"Ignore fact and reason, live entirely in the world of your own fantastic and myth-producing passions; do this whole-heartedly and with conviction, and you will become one of the prophets of your age." Bertrand Russell wrote this controversial statement in his essay, How to Become a Man of Genius. Bertrand Russell was a man who some deemed one of the most provocative philosophers of his time. Other people would say that he was just a man who hated Christians. He spent his life writing and philosophizing about religion and faith. He opposes Christian views and states his own beliefs through essays and other works throughout his life.
             In his essay "Why I Am Not a Christian", Bertrand Russell expresses his views on Christianity and faith in general. He is very adamant about opposing traditional Christian views. He states at the beginning of the essay: "Therefore I take it that when I tell you why I am not a Christian I have to tell you two different things: first, why I do not believe in God and in immortality; and, secondly, why I do not think that Christ was the best and wisest of men..." These views of Christianity and eternal life come up in the essay many times. He writes to both Christians and non-Christians in this essay. As a Christian reading this essay, I was both offended and intrigued at the same time. Russell uses Scripture in his essay to waiver the Christian reader's views and faith. To the non-Christian or the Atheist, Russell's essay could be interesting in the fact that it is contrary to all the views previously heard about Christianity. On the other hand the essay could be persuasive to atheism. He doubts the fact that there is eternal life or hell. The worldly man could see this as a way out of his sin. As long as a man believes with passion and is dedicated to whatever it may be that he believes in, he is in the right according to Russell. The fact that Russell's essay...