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On the Volga.
147
or less been intolerant, and attempted compulsion of conscience
in the name of Christ. In His name even war is carried on, and
God’s blessing- is invoked on wholesale murder. Not only during
war, but at all times they pray that God will give us victory over
our enemies and trample them under our feet, as it stands in
our Russian church prayers. There is much besides from which
I have to dissent, and therefore I have of late come to the
conclusion that it i& best to leave the people without forcing
upon them anything that contradicts their beliefs, and allow
them to develop naturally."
To my question how, with such views, he could retain his
position as Professor in an Orthodox University, he replied :
" It is quite natural. I teach religion as I would any other
subject. I find it very interesting to study the different
religions and compare them, and it is just through these
researches that I have arrived at my present views."
" What! do you say we do not need our Orthodox faith ? "
here struck in, in lialf-astonished, half-insulted tone, a fat and
ruddy youth who was sitting opposite my companion, and had
listened to the conversation, evidently understanding no more
than that the Professor had spoken against the Orthodox
religion.
" What fault do you find with our Orthodox faith ? Is it so
difficult for you to make the sign of the Cross before a picture?
Nothing else is required." And he broke out into a self-satisfied
chuckle as he threw himself back in his seat and closed his
little eyes, almost buried in fat, while his whole jovial and
well-fed figure shook with laughter.
" And when the Great Lent comes on we eat in the last week
cabbage and onions, and drink kvass as much as the soul
requires ; then go to the pope and leave our sins with him for
twenty copecks, take the Holy Sacrament" (here he made a
pious grimace), " and after the midnight service on Easter Eve
we make up for the fasting by eating eggs, lamb, pork, butter,
and cheese, and on Easter morning go a-feasting and have a
jolly time till next Lent. No ! there is no better religion
in the world than our Orthodox faith ! Is it not so,
grandfather ? " he said, turning to an aged citizen, one of the " old
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