Faith and The Absurd

                                                                  Faith and The Absurd 

Juliana G. LaPado

Troy High School Student

12 AP Literature and Composition

Mrs. Liamini

January 17, 2025

 

 

 

Faith and The Absurd

I’ve always been a believer. Santa Claus, tooth fairy, Easter bunny, Jack Frost - you name it, I believed it.  With growing age and abstract thought, however, my belief was proved childish, my reality discombobulated. Who could have faith in a magical pudgy man with a sleigh of flying reindeer? Or a cognitive bunny with a knack for painted chocolate eggs? Ridiculous, it occurs to me now. The only faith I could never rationalize to disprove is God, the faith the world continues to attempt to destroy, the faith “developed through the brainwashed framework of a patriarchal church,” as a friend once told me.

Of course, I didn’t want to be brainwashed into believing an idea fabricated by people who intended to control me, so I turned to the Book of Origin, the book that instilled all the beliefs, The Bible.

When I read, I did not find a book riddled with contradictions, a book that eliminated the rights of people I cared about. Instead, I discovered the story of a man who loved me so much that he carried my imperfections to his death, sacrificing himself for my chance at a new life. I found a love so immeasurably wonderful, and a promise so perfectly curated.

So, I thought, why? Why is this faith so persistent, so enticing? So rational to one, but unthinkable to another? Should I really base my life around a higher power?

While I questioned the persistence and purpose of faith, my exploration deepened when we studied The Stranger a novel that challenged these ideas with its nihilistic approach, devoid of belief in any higher power. This book centers around the main character, “Meursault,” who has a sociopathic mindset in comparison to the rest of his community. For pretty much most of his life, he avoids being named “hopeless” by his peers, although he has depressive ideologies and actions. One of the key moments of this novel is his trial, where he is convicted not for his crimes, but rather for his morals. This scenario initially reminded me of an interaction in the New Testament, specifically from the Gospel of John. In John 8:1-11, a woman is brought to Christ under the pretense of being an adulterer, to which the Law of Moses says to stone her for her acts. Jesus responds in forgiveness, telling the crowd “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 Christian Standard Bible). The crowd convicted Meursault in the same way, a way in which the chaplain attempts to depict to him. “According to him, human justice was nothing and divine justice was everything.” (Camus, 1989, p. 118) A difference between these two moments however, is that unfortunately, with Meursault’s lack of faith, he fails to recognize the retribution standing right in front of him, mentioning to the chaplain that, “I pointed out that it was the former that had condemned me.” (Camus, 1989, p. 118) In these scenarios, both the characters of Meursault and the adulterous woman were faced with remission for their unlawful acts, yet the only one who seemed to benefit from generosity was the character who showed faith, the adulterous woman.

I found it increasingly interesting that a novel about the absence of faith had such parallels to a text dedicated entirely to faith, I was piqued by Meursault’s abnormal lifestyle, and I was determined to learn more.

This brought me to further question, are Meursault’s ideologies on a higher power true, something to live by? Although most people would agree that his actions and eventual epiphany are farfetched, there is quite a large population of individuals who don’t believe in any higher power, akin to Meursault. What does that exactly mean?

Well, unlike Meursault, most people have faith in something. Whether it be a higher divine power or simply a higher human figure, faith is a consistent emotion across most individuals. Because of this, most individuals cannot truly live as an atheist with their natural faith. Evidence for the claim can be found within reader reactions to The Stranger. I conducted a survey in which I generated 25 responses on whether or not Meursault is in the wrong for the crimes he committed against the Arab. From that survey, I discovered that 92% of participants viewed Meursault’s actions as wrong. Why is this? Considering that Meursault thought he was doing the right thing, why do we, as a society recognize wrong and harmful actions *mostly* unanimously?

