If I told you that God speaks to us through our urges so long as these are safe and proper and totally civilized and don't hurt anyone, what would I be saying? If I told you longing is okay as long as it is within the bounds of what our world considers normal, I would be going counter to my whole tradition. My people discovered divine urges, for goodness' sake. Not namby-pamby urges either. It was loincloth-tearing, harlot-marrying, sacrificing, succumbing, and surrendering kinds of urges. Not without bickering and haggling, I'll grant you, but ultimately urges of the worst kind, the kind that demanded everything. Francisco X. Stork
About This Quote

The ancient Greeks believed that the gods had a tendency to talk to humans via the form of dreams. This belief was developed over time and helped give rise to the Greek idea of the soul. The Greeks also believed that certain of these gods had more intense urges then others. For example, Aphrodite required that her worshipers dress in revealing clothing and engage in sexual activity.

Here, Dostoyevsky is contrasting the Greek idea of divine urges with his own idea of being more subdued. He says that if he told his readers what God really wants them to do, they would think him crazy. The best thing about his idea is that it is safe and proper and totally civilized, allowing God to have full control over our actions rather than us having full control over our actions.

Source: Marcelo In The Real World

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