Russian author Alexandr Solzhenitsyn in his Templeton Address “Men Have Forgotten God” recounts the results of the abandonment of God. He adopts an authoritative tone to emphasize his viewpoint that man forsaking God allowed things like the great disasters that befell Russia which was the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some y60 million Russian (145). His whole argument in this address was that the abonnement of God could cause the ruination of all mankind.
Solzhenitsyn further argues that World War I, World War II along with the rise of communism in Russia were all caused by the elimination of God in people’s lives. Furthermore, he expounds that though the west has not had a communist invasion, they too have forsaken God. He starts
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his address with the proclamation that “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened,” and he explained that it was the failure of the human mind devoid of a divine element that has been a determining factor in all the major crimes of this century (145). Those crimes he referenced was both world wars and communist revolution in Russia. To give credence to his words and appeal to ethos as well as lend authority to his stated beliefs he drew from his history, the history of communist Russia, as well as the writings of others specifically Dostoevsky.
He further elaborated that he had spent well-nigh fifty years working on the history of Russia’s revolution and in the process has read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and halve already written eight volumes of his own to clear away the rubble left by that upheaval (145). This study and his experiences further proved that he is well versed in the subject of the Russian revolution. Furthermore, he elaborates by talking about the history of what happened to the Orthodox clergy during the era of communism in Russia. His use of his studies and experience along with the historical references lends credibility his …show more content…
viewpoints. Moreover, in his address, he made use of phrases and verbiage to elicit pathos in the minds and hearts of his audience.
One of those sayings was that only a godless embitterment could have moved ostensibly Christian states to employ poison gas, a weapon so obviously beyond the limits of humanity (146). He intended the statement to elicit sadness, horror, outrage, and even some fear in the audience, moreover, it worked well in that it caused the reader reaction as planned. Another account used to elicit those same emotions was when he spoke about the tens of thousands of priests, monks, and nuns, who were pressured to renounce the word of God. If the clergy did not deny God, they were tortured, shot, send to camps, exiled to the frozen north, or just turned out in the street to fend for themselves (148). This recanting of this history of how the Communist regime treated the Orthodox clergy clearly illustrates that they had forgotten God. Additionally, it proved that the communists had deliberately abandoned God. In contrast, his writing allowed his readers to experience hope, like when he stated no matter how formidably Communion bristles with tanks and rockets, no matter what successes it attains in seizing the planet, it is doomed never to vanquish Christianity (149). His writing evokes strong emotions in the minds and heart of his Christian audience both of sadness, outrage, and finally
hope. His appeals to logos were not as strong as his other types literary devices in this address. He does give an account of what happened to the Christians in Russia, how they banned Christians from bringing up their children in the faith and often thrown into detention camps for the practice of the religion. But this was a declaration without facts or figures to back it up. He also stated that in the 1930’s the so-called Kulakization and collectivization which brought the death of 15 million peasants while making no sense at all, was enforced with such cruelty first and foremost for destroying our national way of life and extirpating religion from the countryside (148). And again, this could have been a way to suitable way to reiterate his viewpoint if his audience was familiar with what exactly this was which may have been the case since this happen in Russia and his audience was made up of an international spiritual organization. He does give some dates and timelines, but his references are not fully articulated as the what they are which does not further his agenda. Solzhenitsyn delivers a compelling argument to his intended audiences through his solid use of ethos and pathos. His ethos is strong since he was well versed in his subject, and he presented some effective arguments as to why his belief is valid. His use of pathos was exceedingly well done and effectively instilled the emotions he intended in his audience. Conversely, he did not use Logos as successfully as his ethos and pathos. He lacked facts and concrete evidence, and in some instances, he explained his reasons in ways that his audience may or may not have understood. This address was successful in that it distinctly articulates his viewpoint with enough ethos and pathos to sway readers to the point of view that abandoning God can cause the downfall of mankind.
With the coinciding of a revolution on the brink of eruption and the impacts of the First World War beginning to take hold of Russia, considered analysis of the factors that may have contributed to the fall of the Romanov Dynasty is imperative, as a combination of several factors were evidently lethal. With the final collapse of the 300 year old Romanov Dynasty in 1917, as well as the fall of Nicholas II, a key reality was apparent; the impact that WWI had on autocratic obliteration was undeniable. However, reflection of Russia’s critical decisions prior is essential in the assessment of the cause of the fall of the Romanov Dynasty.
