"Faith does not, in the realist, spring from the miracle but the miracle from faith. If the realist once believes, then he is bound by his very realism to admit the miraculous also. The Apostle Thomas said that he would not believe until he saw, but when he did see he said, 'My Lord and my God!' Was it the miracle that forced him to believe? Most likely not, but he believed solely because he desired to believe and possibly he fully believed in his secret heart even when he said, 'I do not believe till I see."
So what he is saying is that he willed himself to believe and therefore believed- as if it was a mere illusion. So then, miracles do not exist?
"For socialism is not merely the labour question, it is before all things the atheistic question, the question of the form taken by atheism today, the question of the Tower of Babel built without God, not to mount to Heaven from earth but to set up Heaven on earth."
Marvelous. To completely get rid of the need for God. A sort of utopia on earth- that is why it is atheistic! If one does not need a higher Being, then one focuses on earth and tries to make it a paradise instead of focusing on the afterlife.
"And if you love you are of God."
"By the experience of active love. Strive to love your neighbor actively and indefatigably. In as far as you advance in love you will grow surer of the reality of God and the immorality of the soul. If you attain to perfect self-forgetfulness in the love of your neighbor, then you will believe without doubt, and no doubt could possibly enter your soul. This has been tried. This is certain."
Another breakthrough in spiritual thought, similar to Tolstoy's The Coffeehouse of Surat. As one exercises love, one gets closer to God. Exercising this love within us is what makes us be closer to Him, for it is the only part of Himself in us, for He is love.
"(...) and yet I am incapable of living in the same room with anyone for 2 days together, as I know by experience. As soon as one is near me, his personality disturbs my self-complacency and restricts my freedom. In 24 hours I begin to hate the best of men: one because he's too long over his dinner; another because he has a cold and keeps blowing his nose. I become hostile to people the moment they come close to me. But it has always happened that the more i detest man individually the more ardent one becomes my love for humanity."
For one wants to move from the specific to the general. It is easier to deal with the concept of humanity than having an individual near you. I can relate to this more that I wish. Unfortunately.
"He got up, and throwing up his hands, disclaimed, ' Blessed be the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck- the paps especially."
Haha this exclamation was quite funny when I read it. Such a funny man Dostoevsky is!
"
"That's right, isn't it, Von Sohn? Here's Von Sohn. How are you, Von Sohn?"
"Do you mean me?" muttered Maximov puzzled.
"Of course i mean you," cried Fyodor Pavlovich. "Who else? The Father Superior could not be Von Sohn."
"But I am not Von Sohn either. I am Maximov."
"No, you are Von Sohn..."
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The story shows the most reckless creatures can have honest and compassionate hearts. How once can find himself in something new despite the horrible conditions/situations he is in. Perhaps, those brothers were the most honest and close to God than anyone else. Even if Alyosha was perfect, in their own ways so were the other 2, in their insecure way, just like him. Each one was good in their own way. And yes, Dostoevsky did prove that there's a God, for only God could've regenerated the brothers' hearts like that.- For what within our pathetic selves can regenerate, let alone produce anything good? Situations in life can impel us to do extraordinary things for one another, things one would've never imagined, and would not have done under normal circumstances. That is the power of God, right there.
I love the way Dostoevsky portrays his characters, how pathetic they are- and yet one can feel this immense pity and sympathy coming from him. It's absolutely remarkable. Only he can do such a thing, and maybe Gogol. :)
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