Editing Bertrand Russell (section)

===Religion===
Russell described himself in 1947 as an agnostic or an [[atheism|atheist]]: he found it difficult to determine which term to adopt, saying:{{blockquote|Therefore, in regard to the [[Twelve Olympians|Olympic gods]], speaking to a purely philosophical audience, I would say that I am an Agnostic. But speaking popularly, I think that all of us would say in regard to those gods that we were Atheists. In regard to the [[God in Christianity|Christian God]], I should, I think, take exactly the same line.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |year=1947 |title=Am I An Atheist or an Agnostic? |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Things |url=http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/russell8.htm |access-date=6 July 2005 |last=Russell |first=Bertrand |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050622001026/http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/russell8.htm |archive-date=22 June 2005 |url-status=dead}}: "I never know whether I should say 'Agnostic' or whether I should say 'Atheist'.... As a philosopher, if I were speaking to a purely philosophic audience I should say that I ought to describe myself as an Agnostic, because I do not think that there is a conclusive argument by which one prove (sic) that there is not a God. On the other hand, if I am to convey the right impression to the ordinary man in the street I think I ought to say that I am an Atheist."</ref>}} For most of his adult life, Russell maintained religion to be little more than [[superstition]] and, despite any positive effects, largely harmful to people. He believed that religion and the religious outlook serve to impede knowledge and foster fear and dependency, and to be responsible for much of our world's wars, oppression, and misery. He was a member of the advisory council of the [[British Humanist Association]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=20th Century Humanism |url=https://humanists.uk/humanism/the-humanist-tradition/20th-century-humanism/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206145444/https://humanists.uk/humanism/the-humanist-tradition/20th-century-humanism/ |archive-date=2023-12-06 |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Humanists UK |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the president of Cardiff Humanists until his death.<ref>'Humanist News', March 1970{{Nonspecific|date=January 2020|reason=Journal, title, author?}}</ref>