A Commentary on Mans Faith and his Guilt Essay -- Religion Religious

A Commentary on Man;s Faith and his Guilt Archibald MacLeish raised many thought provoking questions in the play J.B.. The Book of Job had already asked some of these questions, while others were very original and insightful. MacLeish offers many powerful thoughts on the relationship between man and God, some of which are disturbing to consider. Nickels lost his faith in both God and man. He believes that the purpose of life is merely to survive and not to live. Nickles says, There must be thousands!... Millions and millions of mankind burned, crushed, broken, mutilated, slaughtered, and for what? For thinking! For walking around the world in the wrong skin, the wrong shaped noises, eyelids: sleeping the wrong night wrong city- London, Dresden, Hiroshima. (MacLeish, 12) In fact the only thing that Nickels did have faith in was that J.B. would curse God if tested. Mr. Zuss, on the other hand, has complete faith in humanity and J.B. He knows of J.B.'s strength and his ability to love God. In short, Mr. Zuss has faith in J.B.'s faith. However, J.B.'s faith in God is ill founded. J.B.'s faith in God is based on the fact that he believes God to be just, but is God really just? If he is then why does J.B. suffer so? Maybe it is just J.B.'s notion of justice that is incorrect. Bildad comments on the notion of justice, "History is justice! -- Time inexorably turned to truth!… One man's suffering won't count, no matter what his suffering; but all will. At the end ...