Bertrand Russell, the eminent philosopher, made a...

Bertrand Russell, the eminent philosopher, made a thought-provoking claim about religion: that it is primarily and mainly based upon fear. In his 1927 lecture titled “Why I am not a Christian,” Russell expressed this viewpoint with characteristic clarity:“Religion is based primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes. Fear is the basis of the whole thing – fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand.”