Pray for the people of Ukraine and for an end to war!

OrthodoxPhotos.com
HOME | PHOTOS:
Holy Fathers
Orthodox Elders
Athonite Hermits
Icons & Frescoes
Holy Land
Monasteries, Churches
Pascha Holy Light
Monasticism
Monastic Obedience
Various Photos
SEARCH:
THE ORTHODOX FAITH:
What's Orthodoxy?
Who started it?
Is it 2000 year old,
before catholicism
and protestantism?

BYZANTINE HYMNS:
Athos Monks[play]
Meteora[play]
Th. Vassilikos[play]

Apologetical Notes - Part II
by Very Reverend Father Michael Pomazansky
Translated by Natalia Semyanko, Fr. Serguey Kissilev

Our God…hath done
whatsoever he hath pleased (Ps. 114:3).



The principle of purpose or the law of causality

Why? — How come? — These two questions are inherent to each of us from our childhood, from the moment when thought awakened in us, and we began to use language. "To what purpose?" and "For what reason?"

The question "Why?" suggests the idea of a result after a given event or occurrence. The religious point of view is associated with this question.

In the question "How come?" one expresses the idea of something preceding and providing cause for a given event or object. The teaching of positivism as a view on the world is closely associated with this question.

All our daily thoughts can also be defined as "eternal questions." "Reasons" or "purposes" are origin of all existence.

Modern thought, declaring itself scientific, striving to depart from the religious idea and relying on the principle of materialism, ignores the questions of "purpose." It denies their leading role in the main questions of the world’s existence. In everyday life all purposes are reduced to a minimum. One tends to be convinced that all our acts, both social and private, which appear to be done of free will, are in fact so much determined by past events that our personal will is only a subject to "the law of causality." In this view, a purposefulness of our acts is only imaginary, and in any case it is pre-determined by "social" movements. Do we not then become, from this point of view, just toys in the hands of fate?

This view is totally unacceptable to us. Aside from"scientific" theories, we should provide solid ground for our Christian position on this subject, not doubting that it is true for all people. Our whole mindset will be determined by this principle.

Published with the kind permission of Bishop Alexander Mileant

Go to the home page





[ Orthodox Resources / Multimedia / Screen Savers ]
[ Bookmark OrthodoxPhotos.com / Homepage ]

Recommended books for: orthodox & non-orthodox people





                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Copyright © 2003 - 2022 OrthodoxPhotos.com All rights reserved.