Owen conveys his perspective on organized religion through his poetry. The altruistic values usually associated with religion are obscured so that it can become a means of propaganda to promote patriotism and war. This inappropriate convergence of state and ecclesiastical affairs leads to Owen's disillusionment. The uselessness of the organized church is highlighted as it provides no consolation to those on the battlefield. The genuine values of religion can only be represented by the soldiers themselves, in their sacrifice; not to their state but to their fellow soldiers. Owen explores these ideas in various works, namely At a Calvary Near the Ancre, Le Christianisme, Anthem for Doomed Youth, and The Parable of the Old Man and the Young. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The main and general problem with Owen's disillusionment is the incompatibility between war and Christianity, or rather patriotism and religion respectively. There is no religious comfort on the battlefield. The authorities promoting the church act only as frontmen and offer no consolation to the soldiers. The "packed saints lie in a heap" in Le Christianisme and do not care about the rubble above them as the authorities remain indifferent to the soldiers' suffering. The former are far from the battlefield and separated from the desolation in which they themselves pushed the young people to take part. This disillusionment is displayed by “the Christ Church” which “has been struck and buried”. The "church" represents Owen's disillusionment, which is then re-emphasized in the de-capitalization of the word, showing its uselessness on the battlefield. Another idle figure is the "Only Virgin still immaculate." It was untouched by the war. It's ironic how she embodies innocence and purity but encourages war; 'She smiles because the war flatters her.' This reflects the hypocritical position of the authorities who incite hatred towards the enemy but still act as one entity with the Church. This creates a conflict between true religion and that promoted by the state which serves as the root cause of Owen's disillusionment. The contention between the two aspects of religion is also reflected in At a Calvary Near the Ancre. The 'disciples', priests and 'scribes' are those who are attributed to religion and its administration but are indifferent to the sacrifice of Christ. They take these positions as people of religious values, yet are not seen practicing them in any way. The church is only used as part of a campaign to justify war; however, their real concern is nationalistic pride. This emphasis on pride challenges the idea of religion since the latter usually advocates humility and selflessness. Pride is seen as the main cause of war in the parable of the old man and the young man as Abraham did not want to sacrifice the "ram of pride" rather "he killed his son and half the seed of Europe one by one". Disillusionment is therefore seen where friction is created between the real concerns of the warmongers; “and in their faces there is pride” and their inappropriate use of religion to promote war. The church's true message is distorted and so is Owen's faith in it. Aside from the conflicts between war and Christianity, Owen's disillusionment is also based on the uselessness of the church and its inadequate response to war. The same Church that encourages young people in war is absent on the battlefield. This falseness and futility is seen especially in Anthem for Doomed Youth, where a great distinction is made between the homeland and the battlefield. In this.
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