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Author : Bondarev Gennady (Bondarew Gennadij)
Title : The crisis of civilization
Year : *

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Ships and Destinies. At no time since the beginning of the Christian era nearly 2000 years ago, have the unmasking and incriminating words of Christ Jesus spoken towards the end of his life to the Scribes and Pharisees possessed greater relevance than they do in our own day. It seems as though we have arrived at that limit, where the cup of divine forbearance is about to overflow and God Himself speaks to a humanity that has gone much too far: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth … Verily I say unto you: All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets which are sent unto thee. … Behold, your house is left unto you desolate … (Matthew 23; 35-38). The God of the New Covenant, however, does not reply with vengeance to the horrors of devastation that humans beings intend to carry out at the holy place, but He offers Himself up in a sacrifice as he undertakes to transform the great evil into a still greater good. Thus it has been since the Mystery of Golgatha. But now the question arises: ‘Can things go on in this way endlessly?’ We, at the close of the 20th century, ask ourselves with justified apprehension: ‘If so, would not our house really be left unto us desolate and would not all of earth’s humanity have to prematurely end its journey?!’ These are our thoughts and our words, for only to us is it given to experience how slender and fragile are the supports of our civilization and culture, together with the whole human environment. Feelings and sensations of this kind were unknown to our ancestors. That nature bears such a potential within it would have been inconceivable to them. With delight, with enthusiasm even, they fought and deceived one another; they slandered, bore false witness, burned opponents at the stake; unleashed religious wars, made enemies among themselves or with other nations. The victims were only in the ten and hundred thousands, then later in the ten and hundred millions. But now those who preside over the fate of humanity have for the first time grown thoughtful and have asked themselves the question: ‘Is it rational to destroy 90 %, or even 99 % of the earth’s inhabitants in order that the remaining 10 % or 1 % might live better lives?’ In times when the crisis in the world is particularly grave and there are few hopeful signs, the divine hand of Providence offers special help. Seen from the point of view of time the latest and greatest gift is Anthroposophy. The Christmessenger Rudolf Steiner came on the eve of this fateful century in order to bring freedom to humanity and thereby infuse culture with a new life-impulse, for at the time of His return the Son of God has no wish to find slaves, but free human beings confessing to Him. ...