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Serious / Re: How would you answer this moral problem?
« on: December 06, 2014, 11:48:05 AM »
Has anyone here ever read the book The Brothers Karamazov? It deals with exactly what is being talked about. The following quote is a conversation from the book between the brothers Ivan, a rational atheist, and Alyosha, a Russian Orthodox monk. It centers around the unjust suffering of innocents (namely children). It also comes from the chapter preceding the famous The Grand Inquisitor parable.
Quote
"...It's not that I don't accept God, Alyosha, I just most respectfully return him the ticket."
"That is rebellion," Alyosha said softly, dropping his eyes.
"Rebellion? I don't like hearing such a word from you," Ivan said with feeling. "One cannot live by rebellion, and I want to live. Tell me straight out, I call on you- answer me: imagine that you yourself are building the edifice of human destiny with the object of making people happy in the finale, of giving them peace and rest at last, but for that you must inevitably and unavoidably torture just one tiny creature, that same child who was beating her chest with her little fist, and raise your edifice on the foundation of her unrequited tears- would you agree to be the architect on such conditions? Tell me the truth."
"No, I would not agree," Alyosha said softly.
"And can you admit the idea that the people for whom you are building would agree to accept their happiness on the unjustified blood of a tortured child, and having accepted it, to remain forever happy?"
"No, I cannot admit it." Alyosha said.