The Fault in Our Focus

In wanting to understand teenagers better I started to read teen genre novels. One piquing work was by John Green, The Fault is In Our Stars, a novel about teen cancer patients. It also deals with another weighty matter-theism vs atheism. In the first chapter I was taken aback by its seemingly harsh criticism against Christians. For example a minor character named Patrick who is the leader of a teen cancer survivors support group. He’s a typical evangelical Christian who quips religious platitudes. The support group meets at a church basement on a floor decorated with a picture of Jesus’ heart, and Patrick emphasizes that they are literally in the heart of Jesus; this set up highlights the book’s critical view of literal Christianity. Moreover, Patrick’s testicular cancer diagnosis resulted in extensive surgery. He was literally and figuratively impotent. He had no spiritual, emotional, and social impact on the group.

I almost stopped reading because in some way the criticisms stung: many aspects of religion can be seen as a “Patrick.” But I continued because the main characters (Hazel and August) were fascinating and their insights gave perspectives into teenage cancer. Hazel makes this observation: “Whenever you read a cancer booklet or website or whatever, they always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying.”I loved these characters so what can I do but read on?
And the criticisms kept coming, and they were insightful not bitter or cynical made by disillusioned atheists or agnostics. They made me cringe precisely because they were so right on.

At the end of reading I was conflicted. I liked the book, the characters, the plot, the theme, almost everything...except its searing criticisms against our faith. So I googled the author wanting to better understand his gripe. To my utter surprise, he professes to be a Christian. He was once a student chaplain at a children’s hospital in Chicago (this experience inspired him to write the novel) and was enrolled but never attended Chicago University’s School of Divinity. He avoids being labeled as religious because fundamental adherents of religions appropriated the term and has given it a negative term.

In knowing this about the author, I understood the novel better. It was not a criticism on religion but on modern religious debate that tries to prove or disprove God. He expresses on his Youtube channel, “Debating the mere existence of God is a way of avoiding the deeper and more devastating question of how we are going to bring meaning to human life.” I agree that the present religious debate does not bring enough attention to our responsibility to bring meaning to the human condition. That renewed focus can help bridge the divide between theists and atheists.