Thread by @akoz33

Here is a fragment of Vladimir Posner’s interview with Edward Radzinsky, in which they talk about religion. I translated below a somewhat longer passage than Twitter’s allowed clip size but the whole thing (a much longer interview) is on YouTube. I will make some comments of my

own on this later but right now I am posting it with just one small insertion.

Posner: Tell us, are you a religious man?
Radzinsky: Yes, I have always been religious.
Posner: Do you separate religion from church or is it for you the same?
Radzinsky: No, for myself I separate religion from church but, you understand…

Posner: But when you say you are religious how it should be understood?

Radzinsky: It should be understood that I absolutely know that there is God, and all the time see his trace, his movements in history, every time, even to an almost comic level, I see how he directs history,

well as if, they explain to me … for example, Hitler - he is constantly escaping assassination attempts, there were seven or 9 (my comment: actually more than 20), but I understand that it is not that he escapes these assassination attempts,

but that this nation who wants so settle cheaply for all the horrors which it inflicted on civilisation, has to pay the full amount. Because if they managed to kill Hitler, in that moment there would appear a possibility of a quick peace settlement

by those who participated in hitlerism, that it, the entire military establishment, which caused it. Because of that he …

Posner: I want to understand you. Tell me, do you think that a man can be spiritual and yet non religious?

Radzinsky: Well, Voltaire (laughs). Very spiritual and non-religious man. But this, you know, it is a terrible limitation, in my view, it limits … it seems to me so …
Posner: If in everything one sees God…
Radzinsky: No, no, you didn’t understand me.

The point is that he gave us free will. It’s a completely different feeling. It’s not that someone directs you, you have the freedom of choice and freedom of your own will. You have the power to choose, he gives it. All the time he gives it, every second.

You can live in his presence or you can just live. And as one of Dostoyevsky’s characters said: “If there is no God, than what sort of captain am I?”. (laughs) This is also one way. Beside this, every atheist, has to be very brave.

You understand, to live knowing that you will disappear with everything …
Posner (nodding): Yes, Yes
Radzinsky: What courage is needed for that! You understand. Because of this, the Bolsheviks finding themselves in the face of death, conduct themselves so terribly.

They accepted humiliation, Bukharin …
Posner: Not all are like that...Not all atheists are like that…
Radzinsky: No, not all. But I am speaking about the mass.

The tsar was weak, and he never had strong will or anything but knowing absolutely that he was facing death he conducts himself...