2. The nature of religion.

The word religion as explained by Lactantius, Blessed Jerome and Blessed Augustine is derived from the word “religare” — to tie, to unite, or as Blessed Augustine emphasizes, possibly from “reeligere” — to reunite. Lactantius defines the nature of religion as a union of man with God. Blessed Augustine defined it as a reunion of man with God.

There is no doubt that every religion presents in itself a tie, a union or reunion and communion with a higher world or a higher being, with a higher absolute worth, that is, with that which is called God.

At the foundation of all religions lies faith. Faith is an intricate, syncretic (that is, syncretic at first) capability of the mind, feeling and will (the triune harmony of all these spiritual powers of man), directed to understanding that which is inaccessible for the mind alone. Where it is enough for the efforts of the mind alone to understand something, there is no need to turn to faith. But in a case where the mind alone is incapable and helpless, faith is essential.

Faith can be just or righteous (faith in the Truth) and it can be mistaken or deluded (faith in a falsehood). Where and in what is the criterion of true faith? This criterion consists of the so-called pragmatic justification or accusation of that which is accepted in faith by life itself. By their fruits ye shall know them (Matt. 7:20). The intellect can never strictly-logically, strictly-scientifically, mathematically-accurately prove that which was perceived with the aid of faith. Where such proof is possible, faith is unnecessary. It is not necessary to have faith in something which can be known simply. The intellect also can never exactly disprove that which became known by true faith. If such disproof is possible, then faith was a mistake. In short, only that can be believed which can not be disproved, and the possibility of which can be proved.

From this it is plain that the basic truths of religion are inaccessible to the mind alone, and, therefore, perceived through faith, can and must be defended as indisputably possible. Fundamental Theology or Apologetics does engage in proving their problematical authenticity.

Every sensible, normal and critically thinking person, developing spiritually, sooner or later sets before himself a whole line of questions about the nature, meaning and aim of life, personally as well as for all mankind and for the whole universe. What is life? What is the origin of all existing things? Is there a God, Creator of all things, or does the world exist without a Creator? If there is a God, can we have a possible communion with Him? Does there exist another world, besides the visible one? What is matter? What is conscience? What is the spirit? What is “I”? What is death?

Does the soul exist and does it possess immortality? In what does the meaning and aim of the existence of the world and man consist? What will be the end of world history and creation in general? What is good and evil? Can the absolute Truth be known? How must one live, and what must one aspire to?

The answers to these questions comprise the religious foundation of every world-view. In the building of this foundation, all the spiritual forces of man take part: first of all the will (will to Truth), then the senses and the mind.

The most important question which must be answered in building this foundation is: Is there an absolute Truth (that is, God), and can It be comprehended? For if there is no absolute Truth, then life has no meaning and no aim.

The solution of this religious problem can be many-sided:

Skepticism is a doubt of everything; included in this is the doubt of the existence of God. His answer as to the question of God (the absolute Truth) is such: “I don’t know.” Criticism (Kant) is a declaration that the absolute Truth (God) is not perceptible. His answer: “I cannot know” shows it is impossible to prove exactly by science. Positivism (Comte) is a declaration that mankind in its growth passes through three stages: theological, when faith predominates, metaphysical, when speculative philosophizing predominates, and positive, when science predominates. The answers of positivism as to the existence of God and the absolute Truth is such: “I don’t want to know this.” Atheism is the assertion that there is no God. Atheism is itself a belief, since to know that there is no God is impossible. Atheism is faith that there is no God, a faith in an un-God. Pantheism is a belief that God and nature are one and the same thing. This cannot be known, but can be believed and is therefore also a kind of faith. Deism is a belief in God only as the originator and Creator of the world and its laws, but denies God as providentially caring for His creation. Theism is a belief in God not only as the Creator and original cause, but also as the Intellect of the universe: Man can be in communion with God through the Sacraments and prayer. The most complete aspect of theism is represented by Orthodox Christianity. Let us briefly analyze these views.

Skepticism is fruitless. It is appeased in its “I don’t know,” and does not make a moral or spiritual effort of the will to perceive the absolute Truth (God). Consistent skepticism must question its own personal doubts; that is, it becomes completely impotent in questions of any kind of perception of the world and man.

