The Grand Inquisitor

I found this section of the Brothers Karamazov particularly interesting. The idea of the church needing to be in control of every ones decisions makes me question church more than I already do. I personally think that it is important to believe in something whatever that may be for people, however absolutely only in my opinion, I think that church attendance is not necessary. In my eyes some of the head members that work to translate the bible to the attendees, translate it in combination with their own personal feeling and opinions on the matter and then tell people that what they tell them is how it is and we all must follow it. I think it is important for people to be able to make up their minds on their own. I do think that people should have to option to ask for help deciphering the bible if they chose but it should not be pushed on people as necessary to be a faithful follower.

Although that was a little off topic I was trying to get to a point. That is how I feel as far as the church which brings me to the idea of humans not being able to handle the freedom of choice. Could I? Could I handle the power of absolute freedom? Could I handle the freedom of not feeling guilty and wrong committing crimes and violent acts? Even more importantly could I handle everyone else having the same powers? I would like to think that we could handle them but honestly I have no idea. It seems that today, having no mandatory attendance to go to church and be religious, only some of us are able to handle the powers of freedom. There is still crime and injustice, poverty and corruption. But is that because we have or don't have ultimate freedom. Are we prisoners of the church? Are we prisoners of ourselves?

Who knows??