The Truth About Orthodox Christianity Essay Research free essay sample

The Truth About Orthodox Christianity Essay, Research Paper As described in The Grand Inquisitor by DostoevskyThe Hagiographas of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Helen Ellerbe show significant grounds that the Orthodox Christians did in fact bargain from humanity the Godhead freedom it was promised by Jesus Christ. This thesis is supported in Dostoevsky # 8217 ; s # 8220 ; The Grand Inquisitor # 8221 ; from his book The Brothers Karamazov. The dark side of Christian history by Helen Ellerbe besides supports this theory. The Inquisition itself shows credibleness to the theory that Orthodox Christianity was established to suppress and command the freedom of worlds. 2. Orthodox Christianity has a history of seeking to lead on humanity. In her book, Ellerbe proclaims that: # 8220 ; Orthodox Christianity fostered humanity # 8217 ; s switch towards a universe position that pays little heed to the thought of divinity. # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 165 ) . In add-on, the Grand Inquisitor # 8220 ; # 8230 ; claims it as a virtue for himself and his Church that at last they have vanquished freedom and have done so to do work forces happy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Truth About Orthodox Christianity Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1081 ) . 3. Reading # 8220 ; The Grand Inquisitor # 8221 ; while sing the history of early Christianity, the inquiry can be asked, # 8220 ; Did orthodox Christians truly believe in God? # 8221 ; Or is the God they believed in a pretense that Christianity has put frontward to hold humanity believe in Him through its instructions merely. The Roman Church had taken God # 8217 ; s jubilations of nature and converted them to Christian jubilation. In The dark side of Christian history, Ellerbe supports this when she writes # 8220 ; Unable to convert people of the absence of God in nature, the early Church alternatively incorporated facets of the very nature worship it condemned # 8230 ; # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 143 ) . 4. The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478. King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I requested the Inquisition. At first, The concern of the Inquisition in Spain was over the transition of Marranos: Marranos were Hebrews that were converted to Christianity utilizing force and force per unit area by society. It is estimated that by the terminal of the fourteenth century about 100,000 Hebrews had become Marranos, although the greater figure of Jews openly adhered to their religion even at the hazard of ejection. Some Marranos really accepted Christianity, but most of them practiced Judaism in secret, while others waited merely for an chance to throw off their Christian camouflage ( Encarta 99 ) . Subsequently, the Inquisition turned to people of Islam and attempted to change over the in the same manner they had done to the Jews. And, even later, to those suspected of being Protestants. The Spanish Inquisition was similar to the first Inquisition that was started in France. It was centrally directed by the Supreme Council of the Inquisition, but its processs were similar to its medieval counterpart. # 8221 ; Although the Spanish Inquisition received blessing from the Pope, the pontificate turned the control of the Inquisition over to the King and Queen after merely a few old ages of being started. The prose that Ivan Karamozov wrote in # 8220 ; The Grand Inquisitor # 8221 ; was set in Seville, Spain. 5. Dominican Churchmen, including Tomas de Torquemada, every bit good as other spiritual, were officers of the Inquisition. The most influential and ill-famed Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition was Tomas de Torquemada. Tomas was the first Grand Inquisitor and executed 1000s of suspected misbelievers. It can be assumed, but non substantiated, that the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoevsky # 8217 ; s narrative is the same individual or has a really close resemblance. Dostoevsky portrays the Grand Inquisitor # 8217 ; s garb: # 8220 ; He is non dressed in his gorgeous central # 8217 ; s vest. As he was the twenty-four hours before, when he was firing the enemies of the Roman Church. # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1079 ) . Of class, this is merely guess on my portion since little more is known about the Inquisitors themselves. The Grand Inquisitor involves taking the adult male executing miracles in forepart of the cathedral captive. The Grand Inquisitor begins to inquiry and endanger the P risoner. 6. The Grand Inquisitor tells the Prisoner that the Prisoner himself had turned all his power over to the Pope: # 8220 ; All has been given by Thee to the Pope, they say, and all, hence, is still in the Pope # 8217 ; s custodies # 8230 ; ( Dostoevsky 1080-1081 ) . This thought is besides in understanding in The dark side of Christian history where it is written: Christian religion has helped to make a society in which people are alienated non merely from each other but besides from the divine. # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 1 ) . 