Criticism in the final analysis is only the recognition of the limitation of scientific knowledge and rational method.

Positivism presents in itself a combination of a peculiar skepticism (theological and philosophical) with a naïve belief in science. Cutting itself off from the most important and urgent queries of man’s spirit, positivism emasculates itself as a world-view, and changes into a conglomeration of scientific knowledge suitable only for the satisfaction of shallow practical questions of life. Positivism suffers through the absence of a will to the Truth.

Atheism, being a belief in the absence of God and absolute Truth, becomes entangled in a mass of contradictions and is incapable of building not only a complete world-view, but even a more or less satisfactory theory of matter, which it tries to idolize, imputing to it absolute virtues.

Pantheism, identifying God and nature as one, also is enmeshed in insoluble contradictions, since it is unable to explain the origin, aim or meaning of the world and man, nor the expedience of the universe, the origin of evil, or moral law.

Deism, denying the Providence and Revelation of God, cannot give any answers to the most urgent questions of man’s spirit.

Only Theism, and, especially in most complete form — the true Christian religion — gives the most orderly, complete, deep, wide, reasoned, proved, convincing, and, at the same time, the most bright, joyous and vital world-view.

At the foundation of the Christian religion lies a thirst for Truth and a will to Truth. There must be absolute Truth, and I want to know it no matter what happens! From this act of will (the will to Truth) is begun the building of a Christian world-view!

After this ethical effort of the will, the honest critical mind of a seeker immediately and categorically declares: But man, being a part of the whole world, not being the Creator, but a creature of this world, and limited by the time of birth and death and the length of his life, is incapable of independently knowing the whole, complete, boundless world, to comprehend the thought, ideas and aims of its Creator and to understand the reason and aim of the life of the world and of his own life. For an insignificant part cannot perceive the absolute whole!

The absolute Truth is incomprehensive to man! However, there is just one condition under which the recognition of this Truth is possible! If there exists an Absolute, All-Perfect, Higher Being (God), Who is the Individual, the Originator of everything, the Creator, the Conceiver of the world, and, if this absolute Being (God), desires to reveal the absolute truth to man, then, and only then, can this Truth become accessible to our consciousness. In other words, the absolute truth is either unknowable (in which case life is meaningless), or can be known only through God’s revelation to people! The absolute Truth is revealed by God! But does such revelation of God exist? Yes, it exists, and it is precisely this which comprises the foundation of the Orthodox faith!

Christ spoke of this clearly, plainly and definitely: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). That is, I am the Method (Way) of perceiving the Truth; I am Myself the incarnate Truth (everything I say is the Truth, for I reveal to people the will of God, My Father), and I am the Life (without Me there cannot be life). How shall we regard these words of Christ? We can believe them or disbelieve them! Man has a free will and on his free will depends the choice of what to believe! If we choose to disbelieve, then this means we have chosen “to believe in naught.”

It is extremely important to understand, therefore, clearly and definitely, that nothing interferes with the possibility of accepting a faith in God, in Christ, and in God’s revelations!

For one who proceeds with faith in God, there are no contradictions or hindrances in the process of building a complete world-view; quite the contrary, it is precisely here that the only possibility of knowing the absolute Truth, which man so thirsts to know, is revealed!

Only when one’s knowledge is merely a superficial knowledge (which, in the words of Bacon, often draws one away from God) does there arise before man’s intellect imaginary contradictions between faith and knowledge, between religion and science. However, with a deeply penetrating knowledge (which, again according to Bacon, draws one near to God), these imaginary contradictions disappear without a trace. This is why Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Descartes, Pascal, Leibnitz, Newton, Pasteur, Roentgen, Lomonosov, Mendeleyev, Pavlov, Einstein, Bergson, Plank, Jeans, and other famous world scholars of all times and peoples were deeply religious people!

Ordinary people, not tempted by science and philosophy, but being close to nature and having clean hearts, also believe in God.

Atheists, however, in most cases are half-educated people. Even among scholars there are many such people, perhaps highly qualified in their own narrow field, but incompletely educated and philosophically illiterate. An atheist is always defective — either in intellect, in moral philosophy or in will (wicked will).