<h2 class="new-h2">VII</h2>
<p>The evil from which men of our time are suffering
is produced by the fact that the majority live without
that which alone affords a rational guidance for human
activity—without religion; not that religion which
consists in belief in dogmas, in the fulfilment of rites
which afford a pleasant diversion, consolation, stimulant,
but that religion which establishes the relation of man
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_20"></SPAN></span>
to the All, to God, and, therefore, gives a general higher
direction to all human activity, and without which
people stand on the plane of animals and even lower
than they. This evil which is leading men to inevitable
destruction has manifested itself with special power
in our time, because, having lost all rational guidance
in life, and having directed all efforts to discoveries and
improvements principally in the sphere of technical
knowledge, men of our time have developed in themselves
enormous power over the forces of nature; but,
not having any guidance for the rational adaptation of
this power, they naturally have used it for the satisfaction
of their lowest and most animal propensities.</p>
<p>Bereft of religion, men possessing enormous power
over the forces of nature are like children to whom
powder or explosive gas has been given as a plaything.
Considering this power which men of our time possess,
and the way they use it, one feels that considering the
degree of their moral development men have no right,
not only to the use of railways, steam, electricity, telephones,
photography, wireless telegraphs, but even to
the simple art of manufacturing iron and steel, as all
these improvements and arts they use only for the
satisfaction of their lusts, for amusement, dissipation,
and the destruction of each other.</p>
<p>Then, what is to be done? To reject all these improvements
of life, all this power acquired by humanity—to
forget that which it has learnt? This is impossible,
however perniciously these mental acquisitions are
used; they still are acquisitions, and men cannot forget
them. To alter those combinations of nations which
have been formed during centuries and to establish new
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_21"></SPAN></span>
ones? To invent such new institutions as would hinder
the minority from deceiving and exploiting the majority?
To disseminate knowledge? All this has been tried, and
is being done with great fervor. All these imaginary
methods of improvement represent the chief methods
of self-oblivion and of diverting one's attention from
the consciousness of inevitable perdition. The boundaries
of States are changed, institutions are altered,
knowledge is disseminated; but within other boundaries,
with other organizations, with increased knowledge,
men remain the same beasts, ready any minute
to tear each other to pieces, or the same slaves they
have always been, and always will be, while they continue
to be guided, not by religious consciousness, but
by passions, theories, and external influences.</p>
<p>Man has no choice; he must be the slave of the most
unscrupulous and insolent amongst slaves, or else the
servant of God, because for man there is only one way
of being free—by uniting his will with the will of God.
People bereft of religion, some repudiating religion itself,
others recognizing as religion those external, monstrous
forms which have superseded it, and guided only
by their personal lusts, fear, human laws, and, above all,
by mutual hypnotism, cannot cease to be animals or
slaves, and no external efforts can extricate them from
this state; for only religion makes a man free. And
most of the people of our time are deprived of it.</p>
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