Though the book has no footnotes, it was researched methodically through documents and the work of other scholars. It is very detailed and specific for such a short book. The information about the foreign policy of Russia under Catherine’s rule, and her various wars and military maneuvers, helped explain some of the issues Russian is currently undergoing today in Crimea, the Ukraine and with Turkey. The central theme of reform was also examined in depth, and given the time in which she ruled, and the size of the country, it astonishes me the undertaking Catherine had in front of her. It could take 18 months for an imperial order to reach the far eastern side of Russia, then 18 more months for a reply to get back to her at the
Zamyatin wrote his dystopian novel, We, to expose the fact that government will repress human freedom and nature to promote society’s stability. However, the theme of religion can be observed throughout the novel as Zamyatin uses imagery and metaphors to the “old religions.” Even though the Benefactor is seen sparsely through the eyes of the protagonist, His influence on OneState citizens is imminent. The reader is forewarned of the Benefactor’s omnipotence and the harsh judgement with which He governs over the citizens. Zamyatin religious metaphors depicted through the Benefactor and His ruling of One State in We function mainly to critique Christianity to be a totalitarian and deteriorated culture.
“Has he got lost? Did he lose his way like a child? Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? Emigrated?” No the madman says; “we have killed him – you and I. All of us are his murderers” This exchange encapsulates the aphorism that underpins much of Nietzsche’s thought; that “God is dead”. But what does this mean - What is Nietzsche telling us by claiming that we have murdered God? This essay is going to attempt to try and understand what Nietzsche argues has changed and what hasn’t with the death of God and to examine his critique of 19th century morality in the context of the 21st century politics and see if he offers a constructive alternative to the way we engage in political discourse.
I have recently finished reading “Men Have Forgotten God” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In his address, Solzhenitsyn discusses the many ways that the world has gradually began to change since its elimination of God. I decided to complete further research about the life of Solzhenitsyn to see if the words I had read were trustworthy and from a Christian standpoint. I also wanted to learn what had inspired Solzhenitsyn to give his address, what his purpose was in giving it, and what audience he had intended it for.
In 1533 the Muscovite Princedom was passed down to Ivan IV, later known as Ivan the Terrible. He would be the beginning of a line of “larger-than-life” rulers of the Russian Empire who ignited the imagination and debats for future generations. These rulers, including Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and later Lenin and Stalin, who used political terror in defense of themselves and their governments. Peter and Catherine’s brutalities can be somewhat justified by their political goals, however Ivan’s passion for killing has no rational explanation.. Many of these ruler’s reforms contributed to the overall critique envisioned by many of the empire and its imperialist character. Some of Russia’s greatest literary works were built upon these
When Marie-Joseph Chénier, a poet and dramatist who wrote an entire book of poetry dedicated to the Cult of Reason, addressed the Convention on November 5, 1793, he did not declare an end to religion, but rather proposed that Catholicism be replaced by a revolutionary cult to be built on “the ruins of fallen superstition.”123 His poems, though dedicated to the concepts of “reason” and “nature,” were filled with allusions to “immortality,” and one even reassured believers that “they never pretended to deny the good people, the existence of the supreme being, supreme engine of all things.”124 Meanwhile, in the department of Haut-Rhin, a pamphlet circulated to explain the actions taken against the churches and priests with a “Jacobin curé” explaining that this was not intended as an attack on God, but rather an attempt to prevent “charlatan abuses of the name of God.”125 Thus, God was not necessarily being rejected, but rather he was being reconstituted as a part of the Republic itself. Instead of a barbarous man in the sky who arbitrarily struck sinners down like a madman, he was reimagined as XYZ. Emulating Émile Durkheim proposition that religion translates human needs and prohibitions, Albert Mathiez argued a century ago that the culte de la patrie, “is a religion without mysteries,
Wood, A. (1986). The Russian Revolution. Seminar Studies in History. (2) Longman, p 1-98. ISBSN 0582355591, 9780582355590
David Bentley Hart’s Atheist Delusions is a labyrinthine, convoluted historical essay. Hart has carefully crafted his argument for God while simultaneously discrediting those who oppose his well-founded argument. He proves his point by offering history, facts, and reason onto why and how Christianity has been such an influence on the society of past, present and future. His method of delivery is complex yet genuine. He destroys the delusional atheists’ arguments with a grandiose compilation of philosophy, theory, and logic; he stands up for God.