The survey results demonstrate the innate sense of morality found in a higher power, suggesting that even without explicit faith in this power, many people still align closely with the moral framework created by a divine being. This feeling of consensus is something commonly known as “moral absolutism”, a topic touched on briefly in the Bible as well. In Romans the author remarks that “So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them.” (Romans 2:14-15 Christian Standard Bible) This divine standard is mentioned here, remarking how even Gentiles (sinners) hold the morals of God in their hearts. The consensus of morals is found in both The Bible and the reader’s responses to The Stranger, and within society which convicted Meursault in the first place. The decision to kill Meursault was not based on his crimes, but rather his character. Truthfully, his nihilism shook the moral framework and identities of these individuals with his lack of remorse towards his mother and lack of emotional response to the cries of those who believe in Christ. The crowd all felt the same about Meursault, ‘hatred’. Something he himself was able to recognize, as he mentioned whilst in the trial, “I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me.” (Camus, 1989, p. 90)

At this point, I was convinced that the only way to live without abiding by a higher power’s standards is to be nihilistic, the approach described by Camus with Meursault. However, this way of living is improbable. Nobody can go through life without loving and caring for others, but does that mean everyone believes in a God? Technically, no, but their love for others and judgement onto others speaks volumes; volumes that resemble following the rules of a God, but not necessarily belief in him.

So then, what is the point of believing in a God? Recognition that he is there is not the same thing as belief, so why choose to follow and live by a higher figure?

Well, my initial response to this question was, why not? There is no harm in following a higher power, however, for me, that was not a strong enough reason to genuinely believe. I needed data on the benefits to believing.

The study I found was conducted by The Faith and Wellness Organization, which found that people who follow an organized faith tend to demonstrate higher levels of optimism, hope, self-esteem, and coping mechanisms, whilst having lower levels of depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, and psychotic disorders. One of my favorite Bible verses that correlates with this research can be found in the book of Philippians, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 Christian Standard Bible) So, in one of my friend’s time of need, I recited this verse to her. The words themselves held no weight to her, however when I opened up about my own personal struggles in life and how faith has continued to be a beacon for me, I witnessed a change in her emotions. Whatever it may be, a reflection or a realization, she changed. Belief can be more than just recognition, it is reconciliation, a hope for tomorrow. I did not feel apathetic as Camus intended when reading Meursault’s revelation at the end of the novel, where he expresses no hope in any future, and the peace he found with that. Instead, I felt remorseful. I was sorry that Meursault could not experience the wonders of belief and faith, the beauty that a divine standard of morality brings to life. His absence of belief cocooned him to a life lackluster of those elements. Lack of belief leads to lack of hope, as shown through The Stranger, something I never wish anyone to experience.

Through my exploration of The Stranger in correlation with The Bible, I’ve come back to the same standpoint, but with more knowledge. There is some divine being in both The Stranger and reality, a being that seems to influence everybody but Meursault. Although Meursault is meant to represent finding peace in a life without faith, I think he only goes to show that it is impossible to live in a world where morality is written without ascribing to it yourself. Although this is not beneficial for Meursault, this is very beneficial for me. Faith reminds me that I have a greater purpose, to not dwell over the small moments in life that might not be just right but rejoice over every victory. Even after reading and exploring this nihilistic book, I am reminded that at heart I am a believer, for reasons I doubt one could ever disprove. Nobody can strip my faith from me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Camus, A. (1989). The Stranger (M. Ward, Trans.). Vintage International. (Original work published 1946)

Cranney, S. (2013, September 4). Do People Who Believe in God Report More Meaning in Their Lives? The Existential Effects of Belief. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved January 9, 2024, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3979581/

James, C. (2017, July 17). Objections to Objective Morality. Free Thinking Ministries. Retrieved January 9, 2024, from https://freethinkingministries.com/objections-to-objective-morality/

LaPado, J. (2025, January 15). The Stranger Survey. Google Forms. Retrieved January 17, 2025, from https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA-YhT-VpVbDJSUTWMRZnn4S_fdHLyWybaAos43Dd3gHKz7Q/viewform

Rolheiser, R. (2018, August 6). Why I Believe in God. RonRolheiser. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://ronrolheiser.com/why-i-believe-in-god/

Stokes, M. (2020, July 19). The Beauty of no Meaning. Medium. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://medium.com/illumination/the-beauty-of-no-meaning-596680e138bc

The Bible (New International Version). (n.d.).

The Faith and Wellness Study (Faith and Media Initiative & Radiant Foundation, Comps.). (n.d.). Gallup. https://www.faithandmedia.com/research/gallup#gallup-conclusion