What I Believe

by Leo Tolstoy Narrated by Thomas Collins

Overview

I am fifty-five years old and, with the exception of the fourteen or fifteen years of my childhood, I have been until recently a "Nihilist" in the proper signification of that term. I have not been a Socialist or Revolutionist, but a Nihilist in the sense of being completely without faith. Five years ago I began to believe in the doctrine of Christ, and in consequence a great change has been wrought in me. I now no longer care for the things that I had prized, and I have begun to desire things concerning which I had formerly been indifferent. Like a man who, going out on business, on his way suddenly becomes convinced of the futility of that business and turns back; and all that stood to the right now stands to the left, and all that was to the left is now to the right; his wish to be as far from home as possible is changed to the desire of being as near home as possible. For me, good and evil have changed places.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169964578
Publisher:	Audioliterature
Publication date:	03/02/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Read an Excerpt

find his happiness in obeying it. It may be said that it is foolish; that, as unbelievers pretend, Jesus was a visionary, an idealist, whose impracticable rules were only followed because of the stupidity of his / disciples. But it is impossible not to admit that Jesus did say very clearly and definitely that which he intended to say: namely, that men should not resist evil; and that therefore he who accepts his' teaching cannot resist. Nevertheless, neither believers, nor unbelievers, understand these words of Jesus in this clear and simple sense. / CHAPTER II THE CENTRAL DOCTRINE When I understood that the words, " Resist not Evil," mean Resist not Evil, all my previous ideas of Christ's meaning were suddenly changed; and I was terrified, not so much at my former ignorance of his teaching as at the strange misinterpretation which had been mine. I knew, we all know, that the essence of Christianity is love. To say, "Turn the other cheek to the smiter, Love your enemies," is to express the vital principle of Christianity. I had known this from childhood; but why had I not understood these simple words simplywithout seeking in them an allegorical sense ? " Resist not evil," means "Resist not evil at any time"; that is to say, " Never employ force, never do what is con- trary to--love; antl"lfinen still' offend you, put up with the offence; employ no force against force." It would be impossible to speak more clearly and simply than this. How, then, could I, believing as I believed, or at least endeavoured to believe, that he who thus spoke is God — how could I have ever said that to carry this out is above my strength, is impossible? The mastersayjL t.n..mi . .'.'fj-n andcut wood,", and I answerTrrTcaiuiofr do it of my. unaided strength." Saying this I meaa- oe-afLij£ot...

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