A look at Bertrand Russell.
"Along with G.E. Moore, Russell is generally recognized as one of the founders of modern analytic philosophy. Along with Kurt Gödel, he is regularly credited with being one of the most important logicians of the twentieth century." ( Stanford Encyclopedia )
Bertrand Russell won the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1950.
Some regard him as one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century.
Mr Russell was motivated to write a book "Why I am not a Christian."
Of course, I read this book.
Here is a passage from the book "Why I am not a Christian."
"There is the instance of the Gadarene swine, where it certainly was not very kind to the pigs to put the devils into them and make them rush down the hill into the sea. You must remember that He was omnipotent, and He could have made the devils simply go
away; but He chose to send them into the pigs."
Notice the simple logic that Mr Russell employs.
Jesus is omnipotent therefore He did not have to kill the pigs. This is not kind.
It is very interesting also that Mr Russell uses a primative definition of God.
God is omnipotent.
This is the flaw in the logic. That is why Mr Russell does not understand the passages he is quoting in his argument. Let's look at the passages Mr Russell is referring to.
Matthew 8:28-32 (NASB)
28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.
29 And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"
30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them.
31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."
32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.
As you read these passages you see what I see. Jesus delivers the two men of the demonic oppression. Jesus displays His power to His disciples in order to help them know whom He is. In displaying His power Jesus proclaims to us and millions of others, who He is. Jesus solves the problem that these two men posed to the wider community of Gadarenes. Jesus listens to the plea of the demons.
Mr Russell you are restrained by your own logic, your own primitive assumption.
Jesus did not kill the pigs, the demons did. God has allowed the demons some range within their existence on Earth. God has allowed humans some range within His omnipotence to decide matters for themselves.
God lets humans make decisions, as well as demons.
What Mr Russell obviously missed in his definition of God. God is love.
That is why Jesus was so compassionate to these two demon possessed men. Also compassionate to us. If Mr Russell had read and understood the New Testament, he would have seen real love performing acts of kindness.
You are only restrained by the way you see God. Don't put God in the bottle of omnipotence. God is much, much more.
"Along with G.E. Moore, Russell is generally recognized as one of the founders of modern analytic philosophy. Along with Kurt Gödel, he is regularly credited with being one of the most important logicians of the twentieth century." ( Stanford Encyclopedia )
Bertrand Russell won the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1950.
Some regard him as one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century.
Mr Russell was motivated to write a book "Why I am not a Christian."
Of course, I read this book.
Here is a passage from the book "Why I am not a Christian."
"There is the instance of the Gadarene swine, where it certainly was not very kind to the pigs to put the devils into them and make them rush down the hill into the sea. You must remember that He was omnipotent, and He could have made the devils simply go
away; but He chose to send them into the pigs."
Notice the simple logic that Mr Russell employs.
Jesus is omnipotent therefore He did not have to kill the pigs. This is not kind.
It is very interesting also that Mr Russell uses a primative definition of God.
God is omnipotent.
This is the flaw in the logic. That is why Mr Russell does not understand the passages he is quoting in his argument. Let's look at the passages Mr Russell is referring to.
Matthew 8:28-32 (NASB)
28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.
29 And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"
30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them.
31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."
32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.
As you read these passages you see what I see. Jesus delivers the two men of the demonic oppression. Jesus displays His power to His disciples in order to help them know whom He is. In displaying His power Jesus proclaims to us and millions of others, who He is. Jesus solves the problem that these two men posed to the wider community of Gadarenes. Jesus listens to the plea of the demons.
Mr Russell you are restrained by your own logic, your own primitive assumption.
Jesus did not kill the pigs, the demons did. God has allowed the demons some range within their existence on Earth. God has allowed humans some range within His omnipotence to decide matters for themselves.
God lets humans make decisions, as well as demons.
What Mr Russell obviously missed in his definition of God. God is love.
That is why Jesus was so compassionate to these two demon possessed men. Also compassionate to us. If Mr Russell had read and understood the New Testament, he would have seen real love performing acts of kindness.
You are only restrained by the way you see God. Don't put God in the bottle of omnipotence. God is much, much more.
