It's impossible for a man to exist without bowing down; such a man couldn't bear himself, and no man could. If he rejects God, he'll bow down to an idol - a wooden one, or a golden one, or a mental one. They're all idolaters, not godless, that's how they ought to be called. Well, but how could there not be godless people as well? There are such as are truly godless, only they're much more frightening than these others because they come with God's name on their lips.
-- Dostoevsky, The Adolescent
Despair masquerades around us in any number of forms, sometimes overtly, but most often bubbling subtly just below the surface of our lives. At the risk of making a rather extreme statement, it seems to me that any path that does not contain sustained repentance will ultimately lead to some form of despair. May God have mercy on us all.
5 comments:
Love it. I heard that some philosopher, Kreefe, I think (?), has said that the opposite of Christianity is not atheism but idolatry. He must have read Dost...you know who I'm talking about. We're hard-wired to worship and sinning doesn't necessarily mean we stop worshiping, only that the object of our worship has become something other than God: sex, money, family, causes - you name it.
andy
Thank for the comment. Miss you, man. Hope the new little one is doing well.
I love it.
I don't know if its the piss and vinegar of youth, but I have little respect for "Christians" who don't display a deep sense of their brokenness.
I especially like the line about the "godless" coming with the name of god on their lips... good stuff.
It has been too long, Paul. For all I know, you might have a baby by now as well.
Repentance is an ongoing process of healing.
I've been reading Latourette's History of Christianity... yes, I am a nerd.
He briefly goes into the Christianity in the Russian Orthodox church while the Protestant and Catholic Reformations are happening.
Mostly unrelated, east and west, but there was a movement to make some changes in the Russin church, mostly liturgical stuff, Czar's involvement, and reducing superstitious beliefs. I don't remember the details, but the interesting thing... maybe you knew this, those who resisted the changes were referred to as the "Old Believers" or Raskalniks. Has to be some link to Dostoevsky's Raskalnikov of C an P.
Yes, it has been to too long. We miss you guys. no babies, other than the ongoing labor pains of my engineering endeavours...
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