority and uniqueness of Islam, missing the point completely!

You wouldn't still have the pamphletwould you? I'd love to see it!
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #8 - January 01, 2010, 03:10 PM

I don't unfortunately still have it, I wish I had kept it. It was from a university dawah campaign during 'Islam Awareness Week'

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
- pakman
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #9 - January 01, 2010, 03:15 PM

What is it with these crazy Islam awareness weeks at British unis. It's like muslim students not fitting in and having low self esteem suddenly cling to Islam and convince themselves that's it's the best thing ever and everyone must convert because that gives their ego a massage and justifies their decision to withdraw from society. Unless they find a hot girlfriend first.

Take the Pakman challenge and convince me there is a God and Mo was not a murdering, power hungry sex maniac.
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #10 - January 01, 2010, 03:38 PM

Islam Awareness Week is to educate the non Muslim people of Britain about the beauty of Islam, how it is a religion of peace, and amazing. This is because the media and society is full of distortion and hatred and prejudice of Islam, because non Muslims are frightened of the true message of Islam becoming known by society at large.

(Its also a sneaky way to extract funds and attention for large scale dawah campaigns, but don't mention that)

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
- Infidel
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #11 - January 01, 2010, 04:26 PM

Quote from: billy on January 01, 2010, 03:38 PM
Islam Awareness Week is to educate the non Muslim people of Britain about the beauty of Islam, how it is a religion of peace, and amazing. This is because the media and society is full of distortion and hatred and prejudice of Islam, because non Muslims are frightened of the true message of Islam becoming known by society at large.

(Its also a sneaky way to extract funds and attention for large scale dawah campaigns, but don't mention that)

Do all unis have this? It would really be fun distributing pamphlets about the bad bits of Islam, and ruin the whole thing for them

"In every time and culture there are pressures to conform to the prevailing prejudices. But there are also, in every place and epoch, those who value the truth; who record the evidence faithfully. Future generations are in their debt." -Carl Sagan
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #12 - January 01, 2010, 04:53 PM

Quote
Do all unis have this? It would really be fun distributing pamphlets about the bad bits of Islam, and ruin the whole thing for them

It's an annual thing, all over the country, all unis with an Islamic society will take part, check out the google landscape for 2009

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=islam+awareness+week+2009&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB&aq=f&oq=

I think if you ever produced counter-dawah leaflets you'd be accused of spreading hate and Islamophobia by the student unions.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #13 - January 02, 2010, 05:47 PM

I remember in one his books the 'history of Western Philosophy', Russell admired the Islamic civilization of the golden age for preserving the sciences of the Greeks but i never read him say he admired Islam in any way.

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."
- abuk
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #14 - January 02, 2010, 05:58 PM

Quote from: Heyjustlooking on January 02, 2010, 05:47 PM
I remember in one his books the 'history of Western Philosophy', Russell admired the Islamic civilization of the golden age for preserving the sciences of the Greeks but i never read him say he admired Islam in any way.

As you qt rightly mention, Russell feels an immense relief that the former Islamic empire helpred preserve and propogate the Greek classics, in a time when the "lights went out" throughout Europe. He acknowledges that this contributed to the spread of knowledge. However, he viewed Islam in the same light as Christianity and Judaism.....not very favourably!
- Omaar Khayaam
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Re: Bertrand Russell on God.
Reply #15 - January 03, 2010, 08:36 AM

I found this as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BWFpBTqSN0
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