An Interview with Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Catholic Educ. Resource Center ^ | Feb 2003 | Alexander Solzhenitsyn

[RCB-Catholic]

Pearce: A journalist recently stated that you believe that Russia has overthrown the evils of communism only to replace them with the evils of capitalism.

Solzhenitsyn: over the years I have had to prove that socialism, which to many western thinkers is a sort of kingdom of justice, was in fact full of coercion, of bureaucratic greed and corruption and avarice, and consistent within itself that socialism cannot be implemented without the aid of coercion. Communist propaganda would sometimes include statements such as "we include almost all the commandments of the Gospel in our ideology". The difference is that the Gospel asks this to be achieved through love, through self-limitation, but socialism only uses coercion. This is one point.

Untouched by the breath of God, unrestricted by human conscience, both capitalism and socialism are repulsive.

Pearce: Does the fact that modernity makes a virtue out of selfishness constitute one of the keys to its enduring success?

Joseph Pearce and Alexander Solzhenitsyn Solzhenitsyn: That's very correct. It does make a virtue out of selfishness and Protestantism made a major contribution to this.

Pearce: Why Protestantism?

Solzhenitsyn: Of course, one cannot declare that only my faith is correct and all other faiths are not. Of course God is endlessly multi-dimensional so every religion that exists on earth represents some face, some side of God. One must not have any negative attitude to any religion but nonetheless the depth of understanding God and the depth of applying God's commandments is different in different religions. In this sense we have to admit that Protestantism has brought everything down only to faith.

Also in its sharp protest against Catholicism, Protestantism rushed to discard together with ritual all the mysterious, the mythical and mystical aspects of the Faith. In that sense it has impoverished religion.

[RCB-Catholic]

Whole unedited article at link

[Nextrush]

As a recovering addict, I see the value of the different faiths (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Mormon etc.) in a way I couldn’t before because the pride and vanity inherent in my addiction made me think my brand of faith was right and others were wrong.

[RCB-Catholic]

As a Catholic, we are taught that all Christian religions(with caveats) have Christs truth, some less than others. Protestant sects can bring people to Christ albeit with less truth and the Catholic faith has all of Christs truth.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[RCB-Catholic]

I know people who go to such and such *Church* and are instructed in their worship services on Sunday to hate Catholics. Maybe their not being taught hate, but haughtiness. When they discuss the word of the Lord, the bible, they are comparing and contrasting their beliefs versus Catholics. For many of these people, they just learn to trust the people instructing them, they feel special that they have discovered the inside track, the truth, they are sitting in the true Church. They feel emboldened to go after Catholics(their families,friends,acquatiences) with little else but what they have heard on Sundays in their church.

Discussion is good, but going after someones throat with little else beyond the indoctrination they’ve received is well....what can I say? Its not intelligent, not learned and it may not be all the truth of Christ.

For many of these people, having read or studied a book or two in the last 5 or 10 years is a stretch, let alone the Bible.

[NKP_Vet]

The only church that Christ established is the Catholic Church.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” ~ Mark 16:16

[Nextrush]

God needs listeners including those who think they’ve found the “inside track”. Even in such a church the Word is used from ‘love thy neighbor’ to ‘be doers of the word and not hearers only’.

Jesus said “do as they say not as they do”.

When the pride and vanity catches up with those who diss other Christians in God’s name as it often does the words of Jesus will help those who followed the proud and vain teachers.

I sometimes get really angry with the kind of folks you talk about, but instead I must and do pray for them that they would have the peace and serenity, sanity and sobriety in their lives that I want in mine.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Better a fervent lover of Jesus if not in the Catholic Church (I’m Catholic), than a poor lover of Christ in the Catholic Church - as the latter has more responsibility (and opportunity) to cultivate such a personal relationship.

The only saving grace is the access to the Sacraments of Reconciliation/Confession and the Eucharist, which can help the lesser Christian become greater in time with effort.

I love the post by the fighting addict - about pride. So true to become haughty as a Catholic....I start thinking sometimes just like a Pharisee and I really hate that, not just to realize I have become that, but that I hate un-becoming that(!) as I drop it and go back to Christ.

Pope Francis has helped me to see that big time. It’s like I have lost my friends, like I don’t know who my friends are now, as they thought “correctly” just like me, like a Pharisee. They are still fine and wonderful people, I love them, but we think differently...now.

[dfwgator]

One of the most brilliant men who ever lived.

He saw to fall of the Soviet Union, and unfortunately, also the fall of the West.

[RCB-Catholic]

Hopefully, I will remember to mention your ‘login name’ in my prayer. I pray for all people, all things, all situations and its always helpful to pray directly and mention specific people...your login name suffices.

[NKP_Vet]

Christ NEVER MEANT for his Church to be broken apart. It has broken his heart and he weeps. Protestants know the truth and belittle and make fun of the Catholic Church. Most protestants do not recognize members of Christ’s Pilgrim Church on earth as Christians. Tell me how sad is that.

[Lazamataz]

As a recovering addict

Me too.

[Biggirl]

That John Chapter 17 in which His followers were to be one is testomony to that.

[Nextrush]

One Day At A Time.

[Nextrush]

As I come out of isolation in my life, it is good to wish others well and pray for their well being.

May the peace of God be with you....

[alrea]

ping