Is Religion Corrupted?

Many authors use literature as a way to speak out their opinion. Voltaire, author of Candide, is one of them. In the case of Candide, one of his messages includes the corruption and immorality of organized religion. He illustrates this by making important religious leaders look ridiculous and do sinful deeds.

First example is the Protestant minister. This man had just given a speech about charity for a whole hour and how everyone should get involved with selfless acts that benefit others. However, when starving Candide asks him for some food – a single piece of bread – he replies “You don’t deserve to eat! Be off with you, you villain, you wretch! Don’t come near me again or you’ll suffer for it!” (Page 27) Hypocritical much?  Voltaire emphasizes how immoral this man is by structuring it so that the Protestant minister is doing exactly the opposite of something that he just gave a speech about. To top it all off, his wife is as cruel, if anything, worse than him. Driven by religious zeal and uncharitable attitude, she dumps human feces on Candide’s head. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it is just outright WRONG for one to dump human waste on a complete stranger. Who does that?

Second example is the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor, who is someone of supposed religious devotion, fights with a Jew (Don Isaachar) over Lady Cunegonde. An officer of an Inquisition should most definitely not be using a mistress — to make matters worse, an unwilling mistress.

“I am the daughter of Pope Urban X and of the Princess of Palestrina” (Page 49). Did I read this correctly? This quote says it all. The daughter of the pope? Clearly, the pope defied the requirement of celibacy.

Finally, there is the Jesuit, Cunegonde’s brother. In just a flash, this man changes from a cheerful man who befriends Candide to a selfish man who suddenly strikes his supposed friend across the face with a sword. How did this happen? Well, Candide told him that he wanted to marry his sister. Considering the fact that Candide “rescued [her] from the arms of a Jew and of an Inquisitor” and have been devotedly in love with her for a long time, he has every right to marry her (especially since it is mutual). Nonetheless, he responds “You have the impudence to think of marrying my sister, who has seventy-two quarterings in her coat of arms, and you dare to talk to me of such a hot-headed notion? Have you no sense of shame?” (Page 67). This response illustrates how Jesuit Baron is more focused on issues of social status than with Candide’s actual compatibility with his sister.

Overall, these examples of religious figures that are either hypocrites or have done sinful acts show Voltaire’s intolerance against religion. He believes that religion is very corrupted and has nothing to do with what it teaches.