Test Your Knowledge of José Saramago's Controversial Views on Religion and Socie...

Study Notes

The author is questioning contemporary society and the role of human existence in a capitalist society.
The author moved to Lanzarote, the easternmost island of the Canary Islands.
The justification for the move was censorship in Portugal, but it reveals more about the author than just that.
The island is geographically inhospitable, being a volcanic island with little vegetation.
José Saramago made comments about the suffering of the Jewish people.
Some of the comments were seen as abusive and anti-Semitic by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The ADL is a Jewish civil rights group.
Abraham Foxman, director of the ADL, called Saramago's comments "incendiary" and "deeply offensive".
Foxman also accused Saramago of ignorance and prejudice against Jews.
Some authors defended Saramago.
The context and exact nature of Saramago's comments are not provided.
Saramago was a Portuguese writer and Nobel Prize winner.
The article suggests that Saramago's comments may have been related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The article lacks sources for some of its claims.
Saramago believed that only the Catholic Church can interpret the Bible.
The Vatican's official newspaper criticized Saramago after his death.
Saramago called Pope Benedict XVI a "cynic" during his visit to Rome.
Saramago was a vocal critic of religion.
He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998.
Saramago's book "Cain" caused controversy for its interpretation of the Bible.
He believed that individuals should not interpret the Bible independently.
Saramago was a Portuguese writer who passed away in 2010.
He was known for his philosophical and political views.
Saramago's criticism of the Catholic Church was controversial.
José Saramago, a Portuguese writer, faced criticism for his books "O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo" and "Caim".
He accused Pope Benedict XVI of using God to reinforce neomedievalism and only being interested in power.
Eurodeputy Mario David called for Saramago to renounce his Portuguese nationality.
Saramago clarified that he had no intention of abandoning his Portuguese citizenship.
Eurodeputy Edite Estrela defended Saramago, calling David's words inquisitorial.
Sousa Lara, a sub-secretary of state, compared Saramago to Berlusconi and suggested he should be punished for his writing in "Caim".
Poet Manuel Alegre defended Saramago's right to express his opinions and write books.
Alegre saw the criticism as prejudice and remnants of dogmatism.
Saramago proposed two new rights to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the right to dissent and the right to heresy.
Saramago moved from Portugal to Spain after facing criticism for his books.