Presence of religion in Candide.

Candide, a satirical novel based in the 1750’s that not only ridicules all of society but none other than the church as well. When Voltaire wrote this novel he knew exactly how controversial his work would be considering that the church had control over the moral and social order of that time. Throughout the novel there are instances where he refers to religion as a serious matter and there are times when all he does is ridicule it. Voltaire leaves you wondering what exactly he meant to say and the irony behind it. Candide is a Satirical novel where you have to truly pay attention and see the hidden message that he is trying to say through his subtle hints of humour.

Voltaire makes it a point in his novel to single out religious figures and show the audience the truth in an honest ironic way. He wants the readers to see how religious figures use their power and “Holy” title to cheat, abuse, and use people. He makes the religious figures outrageous actions seem acceptable by society only because they are religious. Since he is so nonchalant about what the religious people do it makes us think “that is crazy how is that okay”. He uses humour to degrade religion ever so slightly “ ‘be sure,’ said Candide, ‘To represent to them how frightfully inhuman it is to cook men, and how very un-christian.’” (candide page 56). He tries to make this funny by showing how calm his tone is, and how he first refers to cooking a man as inhuman and religion as second thoughts. He is showing how humanism comes before religion.

In Candide, Voltaire is trying to give the message that the church is not all sweet but in reality also somewhat dark and sinister. He is trying to show the readers how religion and god is not a peaceful idea but in reality the opposite. Voltaire wrote very serious and pleasant when giving his message, “ I was in bed and fast asleep when it pleased God to send the Bulgarians to our delightful castle of thunder-ten- Tronckh; they sew my father and