Why I Am Not a Christian

“It is used these days in a very loose sense by a great many people. Some people mean no more by it than a person who attempts to live a good life. In that sense I suppose there would be Christians in all sects and creeds; but I do not think that that is the proper sense of the word, if only because it would imply that all the people who are not Christians—all the Buddhists, Confucians, Mohammedans, and so on—are not trying to live a good life.”

Here, Russell introduces what he considers a significant fallacy that most Christians have upheld: that only Christians can live a good life. It’s a value that Christians have held long enough that now the very word “Christian” has come to imply someone is a good person. By using Logos, Russell reasons that it’s foolish to believe that those who practice any other belief system aren’t attempting to “live a good life.”

“I think, however, that there are two different items which are quite essential to anybody calling himself a Christian. The first is one of a dogmatic nature—namely, that you must believe in God and immortality. If you do not believe in those two things, I do not think that you can properly call yourself a Christian. Then, further than that, as the name implies, you must have some kind of belief about Christ.”

Russell relies on Logos to set up his arguments for why he doesn’t consider himself a Christian. In this quote, he defines explicitly what a Christian is so that all who listen to or read this lecture have an agreed-upon definition. By defining what a Christian is, he can ensure that his arguments aren’t refuted solely on the basis of semantics.

“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, although I grant Him a very high degree of moral goodness.”

Similar to the previous quote, Russell uses Logos to state the parts of his identity that don’t align with what a Christian must be for the sake of this lecture. As part of his exposition to introduce the rest of the lecture, he must clearly state his meaning. By employing Logos, he appeals to the audience’s sense of logic and reason to agree with these definitions.