7. The Grand Inquisitor # 8217 ; s statements and inquiries support the fraudulence of Orthodox Christianity. He accuses the Prisoner of disregarding adult male: # 8220 ; Thou didst reject the lone manner by which work forces might be happy. But, fortuitously, going Thou didst manus on the work to us. # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1081 ) . During that clip of feeling ignored, Christianity was free to alter many Pagan beliefs to be vilified or to conform to Christian ideals. The Prisoner, when asked to make so by the apprehension spirit had refused to turn stones into loaves of staff of life. The Prisoner had turned away from supplying Man nutrient from Nature. The Church took this as another ground for Man to turn to it as their redemption. Dostoevsky writes: # 8220 ; They will happen us and shout to us, # 8220 ; Feed us, for those who have promised us fire from heaven oasis # 8217 ; t given it. # 8221 ; Then, And we alone shall feed them in Thy name, declaring falsely that it is in T hy name. Oh, neer, neer can they feed themselves without us! # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1082 ) . Helen Ellerbe states that # 8220 ; The Church spent centuries forbiding shows of fear that involved nature. # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 142 ) . In add-on to the giving up of nature, The Grand Inquisitor accuses the Prisoner had given work forces freedom, but adult male could non manage the freedom that was given to them. The Church took over that feeling of freedom. # 8220 ; For 15 centuries we have been wrestling with Thy freedom, but now it is ended and over for good # 8221 ; . ( Dostoevsky 1081 ) . And have concluded that they have taken control of adult male # 8217 ; s freedom: # 8220 ; But allow me state Thee now, today, people are more persuaded than of all time that they have perfect freedom, yet they have brought their freedom to us and laid it meekly at our pess. ( Dostoevsky 1081 ) and # 8220 ; Modern thought most frequently validated Christian dogmas. The perceptual experience that the universe operates like a machine or a clock corroborated St. Augustine # 8217 ; s contention that human existences have no free will. # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 173 ) . Even Man # 8217 ; s freedom to observe was usurped by Orthodox Christianity. Humanity had been forced by the church to see their heathen events as Christian. Christian vacations were held at the same clip. One of those vacations held most beloved by humanity today, Christmas was made to match to the heathen jubilation of the winter solstice. What we call Easter as Christians had virtually the same significance as the heathen holidays Attis.† ( Ellerbe 148 ) . 8. The Prisoner uses the public presentation of miracles to act upon the people and have them worship Him. Whenever the words He, Him, Thee, and Thou are capitalized in all grammatical instances, we have become accustomed to mentioning to God and/or Jesus Christ. In The Great Inquisitor this remains the instance. The Grand Inquisitor refers to the talk in the wilderness and says to the Prisoner, # 8220 ; the great spirit talked with Thee in the wilderness, and we are told in the books that he # 8220 ; tempted # 8221 ; Thee # 8221 ; . ( Dostoevsky 1081 ) . This statement was in mention to Satan # 8217 ; s enticement of Christ in the wilderness. 9. Simply touch the Prisoner or His garments performed miracles: # 8220 ; He holds out His custodies to them, blesses them, and a healing virtuousness comes from contact with Him, even with His garments. An old adult male in the crowd, blind from childhood, cries out, # 8216 ; O Lord, mend me and I shall see Thee! # 8217 ; and, as it were, graduated tables fall from his eyes and the blind adult male sees Him. # 8221 ; . ( Dostoevsky 1079 ) . 10. He raises the girl of a outstanding citizen from the dead: # 8220 ; The emanation arrests, the casket is laid on the stairss at His pess. He looks with compassion, and His lips one time more quietly pronounce, # 8216 ; Maiden, arise! # 8217 ; and the maiden arises. # 8221 ; . ( Dostoevsky 1079 ) . 11. These are miracles that Christians relate to Jesus Christ. Yet the Orthodox Christians believed that decease was a passing from an Earth that was possessed by the Satan to deliverance to God in Eden. Orthodox Christians, in their attempt to suppress it, frequently ended up lauding decease. Jesus # 8217 ; s most valuable act was understood to be non his miracles of mending or his message of love and peace, but instead his act of deceasing. The Bible provinces that # 8220 ; the twenty-four hours of decease [ is better ] than the twenty-four hours of one # 8217 ; s birth # 8221 ; . ( Ellerbe 162 ) . 