leo tolstoy's "Christianity"

[ayin jade]

Thanks to jayne for her thread, which had me looking up the two lawyers. The atheist one happened to favor tolstoys view of Christianity. So I looked it up. 

Tolstoy presented a view of what he felt Christianity was in 1880. A translation of it is available online. He seems to present a view that Im seeing in the modern churches. A dangerous view. He espoused a political view. He rejected the "obsolete" doctrines. Which happen to be core doctrines (Jesus, Son of God, part of the Trinity, who died for our sins and rose again). He also rejected the notion that people should have churches, believing that the church added the miraculous aspects to the bible to bury the philosophical aspects of the teachings of Christ.

maintained by the churches--that God created the world in six days, and light before the sun; that Noah shut up all the animals in his ark, and so on; that Jesus is also God the Son, who created all before time was; that this God came down upon earth to atone for Adam's sin; that he rose again, ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and will come in the clouds to judge the world, and so on. All these propositions, elaborated by men of the fourth century, had a certain meaning for men of that time, but for men of to-day they have no meaning whatever. Men of the present day can repeat these words with their lips, but believe them they cannot. For such sentences as that God lives in heaven, that the heavens opened and a voice from somewhere said something, that Christ rose again, and ascended somewhere in heaven, and again will come from somewhere on the clouds, and so on, have no meaning for us.

Over and over again in his writings, he rejects the nicene creed and claims only to believe in the sermon on the mount. I come across a lot of folks who claim to be Christian but follow more tolstoy view of Christ rather than the orthodox Christian view.

Just something interesting and sad that I came across today. 

[Ezra]

19 minutes ago, ayin jade said:

Just something interesting and sad that I came across today. 

Tolstoy simply ignored believing in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  

In the liturgy the most significant words for me were; ‘Love one another in unity.’ But further on I ignored the words: ‘We believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost’, because I could not understand them. (Leo Tolstoy, Confessions)

[ayin jade]

I hope it was clear that I was not in any way endorsing tolstoy's view. He was in serious salvational error.

[FresnoJoe]

3 hours ago, ayin jade said:

Thanks to jayne for her thread, which had me looking up the two lawyers. The atheist one happened to favor tolstoys view of Christianity. So I looked it up. 

Tolstoy presented a view of what he felt Christianity was in 1880. A translation of it is available online. He seems to present a view that Im seeing in the modern churches. A dangerous view. He espoused a political view. He rejected the "obsolete" doctrines. Which happen to be core doctrines (Jesus, Son of God, part of the Trinity, who died for our sins and rose again). He also rejected the notion that people should have churches, believing that the church added the miraculous aspects to the bible to bury the philosophical aspects of the teachings of Christ.

maintained by the churches--that God created the world in six days, and light before the sun; that Noah shut up all the animals in his ark, and so on; that Jesus is also God the Son, who created all before time was; that this God came down upon earth to atone for Adam's sin; that he rose again, ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and will come in the clouds to judge the world, and so on. All these propositions, elaborated by men of the fourth century, had a certain meaning for men of that time, but for men of to-day they have no meaning whatever. Men of the present day can repeat these words with their lips, but believe them they cannot. For such sentences as that God lives in heaven, that the heavens opened and a voice from somewhere said something, that Christ rose again, and ascended somewhere in heaven, and again will come from somewhere on the clouds, and so on, have no meaning for us.

Over and over again in his writings, he rejects the nicene creed and claims only to believe in the sermon on the mount. I come across a lot of folks who claim to be Christian but follow more tolstoy view of Christ rather than the orthodox Christian view.

Just something interesting and sad that I came across today. 

When One Considers Israel
And Her Almighty God

For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.

Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.

And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart:

in the latter days ye shall consider it. Jeremiah 30:12-24

What Is A Man???

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

What am I? A part of the infinite. It is indeed in these words that the whole problem lies.
... And the cause of everything is that which we call God. To know God and to live is the same thing. God is Life.
.. True religion is that relationship, in accordance with reason and knowledge, which man establishes with the infinite world around him, and which binds his life to that infinity and guides his actions .. and leads to the practical rules of the law: do to others as you would have them do unto you. (Leo Tolstoy, Confessions) http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Religions-Leo-Tolstoy-True-Religion.htm

Puff~! There Goes The god Of Many

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. Revelation 20:11

[1to3]

Tolstoy was a drug addict alcoholic with a big grudge for God on his shoulder.

He respected nothing of Gods Word, was full of himself, and many lost atheists adore him for his nonconforming philosophy of rebellion.

Edited August 26, 2016 by 1to3

[Ezra]

18 hours ago, ayin jade said:

I hope it was clear that I was not in any way endorsing tolstoy's view. He was in serious salvational error.

No, you were certainly not endorsing his views, which are heterodox.  Those who cannot believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost cannot be saved.

[1to3]

6 hours ago, 1to3 said:

Tolstoy was a drug addict alcoholic with a big grudge for God on his shoulder.

He respected nothing of Gods Word, was full of himself, and many lost atheists adore him for his nonconforming philosophy of rebellion.

Oh sorry, correction, I mixed Tolstoy with Frederich Nietzsche,

Both though far off from christianity