A Leap of Faith

Naturally, I turn to books to express the thoughts and struggles within my mind. It is comforting to know that my struggle to accept the notion of a Holy Creator is not unique. Authors, especially Fyodor Dostoevsky, are able to e.x.a.c.t.l.y. express the faintest, most undeveloped thoughts that are tumbling around in my silly little brain.

"Is there in the whole world a being who would have the right to forgive and could forgive? I don't want harmony. From love for humanity I don't want it. I would rather be left with the unavenged suffering. I would rather remain with my unavenged suffering and unsatisfied indignation, even if I were wrong. Besides, too high a price is asked for harmony; it's beyond our means to pay so much to enter on it. And so I hasten to give back my entrance ticket, and if I am an honest man I am bound to give it back as soon as possible. And that I am doing. It's not God that I don't accept, Alyosha, only I most respectfully return him the ticket." {Ivan, to Alyosha}

"That's rebellion," murmered Alyosha, looking down.



"It's not that I don't accept God, you must understand; it's the world created by Him I don't and cannot accept." {Ivan, to Alyosha}


"But hesitation, anxiety, the struggle between belief and disbelief—all that is sometimes such a torment for a conscientious man like yourself, that it's better to hang oneself. . . . I'm leading you alternately between belief and disbelief, and I have my own purpose in doing so. A new method, sir: when you've completely lost faith in me, then you'll immediately start convincing me to my face that I am not a dream but a reality—I know you know; and then my goal will be achieved. And it is a noble goal. I will sow a just a tiny seed of faith in you, and from it an oak will grow—and such an oak that you, sitting in that oak, will want to join 'the desert fathers and the blameless women'; because secretly you want that ver-ry, ver-ry much." {Satan, to Ivan}


"I have a Euclidean mind, an earthly mind, and therefore it is not for us to resolve things that are not of this world . . ."

          {brothers.k.}

Faith: Inner attitude, conviction, or trust relating man to a supreme God or ultimate salvation. In religious traditions stressing divine grace, it is the inner certainty or attitude of love granted by God himself. In Christian theology, faith is the divinely inspired human response to God's historical revelation through Jesus Christ and, consequently, is of crucial significance.