“That’s all for today, Monsieur Antichrist” (Camus 71)

Throughout modern literature there is no topic more common than the existence of God. Authors feel the need to include their beliefs into their writing. It is then that because of analytic insufficiency we should turn to comparative literature to find the unusual meaning. Catch-22 and The Stranger offer a wide range toward the understanding of God creating a very vivid picture of the almighty.

Heller’s and Camus’ explanation of God is significantly different but the reasoning behind their atheism provides a redefinition of hope. The Stranger, with a more existentialist thematic, questions the idea of God. Meursault doesn’t just neglect God, he has lost hope in having hope. The novel just seams to flow through, it asks no futuristic questions for it sees no point in the future. The Magistrate asks Meursault, Do you want my life to be meaningless?” (69) Almost as if Meursault’s life was meaning less because of the lack of God even though as readers we know his life  does have a meaning.  The Magistrate’s question suggests that Meursault’s society categorizes God as the meaning of life and his lack of it disrupts others’ existence. Camus forms a critique on the way others wish to impose their beliefs. Heller exposes a similar relationship when Yossarian and Lieutenant Scheisskopf’s wife discuss God. Even though she is an atheist she is bothered by Yossarian’s conception of God for she claims, “the God I don’t believe in is a good God, a just God, a merciful God”. Heller takes the concept of oppression upside down to emphasize what people have lost hope in. The conclusion these two author’s make is that people have turned into realism. No longer do we feel an almighty god watching over us. Hope has not been destroyed, it has been revaluated.

The two novel’s develop a critique on religion and at the same time hold core values  as a necessary morale. Heller and Camus take religion almost as a concepts or templates, they suggest that one’s values should build upon them yet not with them. Both authors’ form critiques on religion, Camus develops the Magistrate as a frustrated and angry man that shoves crucifixes at people’s faces while Heller creates the chaplain, a frustrated and sorrow man that lives secluded in the forest. Meanwhile these characters create a great offensive against religion, the authors seam to valor the Christian hopes of spreading wellbeing. Heller writes that for the Chaplain the other aspects of illogical religion “tormented him. Yet they never seamed nearly as crucial to him as the question of kindness and good manners” (268) Not excluding, Camus believes that it would be illogic for God to forgive anyone if he really wanted to make people do good deeds.  They both believe that humans should propagate goodness and that the essence of religion should be conserved.

Although Catch-22 and The Stranger are considered harsh critiques on religion, their revaluation of faith and their unearthing on the essence of religion form them to be testaments towards human faith. The authors suggest religion will serve to propagate good but might end up withdrawing what it initially stood for.