In 1952, philosopher Bertrand Russell commissioned an article entitled "Is There a God?" Here is what he had to say:
"Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This is, of course, a mistake. If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time."
I completely agree with Russell! I love this analogy (which is not unlike the contemporary and satirical Flying Spaghetti Monster). On this blog we are seeking to find out if there is evidence for the existence of god (and if there is, which god?) to the extent that we would bet our lives on it.
The entire article can be found at:
http://www.cfpf.org.uk/articles/religion/br/br_god.html
"Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This is, of course, a mistake. If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time."
I completely agree with Russell! I love this analogy (which is not unlike the contemporary and satirical Flying Spaghetti Monster). On this blog we are seeking to find out if there is evidence for the existence of god (and if there is, which god?) to the extent that we would bet our lives on it.
The entire article can be found at:
http://www.cfpf.org.uk/articles/religion/br/br_god.html
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