Fyodor Dostoevsky-"Anything is permissible if there is no God."

Dostoevsky is a well known author . Hailing from Russia in the 19th century , he is best known for 2 works, Crime and Punishment and The Brother Karamazov. I have only read bits and pieces of each work to my shame. But I'm more familiar with his long list of quotes then his literature.This quote has always stuck out to  me from all the others. It is stark and blunt. Like cracking a walnut with a hammer , it is so forceful in its clarity that it leaves little to the imagination.

Is this true ? I firmly believe so . First lets get one thing clear , the God he mentions is the God revealed in the Bible. He is saying that if this God doesn't exist , there are no "gods" period. No one over looking the universe , the earth , you and I . No judge , no redeemer , no heaven , no hell , no ultimate justice for any act committed, no evil,no good . For if there is no transcendent truth , no ultimate good , do not talk to me about right and wrong on any level. There is only what is.

If there is no true objective ethic or moral giver than any so called morals are fabrications of my own mind or the will of a society that can move towards any ideal . Hitler or Stalin may disgust you but if  there is no God , then why ? So why do you think its wrong . If you  think there is no God or your God is just composite of your own making , what makes your morals any more valid than a serial killer who feels that killing and raping is acceptable within his own mind. After all if it is the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, than the strong has the right to take what he/she pleases.

Even the Apostle Paul echoes this thought when in 1 Corinthians 15:32 when after he tells them that if Christ has not been raised , then preaching Christ and about God is useless and he tells them that if this is true , If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

So with this in mind , if there was no God then here is what I would do . Read no further if for some reason you think in your non belief gullibility, you can honestly maintain a moral standard. You will not like what I'm going to say.


First I would cease going to Church . Burn every religious book I own , starting with the Bible. Second I would never have married , nor had children . They would be a drain and waste of energy and time. Plus if this whole universe is going to end one day anyway , why worry about keeping it going. Then I would manipulate as many people as I could for my own gains. I would endeavor to make money in whatever means I thought would be the best bang for my buck. I would seek pleasure in as many females as I could find. I would advocate putting to death all diseased , aged , mentally challenged individuals , they are the runts of the litter and should be put down to ensure the species thrives as longs as this meaningless cosmic speck of dust continues. 


I could go one but you get my point. Now any rational person will look at that and go , no way . But Why? Because no matter how much we deny God , we ultimately cannot live like there is no God . We know better. Made in the image of God , even scarred and broken with sin , our basic conscience knows that there is a right and wrong. We cannot escape God . 


So do you really live out your worldview if you say there is no God. No you act as if there is one . Because you deep down know , God is real.