Religion as an approach to the imaginary
A common motif found in the book is the idea religion deals exclusively with the imaginary. Thus, things such as faith, soul, sin and so one are simply terms coined to make reference to something that does not exist. Time and time again, the narrator points out that religion deals exclusively with these elements and that it has nothing to do with the real life and real experiences.
Religion as decadent
Another common motif found in the book is the idea that religion is decadent. The narrator transmits this idea is regard to any religion he addresses and the reason why religions are described as being decadent is because they refuse to let men follow their true nature and try to impose on them a behavior which goes against their natural desires.
Symbol for weakness
When the narrator talks about Christianity, he calls it the religion of pity, something that makes Christianity appear weak. According to him, when someone pities another person, the first person loses his power and gives it to the one he pities. Because of this, pity becomes a symbol for weakness used in this book.
Ice
The narrator begins the book by urging his readers to want to live rather among the ice rather than live in the embrace of humanity. Humanity is not presented as being a positive thing but rather as something that makes a person stop from progressing. Thus, ice is used in this context as a symbol for the cold rationality a person must has in order to advance in life from an intellectual way.
God as unstable
Another common motif that appears in the book is the idea that God is not stable. The narrator points out how God changes frequently and is not presented in a consistent way in the Bible. God is either presented as loving and merciful or as revenging and cruel and this, in the narrator’s opinion, is a further proof that God does not exist.