“Today’s world has reached a stage that, if it had been described to preceding centuries, would have called forth the cry: ‘This is the Apocalypse.’ Yet we have grown used to this kind of world; we even feel at home in it.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn addresses the world today in his essay entitled, Men Have Forgotten God. After persevering through heartaches and abundant trials, he was awarded the Templeton Prize in 1983. This prize was given to the person who made a significant contribution to life’s spiritual aspects. After receiving the prestigious honor, Solzhenitsyn presented his speech known as The Templeton Address or Men Have Forgotten God. As portrayed in his quote, he believed the world was in the midst of great despair. He feared people would eventually suffocate from not actively seeking the Lord. By Solzhenitsyn’s compelling personal experiences,
In states overshadowed by continuous negative messaging, having abandoned many of the social systems of today’s society, can religion exist? While religion is present in numerous works, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and P.D. James’ The Children of Men offer alternative insights into what constitutes religion in their contrasting dystopian societies. Both works contain scenes and themes with religious connotations. The traditional beliefs of the world’s common religions are suppressed in both works by their monocratic governments or rulers and replaced by either a convoluted form of religion in the case of The Children of Men or by state-sanctioned replacements in Brave New World. Religious imagery is recreated in both works, such as in the sexual, Ford-praising solidarity service that parallels the Catholic mass and communion, as well as in the barn birth of Julian’s baby that is much like a modern nativity scene. Journeys propelled by faith are also prevalent in both novels and while the journey of The Children of Men’s protagonist, Theo is quite clearly intended by James to be highly spiritual, the journey of one of Brave New World’s protagonists can be seen as spiritually driven due to the ways in which he sacrifices himself for a sense of purity.
In her youth, George Eliot followed her family’s evangelism. However, “she gave up her faith due to her studies in science and in the German ‘higher criticism’ of the bible, which examined it as a historical rather than a sacred text” (Maitzen, 2012). Besides, she studied Feuerbachian philosophy, which reinforced her new religion view. As Feuerbach, Eliot thought that ‘God’ was not an external being but a projection of our best qualities. Feuerbach argued that “Religion is the relation of man to his own, but regarded as another nature, separate, nay, contradistinguished diction to reason and morality; herein lies the noxious source of religion fanaticism, the chief metaphysical principle of human sacrifices, in a word, the prima materia of all the atrocities, all the horrible scenes, in the tragedy of religious history” (Essence of Christianity). Thus, according to them, God is the element that breaks the natural flue of religion towards goodness, and fo...
Those who seek power will stop at no cost, sacrificing anything to accomplish their conquest. In the process, they lose sight of who they are, twisted by the power they possess, until inevitably, they become evil. This was a concern in Stoker’s time with the rampant introduction of new technologies following the first Industrial Revolution and amidst the second. In the pursuit of Science and advancement, many abandoned their Christian beliefs. With the abundance of discoveries and improvement to life, “God was not only no longer necessary for progress but he was not necessary for life itself” and “science would become the new faith of the masses” (Christy). However, without Christian faith, people lose sight of the values and morals associated
The end of World War I brought about the revolutionary development, which Benedict XV had foreseen in his first encyclical. With the Russian Revolution, the Vatican was faced with a new, so far unknown, situation. An ideology and government which rejected not only the Catholic Church but religion as a whole. “Some hope developed among the United Orthodox in Ukraine and Armenia, but many of the representatives there disappeared or were jailed in the following years. Several Orthodox bishops from Omsk and Simbirsk wrote an open letter to Pope Benedict XV, as the Father of all Christianity, describing the murder of priests, the destruction of their churches and other persecutions in their areas.[1]
...eration of evidence he cannot deny. He is wounded by God's apparent betrayal of humanity and desperate for an answer, but there is none forthcoming. It took years for the wounds inflicted by science on the faithful to heal. Some Victorians chose agnosticism as their new philosophy of God; if someone could prove to them His Existence, then they would believe. Others chose to become atheists. Atheism stated that there was no God, no afterlife, and no divine creator. While neither of these theologies was very popular during the Victorian period, they have continued to exist. The citizens like Tennyson who attempted to reconcile their old faith with their new knowledge had to find ways to blend the two together, to show that it was possible for God to work through Nature to achieve His ends. They had to gather together the dust of Earth, and with it shape a Heaven.