Faith in Night by Elie Wiesel in Relation to Atheism

Faith is an enormous theme in Night for the Jews in Buna, but for me, as someone who personally doubts God’s existence, there is an added layer of oddity to that theme. As the reader I empathize with Elie’s emotions, but at the same time, I can also relate to parts of his story, making those emotions more poignant.

In days gone by, Rosh Hashanah had dominated my life. I knew that my sins grieved the Almighty and so I pleaded for forgiveness. In those days, I fully believed that the salvation of the world depended on every one of my deeds, on every one of my prayers. But now, I no longer pleaded for anything. I was no longer able to lament. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long. In the midst of these men assembled for prayer, I felt like an observer, a stranger (68).

When I read this quote, I relate to it very strongly. After all, I have felt those emotions of "outsiderness" before. When others pray, or attend religious services, and I need to come, or participate, I, like Ellie, feel like an outsider, and like I somehow don’t quite belong. I, as Elie has in this book, have come to believe that there is no overpowering deity in the world. Humans are the ones in control, and we should deal with that power in the most responsible way possible, as opposed to simply handing over our problems to an almighty being to solve them for us.

YOM KIPPUR... I did not fast. First of all, to please my father who had forbidden me to do so. And then, there was no longer any reason for me to fast. I no longer accepted God's silence. As I swallowed my ration of soup, I turned that act into a symbol of rebellion, of protest against Him. And I nibbled on my crust of bread. Deep inside me, I felt a great void opening (69).

I assume in this quote the void that Elie is talking about is his dealing with his lack of faith. For many, God represents truth, justice, and mercy. Without God, life can seem very bleak at first, but many atheists or agnostics like me have made the journey successfully, and have gone on to live happy and productive lives. It is because of what I just said that makes this theme so odd to me. I know in this book it is important to not lose faith in God, because hope will soon follow, and after hope is down the drain, your life will be next. However, I know that a loss of faith does not mean a loss of hope. If I go back to the first quote I went over, Elie does not feel disempowered when he stops believing, but in fact, he feels empowered! In the end, I don't care if Elie comes out of this book Jewish or atheist, because as long as he knows there is good in the world, whether it be from God, or Humans, he can survive.