Why I Am Not a Christian

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1927

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Key Figures

Bertrand Russell

A famous 20th-century philosopher and mathematician, Bertrand Russell received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 for his writings, including “Why I Am Not a Christian.” Russell was born to wealthy, titled parents on May 18, 1872. His parents, the Viscount and Viscountess of Amberley, who died by the time he was four, held liberal, progressive views that were radical for the era, including the wish that their children be raised agnostic. His “secular” godfather was John Stuart Mill, a famous philosopher whose works on social and political theory had a significant impact on Russell’s education and were foundational in his early career.

In 1893, Russell finished his studies in mathematics, logicism, and philosophy at Trinity College Cambridge. He continued working in academia, teaching at the London School of Economics and studying the foundations of mathematics at Trinity College. In 1916, as lecturer at the University of Cambridge, he was considered for a fellowship, a position that would have protected him from being fired for his pacifistic and secular opinions, but was nevertheless skipped over because of them. In 1918, he was arrested and imprisoned for six months for lecturing against the US entering the World War I. Throughout Russell’s career in philosophy, mathematics, and logic, he experienced moments of great renown, including his Nobel Prize and appearances on BBC television, as well as controversy because his progressive ideals challenged traditional cultural and political norms.

Jesus Christ

Given that Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity, belief in his existence and divinity is a central tenet of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God, born to the Virgin Mary in 30-33 BCE in a manger in Bethlehem, and that he was named Jesus of Nazareth. He was also called King of the Jews, the Messiah, and Lamb of God. The Bible describes how during his life he performed many miracles, including resurrecting Lazarus and healing the blind. His actions, charitable nature, and ability to preach the word of God inspired many Jewish people to follow him, creating his own sect that split off and created Christianity. Jesus lived for 33 years until one of his disciples, Judas, betrayed him. The Romans crucified him because his teachings disrupted many traditions and societal beliefs. After he died, a vigil was held, and three days later, Christians believe, he was resurrected. He became a martyr as a result of the belief that he died for all the sins of humanity—past, present, and future. Many point to his self-sacrifice and ascension to heaven as confirmation of his divinity.

Russell views the pedestal on which Christians hold Jesus one of the many flaws in their faith. To Russell, Christ was vengeful and spiteful toward people who didn’t follow him. In describing why he refuses to consider himself a Christian, Russell cites many of Jesus’s failings as a person and teacher.

Immanuel Kant

A German philosopher who lived from 1724 to 1804, Immanuel Kant is considered one of the key figures of the Enlightenment, a movement from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries toward significant advancement in science and philosophy, leading to a rise of secularism. Kant was raised in a deeply religious household that valued piety and a literal understanding of the Bible. He studied mathematics, physics, and British philosophy at the University of Königsberg.

Kant is a major figure in Western philosophy, and much of his work influences modern-day arguments about reason and morality. He founded the philosophical doctrine of Transcendental Idealism, a system that believes the following:

[T]he human self […] constructs knowledge out of sense impressions and from universal concepts called categories that it imposes upon them […] Human knowledge cannot reach [new realities] to them because knowledge can only arise in the course of synthesizing the ideas of sense. (“Transcendental Idealism.” Encyclopedia Britannica).

In addition, Kant supported the idea that reason is the source of morality. His belief led him to disprove some arguments for God. Russell credits Kant with that achievement but is also quick to criticize him for reverting back to what he was taught as a child—that without God, right and wrong couldn’t exist. Russell efficiently disproves Kant’s argument and uses Kant’s childhood beliefs as the reason someone as philosophically advanced as Kant would still hold on to his Christian faith.