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Quote by Leo Tolstoy
English (Source)
Yesterday the bishop came by and I spoke to him openly, but very carefully, I did not speak to him about the sins of his institution. And I should have done it... [...] He obviously wanted to convert me, and if he didn't succeed, then to destroy me, to reduce my harmful influence, in their opinion, on faith in the church. I felt very embarrassed that he asked me to let him know when I was going to die. If they don't snort something to make people think I "repented" before death. And therefore I declare, though I think I repeat myself, that I cannot go back to church, take communion before death, just as I cannot before death speak dirty words or look at obscene pictures. That is why everything they will say about my penance before death and communion is a lie. I say this because there are people for whom, according to their religious conviction, communion is an important religious act, the manifestation of longing for God. For me, any such external action, such as communion, would be a denial of the soul, of the good, of the teaching of Christ, of God.