Name_______________________ Essay Example

Judaism Quiz Worksheet

One of the major problems that monotheistic faiths faith is the question of the source of evil. As Prothero States, “One of the distinctive features of Judaism is that its monotheism is ethical. God is not only all powerful but also all-good, which is why Jews have kvetched (complained) at Him when he does not seem to live up to His own ethical standards. How can the Holocaust happen if God is really both omnipotent and good?” In the Elie Wiesel play “God on Trial”, Jews in a concentration camp accuse God of being unjust and breaking his promises. The play powerfully portrays the way Jews and Judaism have strived and wrestled with God and the law throughout history. There are a number of theodicies, attempts to explain the question of why God allows the manifestation of evil, in this film. Religions like Christianity and Islam also struggle to answer that question. Your assignment is to watch this play and answer the following questions. This is due by tonight at midnight and will count as your quiz grade.

What do the prisoners accuse God of in the court?

The prisoners accused God for letting his people down by allowing them to suffer. In particular, Moche, one of the prisoners, accused God of breaching the contract and failing to fulfill His covenant. Moche’s argument is that if God, being all-powerful and all-good, allowed evil to take place and blight innocent people who do not have proven criminal records.

List at least two explanations or theodicies that the prisoners come up with to defend God in the play?

Whatever happened in Auschwitz is merely a test of faith, as argued by Kuhn. Kuhn believes that God sometimes allows the existence of evil in order for Him to prove that our faith and loyalty is genuine and not contrived and (2) God allows evil because he gives us free will or the freedom to decide for ourselves. In effect, we incite our own trouble and suffering because of our submission to sin; nevertheless, submission to sin and the consequences of yielding to it will teach us lessons that will benefit us in the future days.

What does the term Holocaust mean?

Generally, holocaust refers to a massive destruction of properties or killing people at a massive scale. The Holocaust is popularly linked to a Greek origin which means “sacrifice by fire”. When the Nazis took hold Germany in 1933, Jews and other racial groups were burned to death. The Holocaust in Germany took more than six million lives. The goal was to singularize Germany into one race. In the context of God on Trial, Holocaust may refer to the massive killing of prisoners by burning them in a gas chamber.

Do the prisoners find God innocent or guilty?

Yes, God was found guilty; the verdict was that God is guilty. Then the jury asks what they should do next now that they have found God guilty. The majority says they should pray and one particular argument that arose described the entire picture of the movie: The only people who can declare God is guilty are those who believe in God. The trial was in effect all but senseless because it is impossible to know the mind of something or someone who does not physically exist; and the only way to get a sense of the verdict is to take it in the light of faith not in the light of proof or idealistic arguments.

What do the prisoners do while they are walking to the gas chamber?

The prisoners prayed to God to spare their lives by saving them from the gas chambers while others are condemning God for allowing these things to happen to them.

Work Cited

Havener, Timothy. Youtube. “God on Trial.” Online Video Clip. YouTube, 8 January 2012.
Web. 08 April 2015.