2 – By Bertrand Russell

From an atheist perspective

Bertrand Russell- Jesus’ prediction incorrect, his claim of hell inhuman

In ‘Why I Am Not a Christian’, Russell pointed to parts of the gospel where Jesus seems to be saying that his second coming would occur in the lifetime of some of his listeners (Luke, 9:27). He concludes from this that Jesus’ prediction was incorrect and thus that Jesus was “not so wise as some other people have been, and He was certainly not superlatively wise.”

Regarding Jesus’ moral teaching, Russell has the following to say:

‘There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly human can believe in everlasting punishment. Christ certainly as depicted in the Gospels did believe in everlasting punishment…’