Guest Blogger: Mikail G.

To me the most dominant theme in Candide was that of religion. Not the presence of religion but rather the questioning of it. How can there possibly be a just god out there when horrific things such as the earthquake in Lisbon are taking place?
"They felt the earth tremble beneath them. The sea boiled up in the harbour and broke the ships which lay at anchor. Whirlwinds of flame and ashes covered the streets and squares. Houses came crashing down. Roofs toppled on to their foundations, and the foundations crumbled. Thirty thousand men, women and children were crushed to death under the ruins." (33).

This quote may not directly imply that there is no God but it definitely challenges the validity of the common perception of God. Voltaire reinforces his opinion through countless examples of suffering, rape and death. It is ridiculous to say that every horror that took place was for some greater good (ie. Children dying and women being raped repeatedly). Voltaire did something out of the ordinary by portraying religion badly but he is not the only one who has taken a stand against the mighty “religious machine.” In 1859, Charles Darwin published his controversial findings On the Origin of Species which pretty much established the theory of evolution (which contradicts all of the different creation stories that different religions believe in). One of the most famous atheists (not to say that Voltaire was an atheist) today is Bill Maher. He hosts a TV show, Real Time with Bill Maher, and recently came out with a documentary titled “Religulous.” He often puts a comedic twist on religion but also admits that the power religion has over people is quite scary. “I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.” (Bill Maher). He challenges the power of the church when he says “I think what's dangerous is the idea that someone can wash away your sins.” Voltaire would probably agree with Bill Maher when he states that “Religion to me is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don't need.”
Voltaire was able to transmit many themes in his short novel Candide but I would have to say that religion is the most important of them all.

“It's all been satirized for your protection.” (Bill Maher).