Religion and Moby DickJob was a man of the purest faith. When the world shunned God, Job's faith never wavered. Job was a rich, handsome man, with a beautiful wife and a large amount of property. At one point, Satan made a bet with God that if Job's situation changed, his faith would quickly waver. In this sense, God took Job's wealth, his property, his family, and his wife. When times were at their worst, God gave Job bruises of pus on Job's face, taking on his appearance. Job's faith, however, did not waver, but rather strengthened. Job passed the test. God then healed Job, gave him more land, more wealth, and a better wife. Job was baffled, wondering the purpose behind his fall and rise. When he asked God this, God replied, “…Because I am God.” This was answer enough. On the other hand, Jonah was a man whom God called to become a prophet. Jonah refused because he did not want a life of servitude. Knowing he had committed a grave sin, Jonah fled into the ocean, risking the lives of hundreds of crew members, believing that God would not be able to follow him. In the sea, Jonah was swallowed by God in the form of a whale. In the belly of the whale, he repented and prayed for forgiveness. He was spat out by the whale onto land and all was forgiven. Man fears God. God created all life and all matter, maintained them and can take them back very easily. Man realizes this, and he who has the purest faith must pay a life of homage and servitude. At least this is the key behind all religions that believe in God. In one part of the Hindu faith there is a God called Shiva. He is believed to be the "restorer and destroyer of worlds". Shiva is one of the most capricious gods of any faith, he will destroy the world on a simple whim. At one time he even cut off his son's head and turned it into the face of an elephant. An example of the type of faith required by Shiva is found in the story of a man who desired power more than anything else. To obtain this power, he had to obtain the sacred weapons created by Shiva. He began a deep meditation to obtain the weapons. This went on until his meditation clouded the heavens and angered Shiva himself.