Night by Elie Weisel paradox?

Question

In the book Night by Elie Weisel the main charater expresses his wishes that god were dead. Even after he loses faith and believes that god is dead, he still prays and fears his power. Why did Weisel use this paradox in this book?
I am right in the middle of writing an essay on a totally different topic but cannot resolve this question...

Answer 1

Humans, at least the vast majority of them, do experience God and believe in God's existence.

Weisel's paradox is that, if God does exist, and if God is alive, then why isn't God protecting religious innocent people from unspeakable evil. To believe that there is no God, or that God is dead, is much more "comfortable" that to believe that God is allowing this to happen, or worse yet, that God is making this happen.

Then again, if you have previous experience God, then to deny that God exists is like believing that there is no air. Strangely, even in the midst of evil, prayer does provide comfort and strength.

Answer 2

No. Most German citizens didn't even know what was going on, and when they found the concentration camp at least in Dachau, snuck the prisoners food when they found the fence line. The German people of today had nothing to do with the Holocaust, and the ones I knew abhorred it and were ashamed of that part of their history. They are a very kind and generous people, and have done a great deal to memorialize the victims and to ensure that never happens again.

Answer 3

"I believe in the sun
Even when it is not shining.

I believe in love
Even when feeling it not.

I believe in God
Even when God is silent."


those words were written in a concentration camp. i think that, elie weisel wanted to show that despite all hardships, the only way you move on is with faith.

Answer 4

He never believes God is dead. He loses his faith in God to do him good. He always acknowledged that there was a God and he feared him just like Job.