Skip to content
Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Main Street Plaza

A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

Sartre’s Spirit World

Hellmut, October 15, 2008October 15, 2008

Wry Catcher’s question whether the notion of spirit world addiction reminded me of Jean Paul Sartre’s Les Jeux Sont Faits, which is particularly interesting to Mormons because Sartre’s description of the afterlife happens to coincide with commonly held notions of the spirit world.

Les Jeux Sont Faits is a wonderful drama by Jean Paul Sartre about two lovers who were destined for each other but fate failed to connect them. Meeting as spirits, the lovers file a customer complaint and the “system” affords them a second shot at life.

I won’t spoil the plot but you can imagine how irritated their murderers will be at the victims’ return.

The drama includes wonderful cameos of smokers, philanderers, and conspirators in the afterlife. It’s a great play that introduces you to the existentialist take on the human condition.

The English translation, The Chips Are Down, appears to be out of print but if you can get your hands on an old copy in your local library or on the Internet, it’s worth your while whether you are a faithful or cultural Mormon.

Culture Death Duty Ethics Freedom Humor Philosophy World

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

Help? Do I belong here?

July 27, 2012

How do we help “new bloggers” find their voice? Are we really a community that does? I believe we are, or at least can be. Main Street Plaza is an Internet home for people who care about their thoughts and ideas, eventhough weoften disagree. Wedon’t have the same world view,but…

Read More
Humor

Another Mormon Horror Story

October 8, 2024October 8, 2024

Horrors! Another Mormon-themed film is about to come out.  And this time it’s an actual horror story. Heretic, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and starring Hugh Grant, debuted at this year’s Toronto Film Festival to mostly favorable reviews. At first glance, the film’s premise seems compatible with…

Read More

A GAY PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD FAMILY

January 2, 2013

The Proclamation of Robin Lee Johnson and his own life experience.  I believe that all gay people are valid human beings who have the God given right to marry the person who they love and as long as they are monogamous and keep the law of chastity which they are…

Read More

Comments (2)

  1. aerin says:
    October 17, 2008 at 10:17 am

    I had to click on the link to wry’s post to understand what you were referring to Hellmut.

    Now I get it.

    I haven’t read that book/play but it sounds interesting. And it sounds like quintessential (sp) Sartre.

    I think addiction is an incredibly sad and horrible thing that tears apart people and their families. I believe that addiction is a disease, like high blood pressure or thyroid problems. It’s more complicated than that, because there are some choices involved. But there are choices involved in treating high blood pressure and thyroid problems as well.

    I think a great deal changed in our culture when we started thinking about addiction as an illness instead of a moral failing. About something we can control – or that someone could stop “if they just wanted to”.

    I don’t know what purpose such (IMO) cruel statements to that family at the funeral would serve. Moral superiority?

    Suicide is always tragic. If nothing else, sad for those who are left behind, left wondering how to move forward.

    This would also be a great example of LDS doctrinal debates. Another reason to have some of this “doctrine” be reviewed and go through a process to update, clarify and dispel. To repudiate these kinds of doctrines that are actually quite hurtful and hard for some members to understand.

  2. Hellmut says:
    October 18, 2008 at 8:15 am

    Thanks, Aerin!

    I remember that during the seventies, the notion that Mormonism dispelled with the magical aspects of religion was quite popular among the members.

    I think that is one reason why people find it attractive to imagine that a personality does not really change with death.

    On the other hand, there are many people who deal with death by taking solace that the deceased no longer suffer.

    Since ‘the’ Mormon view of constant personalities contradicts the end of suffering, there is a price for a greater degree of realism.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mormon Alumni Association Books

Latest Comments:

  1. Cara B. Klein on My conspiracy theory #2April 26, 2025

    Wow, I had never thought about it in that way before You have really opened my eyes to a new…

  2. chanson on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesApril 16, 2025

    The haiku at the end is lovely. Sounds like a great book!

  3. Donna Banta on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesApril 14, 2025

    I imagine anyone who has tried to change the church from within will identify with Kitchen's story. I especially like…

  4. Johnny Townsend on LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binariesApril 14, 2025

    This was a painful review to read. For many years, I held the same hope, that the LDS church would…

  5. LDS vs LGBTQ:  Nathan Kitchen sheds false binaries – Main Street Plaza on It’s Time to Vote for the 2024 Brodie Awards!!!April 14, 2025

    […] sincere acceptance is not a priority. Fortunately, this is what he exemplifies in his memoir, the Brodie-nominated Boughs of…

8: The Mormon Proposition Acceptance of Gays Add new tag Affirmation angry exmormon awards Book Reviews BYU comments Conformity Dallin H. Oaks DAMU disaffected mormon underground Dustin Lance Black Ex-Mormon Exclusion policy Excommunicated exmormon faith Family feminism Gay Gay Love Gay Marriage Gay Relationships General Conference Happiness Homosexual Homosexuality LDS LGBT LGBTQ Link Bomb missionaries Modesty Mormon Mormon Alumni Association Mormonism motherhood peace politics Polygamy priesthood ban Sunstone temple

Awards

William Law X-Mormon of the Year:

  • 2023: Adam Steed
  • 2022: David Archuleta
  • 2021: Jeff T. Green
  • 2020: Jacinda Ardern
  • 2019: David Nielsen
  • 2018: Sam Young
  • 2017: Savannah
  • 2016: Jeremy Runnells
  • 2015: John Dehlin
  • 2014: Kate Kelly
  • 2013: J. Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson
  • 2012: David Tweede
  • 2011: Joanna Brooks
  • 2010: Monica Bielanko
  • 2009: Walter Kirn

Other Cool Sites!

WasMormon.org
©2025 Main Street Plaza | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes