Grand InquisitorThe Grand Inquisitor argues that the coming of the Messiah during the Spanish Inquisition is a hindrance to the Catholic Church and to humanity as a whole. He explains, "nothing has ever been more insupportable for a man and a human society than freedom." The returning of the Messiah can only disrupt what the Catholic Church has done to rid humanity of this cursed freedom that God has bestowed upon humans. The Inquisitor goes on to list three temptations that the Catholic Church has remedied. "The first temptation: the problem of bread." The Inquisitor feels that it is better for the Church to give human society the gift of human bread -- declaring falsely that it is heavenly bread -- than it is for humans to take the actual heavenly bread. "And we alone shall feed them in Thy name, declaring falsely that it is in Thy name. Oh, never never can they feed themselves without us." "The second temptation: the problem of conscience." The Inquisitor says, "Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience, but nothing is a greater cause of suffering." He proposes that the Church has successfully lifted this freedom and hence the suffering. "The third temptation: the problem of unity" The Inquisitor goes on to say, "But with us all will be happy and will no more rebel nor destroy one another as under Thy freedom." The Church provides unity for the people. All of these temptations have been lifted from the human conscience by the church. "We have corrected thy work and have founded it upon miracle, mystery and authority." Thus, the Messiah has no duty coming back to this world and will be destroyed, as a heretic would be. This book gives many insights to human nature. It does not answer any questions, it simply asks the right questions. All who have at one time questioned human nature should read this novella. --Reviewer: alexanderford from Monterey, CA
