Belief or Inquiry

I’m reading Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist by Walter Kaufmann. Nowadays I enjoy reading stuff that makes me think and question.  As an MK whose parents belonged to an ultra conservative, evangelical Christian mission, New Tribes Mission, it is a freeing experience to read authors whose ideas are so very non-fundamentalist.  

The Youth

Youth ends where manhood begins, it is said. A phrase without meaning, since from the beginning of history man has never enjoyed the full measure of youth nor known the limitless possibilities of adulthood. How can one know the splendor and fullness of youth if one’s energies are consumed in combating the errors and falsities of parents and ancestors? Is youth’s only mission on earth to rebel, to destroy, to assassinate?

Tyranny

“Of all the tyrannies that afflict mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst. Every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in, but this attempts a stride beyond the grave and seeks to pursue us into eternity.”
- Thomas Paine

Church bells ringing

When on a Sunday morning we hear the bells ringing, we ask ourselves: is it possible? This is going on because of a Jew crucified 2,000 years ago who said he was the son of God. The proof of such an assertion is lacking.

Why I Am Not A Christian

This is, of course, the title of Bertrand Russell’s essay. I wanted to post the following excerpt, as it is well worth reading:

We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world — its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it.