 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
In the conflicts between Christianity and Islam, it was war that decided which countries should be Christian and which Mohammedan. In the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics, it was again military success and failure that decided the issue. America, North and South, is Christian because European arms were more effective than those of Red Indians. This long history has become so deeply embedded in the outlook of both statesmen and ordinary men that it is extremely hard to think in the new terms required in the modern world.
Source： Common Sense and Nuclear Warfare, 1959, pp. 41-42.
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I asked ChatGPT about the term ‘Mohammedan’.
ChatGPT's response:
Russell's use of the term ‘Mohammedan’ in contrast to ‘Christianity’ and ‘Islam’ reflects historical language use.
Historical context of ‘Mohammedan’: the term ‘Mohammedan’ was once a common term for Muslims in Europe, but this is not considered appropriate today. The reason is that ‘Mohammedan’ can be misleading, as if it deifies the Prophet Muhammad (Mohammed). Muslims themselves refer to their religion as ‘Islam’ and their followers as ‘Muslims’. The term ‘Mohammedan’ was based in part on historical misunderstandings and prejudices in the West and is now rarely used. In modern terminology, the term ‘Muslim’ is used instead of ‘Mohammedan’. Therefore, if the modern wording is to be respected, ‘Mohammedan’ is appropriately translated as ‘Muslim’.
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