I found Chapter 5 of the chapters of the assigned reading the most interesting in which the reader finds out that the Europeans have started another of their wars, presumably World War II. Wormwood is "'delirious with joy'" at this fact, and I found it frighteningly true that war would cause such an effect. Although America is technically "at war" right now in Iraq, there is a difference between being at war and in war. We as a country on a whole do not feel the negative effects of the war around us on a day to day basis, except for reading in the paper about the soldiers that died that day abroad. I imagine being in the center of a war such as WWII would have such a profound effect upon one's religious beliefs. Being in a constant state of fear and seeing friends and family die around you, being in the center of the war, such as the "patient" in London is currently, would almost certainly be a depressing event that would make you truly question your beliefs about God and how He would allow all this death and suffering to happen around you. I imagine that in World War II (or any other major war for that matter), people who actually experienced the war on a first-person basis would be extremely susceptible for losing their faith as Screwtape and Wormwood are getting so excited about in the chapter.
Overall, I just found Chapter 5 to be interesting as it kind of brought out the idea that events such as war could have a large impact on a person's religious beliefs by seeing death and suffering around one's self on a daily basis.
3 comments:
I like your distinction between being at war and being in war. For although I think being at war brings a nation to think about God more, it is being in a war that really causes people to truly examine their lives and revisit their beliefs.
Cannot say that I can even begin to imagine the horrors and uncertainty that must go along with being in such a position. Sure, I can watch movies that depict the horrors of war--but those depictions are still safe. I know at the end of two hours of Saving Private Ryan or Flag of Our Fathers that I'll still be able to stand up and walk away. Being surrounded by exploding bombs must really do something to the human spirit.
I also like the thinking about the differences of being in war and being at war. Not fully sure of where I stand with my religious views, I have always thought that religion is most closely followed and clung to at times of fear. My personal struggle with this idea is whether believing in a higher power when times are rough is a good thing or a vice. I think many people claim to be religious yet only live their life that way when their life is no longer guaranteed
I agree with the distinction of war and being at war. I feel that its hard to decide how its going to affect people one way or another. Sometimes it can cause people to really be close to God or be very angry at him. I found this very interesting as I read it also.
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