Theism vs. Atheism in Catch-22Joseph Heller's novel, Catch-22, deals with many problems that humanity is prone to face. One question raised is that of theism versus atheism. This argument manifests itself in a dialogue of approximately two pages between Yossarian, the main character, and Lieutenant Scheisskopf's wife. In this particular scene, Yossarian and the lieutenant's wife debate the existence of G-d, presumably in the Judeo-Christian sense. The scene begins with each character presented as an atheist, even if the degeneration of the argument ends up proving otherwise. Yossarian is portrayed as a character in a perpetually negative state of mind; he is invariably bitter and jaded, not least because he was forced to fight in World War II. Yossarian's experiences led him to expect the worst from life and to disbelieve in a God who causes things such as tooth decay and pain. The reader knows very little about Lieutenant Scheisskopf's wife, other than her sexual escapades with the soldiers serving under her husband's command. However, she seems to feel that there are things in life that one can be grateful for in all circumstances. Yossarian attempts to prove his point through a long, rather humorous speech about G-d being a bumbling fool who "stole old people's power to control their bowel movements" (189). While Yossarian raises a valid question against the existence of G-d, the fact that he debates the existence of G-d and speaks as if G-d exists provides the necessary loophole for G-d to be a trap . Considered without the idea of ​​Catch-22, the singular flaw in Yossarian's argument is that h...... middle of paper ...... point of stupidity) right in front of a point serious in order to make the point more obvious. The fact that Heller chose religion as a topic to address shows great strength, especially since Catch-22 was originally written in the late 1950s - a time when the concept of free thought was still in its infancy . The method of satire as a means of attacking an issue provides an effective way of expressing ideas while maintaining a light connotation as a defense against retaliation. The scene relating to the atheism debate was both amusing and thought-provoking, a difficult task to overcome. Works Cited: Heller, Joseph. The Chelsea House Literary Criticism Library. Twentieth-Century American Literature Vol. 3. New York. Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York: Dell Editions, 1991