12. HE is soundless because speaking would give support to the Church # 8217 ; s Inquisition. His visual aspect and aura entirely shows understanding and love. It besides shows that Jesus will non reply to the Grand Inquisitor. He will non acknowledge that the Church is right, but it puts him in a gimmick 22. If he does reply, the Church is justified in their Inquisition of Humanity. At points where He should be wrought with choler the Prisoner continues to look upon the Grand Inquisitor with consideration. His visual aspect and aura entirely shows understanding and love. This is understood by the interrogator and is steadfastly rejected, # 8220 ; And why dost Thou expression mutely and searchingly at me with Thy mild eyes? Be angry. I don # 8217 ; t want Thy love, for I love Thee not. # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1086 ) . The Grand Inquisitor receives his reply to all his inquiries and accusals at the terminal of the narrative. The Prisoner, still soundless, places a buss on the lips o f the interrogator. 13. The Grand Inquisitor joins the cagey people. The interrogator now understands that the Christians will neer accomplish their ends to convey people into harmoniousness with themselves. As Ivan says in the narrative: You see, merely suppose that there was one such adult male among all those who desire nil but foul stuff gain-if there # 8217 ; s merely one like my old Inquisitor, who had himself eaten roots in the desert and made frenzied attempts to repress his flesh to do himself free and perfect. But yet all his life he loved humanity, and all of a sudden his eyes were opened, and he saw that it is no great moral beatitude to achieve flawlessness and freedom, if at the same clip one additions the strong belief that 1000000s of God # 8217 ; s animals have been created as a jeer, that they will neer be capable of utilizing their freedom, that these hapless Rebels can neer turn into giants to finish the tower, that it was non for such geese that the great dreamer woolgather his dream of harmoniousness. Sing all that he turned back and joined- the clever people. ( Dostoevsky 1089 ) . 14. The Grand Inquisitor was an atheist but could non interrupt away from Orthodox Christianity. This was the Inquisitor # 8217 ; s secret in the full narrative. The Grand Inquisitor could non deny Him as could the cagey people that he joined. # 8220 ; They have no such great inventiveness and no enigmas and secrets. . . .Perhaps nil but Atheism, that # 8217 ; s all their secret. Your Inquisitor does non believe in God, that # 8217 ; s his secret. # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1089 ) . 15. The Inquisition was the vehicle by which the Church could cover-up its prevarications to humanity. This has been shown by Ivan Karamozov, in an extract from The Grand Inquisitor: # 8220 ; My narrative is laid in Spain, in Seville, in the most awful clip of the Inquisition, when fires were lighted every twenty-four hours to the glorification of God, # 8230 ; # 8221 ; ( Dostoevsky 1078 ) . In the The dark side of Christian history it is stated that, # 8220 ; the Church turned its force against European society itself, establishing a barbarous assault upon southern France and establishing the Inquisi-tion. # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 3 ) . Therefore when people in the fifteenth century radius of freedom, it was merely the freedom that the Church allowed them to hold. 16. The Grand Inquisitor proves the thesis of this paper. Ivan says: # 8230 ; he sees that he ( the Inquisitor ) must follow the advocate of the wise spirit, the awful spirit of decease and devastation, and therefor accept prevarication and misrepresentation, and lead work forces consciously to decease and devastation, and yet lead on them all the manner so that they may non detect where they are being led, that the hapless blind animals may at least on the manner think themselves happy. ( Dostoevsky 1089 ) . 17. Besides, Ellerbe states: # 8220 ; The perceptual experience that the Universe operates like a machine or a Clock corroborated St. Augustine # 8217 ; s contention that human existences have no free will. # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 173 ) . And # 8220 ; Atheism merely extended the Christian thought that God is distant and removed from the physical universe. Once people accepted that, it was non hard to believe that God did non be at all # 8221 ; ( Ellerbe 171 ) . 18. All the historical grounds of the Inquisition and the Hagiographas of Dostoevsky and Ellerbe show significant grounds that the Orthodox Christians did in fact bargain from humanity the Godhead freedom it was promised by Jesus Christ. Works CitedEllerbe, Helen. The dark side of Christian history. San Rafael, CA: Morningstar Books, 1995. Dostoevsky, Fyodor ; The Grand Inquisitor from The Brothers Karamozov. Taken from Literature of the Western World by Wilke, Brian, and Hurt, James Microsoft Encarta 99, Microsoft Corporation, 1993-1998.