P4+Why+do+you+think+Meursault+has+such+an+issue+with+religion,+especially+Christianity?

6. It's not that Meursault has a problem with religion, per-say, but it's that he doesn't like religion being shoved in his face. When the lawyer could not get what he wanted out of Meursault he fell back on religion. The lawyer had asked Meursault if he had believed in god, and Meursault said "no" (Camus 69). During this whole time the lawyer was yelling about religion and shoving a crucifix in Meursaults face. Meursault found the lawyers reasoning of christianity hard to follow. After Meursault said he did not believe in god the lawyer responded by saying "it was impossible; all men believe in god, even those who turn their backs on him" (Camus 69). Therefore Meursault is just simply a atheist nothing more or less. Meursault is just like everyone else, he doesn't like religion being forced upon him.

-Kayla Kipers

6. It isn't that Meursault is against religion or that he doesn't agree with it, as in he doesn't mind if people are religious its just when people try to force religion on him. For instance the judge on page 69 says "I am a Christian. I ask him to forgive you for your sins. How can you not believe he suffer for you?" (Camus). So i don't think Meursault really minds if the judge believes in God but it's when the judge starts to yell at him for not believing in God. And the reason that it is Christianity is because that is the religion of the Judge and most of the people there. Also thought I think christianity was picked because its a very popular religion in Europe and Camus himself was against it. At the same time it is easy to see how Christianity is picked on in this book but mainly its because Camus didn't believe in it and maybe people tried to force him into religion like Meursault in the book. And another example is when the judge yells "Do you want my life to be meaningless?" and Meursault didn't really care since it didn't matter to him. Thats another way he doesn't really care about people and what they believe in. -Scott Goff

6. When concerning Mersault’s take on religion, it seems more of an ideal than a problem, personally. Mersault, up until this point in the novel showed little if any emotion or regard for anything, this just being his mannerism. Even when confronted by the Magistrate’s rant concerning Christianity, the man overbearingly stating, “He said it was impossible; all men believed in God, even those who turn their backs on him” (Camus 69). When faced with such an outburst, Mersault remains unphased, simply stating he does not believe in God. Mersault seems the type who only believes in what he can see, due to his character at the beginning rarely affiliates himself with anything out of the ordinary. He merely sticks to his routine, living out the same day with few changes. It also seems that the Magistrate’s actions intimidated Mersault, causing him to feel out of place on the topic of his religious beliefs. Furthermore, it seems that Mersault doesn’t have a personal issue regarding religion or belief, but that he merely does not want to deal with such matters. Such is the tone for everything he does within the first half of the book, things only starting to change action-wise once Mersault begins to realize his place in the world. - Alexandra Pietrangeli

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6. Mersault didn't have an issue with religion he didn't care for him if he can't see it it does not exist. According to Mersault, "drawing himself up to his full height and asking me if I believed in God. I said no. He sat down indignantly. He said it was impossible all men believed in God and if he were ever to doubt it his life would become meaningless" (Camus 69). He is saying that doesn't matter to him weather he exist or not. It doesn't depend on his everyday life. The Magistrate is trying to tell him that if he doesn't believe that he does exist his life would be meaningless and everyone else's also. But to have meaning so something that object or person needs to be present or exist to that person. To Mersault God doesn't because he doesn't see or feel him.====== -Stephanie Toscano

6. Response to Scott Goff: I can see where the idea comes from. I also, agree with that statement as well. When it comes to religion, no one wants to feel that they are being forced upon by another and therefore reject the ideas. Most people, especially in Christianity, reject it because of how it can be forcing. Of course no one wants to feel that they are having something shoved down their throats because that makes them feel uncomfortable. In the case of Meursault, when the judge was waving the crucifix in his face, he felt threatened and rejected the views. Again, when the judge continued to push his views on Meursault, Meursault once again rejected these views. It was all based upon how the judge was, in a way, forcing the religion on Meursault. - Jordan Dansdill

6. Meursault's issues with religion can be pretty much summed up in the view of there is no god. During his trial, the man stated, “He said it was impossible; all men believed in God, even those who turn their backs on him” (Camus 69). This shows Meursault's absolute and definite distance between the world. He puts himself away from any socially accepted ideas. Not only is Meursault basically defying the man in the trial, but he is also denying the existence that there even is a god. This plays a role in his understanding of the world because he could never under stand the Christian man. He believes that there is no higher force, which in turn he uses unknowingly as leverage against the Christian man. This drives him to a fury and rage, which Meursault can not understand or experience.