Religion in War

From the Byzantine-Muslim War of 645 to today's conflicts in the Middle East, religion has played a powerful and critical role in many wars throughout history. All sides like to claim god or a group of gods as being on their side. Not only is religion used as a justification for war, but also as a coping mechanism for those involved in war. While the majority of war novels do not tackle the role of religion in warfare directly, it no doubt plays an integral role.

In Catch-22, author Joseph Heller examines one of the roles of religion in wartime: that it is to be questioned. In the novel, multiple characters ponder the existence of God. One of the most poignant questions is if God loves us so much, why are human lives valued so little? An example of this occurs when Clevinger disappears. Yossarian can't believe it has happened, and he even crafts a story that the men went AWOL and aren't dead. When he tells ex-PFC Wintergreen his theory though, he was basically ignored. This shows the lack of respect for another human life.

Heller examines the motivations of God in the Thanksgiving discussion between Yossarian and Scheisskopf's wife. Both characters are atheists. However, the quirk is that the God Mrs. Scheisskopf does not believe in a just and loving God, whereas the God in whom Yossarian does not believe is spiteful and uncaring. To solidify his beliefs, Yossarian explains that no compassionate, wondrous God would have created phlegm and tooth decay, let alone human pain and suffering. Yossarian has experienced so many horrific occurrences that he cannot justify believing in a deity who would present his populace such a variety of options when it comes to inflicting and experiencing pain and death. Interestingly, Heller does not couple the loss of faith in God with the loss of morals. Instead, Heller's characters search for and adopt their own morals. This is evident when Yossarian chooses to abandon the army rather than betray his squadron mates. Similarly, in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughter-House Five, Billy constantly ponders the value of human life. He wonders how God cannot value the life of people and sit back and allow them to be slaughtered. This question is in reference to the concentration camps and the complete destruction of Dresden. It was Billy Pilgrim's opinion that if God loved his people that he wouldn't allow bad things to happen to them. One might consider such events a test of faith. A true believer's faith in God would be unwavering, despite how dreadful the situation is.

The author of Catch-22 touches upon another key role for religion in the war narrative, one of disrespect and sacrilege. This function of religion is usually coupled with a misunderstanding or misuse of religion in wartime. One example of when religion is disrespected is when Colonel Cathcart asks the Chaplain to exclude religion from the prayers. This illustrates that he is interested in religion only for the purposes of self-glorification - a spot in the Saturday Evening Post. This scene in the book mocks the use of religion during war. It is beyond belief for Cathcart that actual faith in God is what motivates the Chaplain. It is disturbing that rather than praying on behalf of the Christian ideals of camaraderie and love, the men seem to be asking God to save their lives. Because of situations like this, the Chaplain is constantly at odds with his faith. Eventually, Corporal Whitcomb instills thoughts into the Chaplain's head about God and his religion. This, coupled with General Peckem abruptly excluding the Chaplain from the mess hall, makes him wonder about the existence of God and whether he is even a good chaplain. Eventually the Chaplain will sin and will enjoy it without even realizing the evil cause of the process, just like Adam and Eve. War has the ability to destroy even the strongest of bonds, the relationship between a Chaplain and his God. In addition, Heller shows that the military is full of men who want to use religion as a tool without understanding the value of real faith.

In Slaughter-House Five, Billy constantly ponders the value of human life. He wonders how God can not value the life of people and sit back and allow them to be slaughtered. This question is in reference to the concentration camps and the complete destruction of Dresden. It was Billy Pilgrim's opinion that if God loved his people that he wouldn't allow bad things to happen to them. One might consider such events a test of faith. A true believer's faith in God would be unwavering, despite how dreadful the situation is.

For oppressive dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, religion was used in order to control the masses. This manipulation of religion is evident in George Orwell's Animal Farm. Orwell comments on religion through Moses the raven. Most specifically, Moses symbolizes the Russian Orthodox Church. To Orwell, the Church is just used as a tool by dictatorships to keep the working class of people hopeful and productive. Orwell uses Moses to criticize Karl Marx's belief that the Russian Orthodox Church will dissolve after the rebellion. At first, Farmer Jones uses Moses to keep the animals working, and he was successful. Because of Moses' promises about Sugarcandy Mountain, the pigs had a real hard time getting rid of him and his ideas, which ran counter to their socialist system. However, after the rebellion is complete, the pigs are glad to have Moses around, because his stories about Sugarcandy Mountain pacify the oppressed animals, leading them to believe that their loyalty to the oppressive dictatorship will reap benefits in the afterlife.

