Putin Laments Death of the Soviet Union

ABC News ^ | Feb. 12

[nickcarraway]

And of course, he put that story into the mouth of Gruschenka. One more touch of brilliance. Especially for Christians.

Was that parable all his own?

[nickcarraway]

Our priest made me collapse in laughter once in a sermon about this.

That must have been quite a sermon!

[MarMema]

That is what we will call it. I think we should have it where they keep the poetry threads and such. I will ask Rusivan and Russian conservative and Formerlib. Invite anyone you think may be interested.

[MarMema]

Was that parable all his own?

I believe so. Have you read the famous ( Again, very EO) parable of Tolstoy's, which is said to be almost his own?

Three Hermits. Another of my very favorites.

[nickcarraway]

Great!

[MarMema]

"And a light shone until daybreak on the spot where they were lost to sight."

Magnificent. It is the one place where Tolstoy shines, though they say he simply rewrote it.

[nickcarraway]

Ah yes. I had heard that it was based on a folk parable from the Volga. There is even an opera of it.

[MarMema]

The priest was speaking of the obssesiveness of some Christians about the meaning of the demons being cast into the swine. And he sort of went off into a series of imitating questions which were extremely funny.

Of course being EO, we tend to look at the whole picture instead of dissecting.

[nickcarraway]

Magnificent. It is the one place where Tolstoy shines, though they say he simply rewrote it.

Yes, that is when he had his finger on Christianity. I wonder if he ever went back and read that later...

[MarMema]

OK so time for bed! Where are you, anyway? It is after 1 am here....

Tomorrow we will make the thread. And it will be fun.

[MarMema]

Have you read his spiritual writings? I have a book of them.
He goes from complete atheist to wanderings all around.
It is as if he wrote the book to decide whether or not to believe in God, Confessions, that is.

[MarMema]

I wonder if he ever went back and read that later...

In reading what he wrote, I think he completely missed the point of the parable. I have rarely seen such intellectual attempts to explain a mystery and faith.

[nickcarraway]

Nietzsche read Notes from the Underground when it was translated, and very much like it. Then he found a translation of Crime and Punishment, and he could not believe how wonderful it was. It very much had an impact on him. Unfortunately, there wasn't a translation of Karamazov for him at the time. Now you know, Nietzsche went insane in 1888 and stayed that way for the last twelve years of his life. But, how that happened to him? he was travelling to Italy from Germany, and his letters seemed to indicate he was getting progressively worse.

Finally, he was in Turin and in the streets he saw someone in a carriage whipping a horse. Then he knelt down and hugged the horse in the middle of the square, just like the young Raskolnikov hugged that poor mare, that was being ehipped by the peasant. And that was when Nietzsche went insane... his last act was to inspired by Crime and Punishment. I firmly believe that Dostoevsky made all the difference in the world to Nietzsche. I can only imagine what would have happened had he read Karamazov...

[nickcarraway]

I am in California.

[nickcarraway]

Have you read his spiritual writings? I have a book of them. He goes from complete atheist to wanderings all around. It is as if he wrote the book to decide whether or not to believe in God, Confessions, that is.

Yes. Did you read The Kingdom of God is Within You? Tolstoy did wander all about. Of course, Dostoevsly had gone through the modernist/atheist phase earlier in his life. (and nearly paid the ultimate price). Dostoevsky was familiar with the intellectual aspects, but he also clung to the simple faith. Of course, Tolstoy veyr much wanted to ``imitate'' the peasants, but perhaps he never really understood them like he thought he did.

[nickcarraway]

In reading what he wrote, I think he completely missed the point of the parable. I have rarely seen such intellectual attempts to explain a mystery and faith.

True. Which only adds a poignancy of the whole story.

[nickcarraway]

In reading what he wrote, I think he completely missed the point of the parable. I have rarely seen such intellectual attempts to explain a mystery and faith.

If only he had been able to talk to and Elder Zossima or a Bishop Tikhon...

[RusIvan]

trust, BUT VERIFY ===

DO you know that is ancient old russian proverb? Pres Reagan brought it up in order to impress Gorbachev. To show russians that Reagan knows russian proverbs. It worked.

[RusIvan]

here is the speech which was cited in ABC article. http://www.putin2004.ru/english/authorized
But I found nothing about "lamenting over Soviet Union".

As I ermember Putin once said that those who not regret USSr demise has no heart but those who want USSr to restore has no brains. If it is lamenting then I don't think so:)..

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!