Religion can also be an excuse or justification for war. As long as there have been battles, there have been warriors calling on God. No matter that on the other side of the battlefield, the enemy is doing the same. A country goes to war against another country because it is "God's will". In this way, God and religion become an excuse for action. Naturally, God will be on whatever side he is supposed to be on, because all it takes is for someone in the right position to invent God's reply in his/her mind and report it to the masses. In his second inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln suggested that soldiers of the North and South read the same Bible and "each invokes His aid against the other." Unlike subsequent leaders who would profess a close relationship with a deity, Lincoln, who was not deeply religious, was able to point out the irony. In the most recent war in Iraq, both President George W. Bush and former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein publicly called on God to lead their troops through battle, both announcing that their God would prevail. This notion is briefly addressed in Catch-22 when Yossarian comments about how he is constantly being told that they will win the war because America has God on its side. Each soldier comforts himself with the notion that God is on his side.

For soldiers in battle, religion and prayer can be a comfort. Combatants like to know that those back at home are praying for their safety and success. To know that you are being prayed for is a tremendous bond of connection and hope. As the saying goes, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." However, this faith and unwavering devotion to God is tested in battle on a daily basis. How does a person heed the call to love thy enemy when that enemy kills his friends and would eagerly behead him, too? How does a person of faith kill without regret? It is easy to see how certain dilemmas during war can test one's faith and ultimately prove to be a distraction.

Some war-torn soldiers find comfort in religion. In Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, Kiowa, a Native American Baptist devoted to Christianity, uses his religion for calm and reassurance. Not only does Kiowa carry the Bible with him, but he attempts to discuss with the narrator and other characters the decency that religion has taught him. Kiowa is not overly aggressive with his faith because, as he confesses to Dobbins in the church scene, he has no desire to become a religious leader. He is content with the rewards that his religious beliefs offer him and does not seek to convert others or force his values. Another character from the book, Henry Dobbins, also discovers consolation in religion. He is shielded from the psychological and physical trauma of war through the power of his belief. Dobbins focuses this power on, and believes that his faith stems from, a pair of pantyhose that are his personal lucky charm. For Dobbins, carrying the pantyhose is his way of carrying God with him. For example, Dobbins falls on a land mine without the mine exploding. Naturally, Dobbins attributes this miracle to his faith. This event "turned
In a general sense, belief in a religion, any religion, helps a soldier find meaning in confusion, quiet in chaos, even life in death. For those with loved ones overseas, religion can serve the same purpose. A religious soldier, such as Henry Dobbins, Kiowa, or Catch-22's Chaplain has no problem giving his grief and troubles up to God. A platoon mate dies; it was all a part of God's plan for that man. A city (like Dresden) is firebombed; it was God's wish. Thus, a religious soldier might have an easier time dealing with the atrocities of war. Granted, some occurrences are in stark contrast to what a believer would expect of their God, but through the ages faith has been tested by horrific instances (ethnic cleansings, the Holocaust) and devout belief has continued. If a religious soldier can accept a tragedy as "God's will", he/she is miles closer to acceptance than a soldier who does not practice religion or believe in God. The non-believing soldier questions the government, his comrades, his enemies, his motivations for being in the war (a la Yossarian). Families of soldiers behave in quite the same manner. A religious family focuses nervousness about their deployed son/daughter into prayers. The family believes that the soldier is acting in accordance with God's plan for him/her and anything that might happen is because God says it must. A religious mother's son/daughter is killed because God needed him/her in Heaven. On the other hand, a non-religious family is asking some of the same questions that their non-religious son/daughter is contemplating. Not believing in the power of prayer, the family has no outlet for nervousness and fear, no deity to offer up problems to. If the son/daughter of a non-religious family is killed, it is because of the ineffectiveness of training, the incompetence of leadership, or the brutality of the government, sending young people overseas. While both religious and non-religious soldiers and their families may have valid, justified reasons to behave the way they do, it is easier for a religious soldier and his family to believe in God's will, because it cannot and should not be questioned.

Religion is ever-prevalent in war. Therefore, any story about war incorporates some elements of faith in a deity. Whether this faith is seen as a weakness or an advantage is up to the discretion of the author. Some authors (like Joseph Heller) will maintain that religion and war are like oil and water, never to co-exist coherently. Other authors (Kurt Vonnegut) will question the incompatibility between God's will and the horrors of war. Still others recognize and accept the solitude and acceptance that religion brings to war. In the end, religion is yet another weapon available to soldiers deployed in battle. It can be a cure-all for problems, a coping mechanism, or a distraction. How each individual soldier uses religion is up to his/her discretion and what role it plays in his/her life and acceptance or denial of war and its results.