Philosophical observation of the relationship between Albert and William
this is a fairly subjective interpretation on my part, but I have previously conducted several analyses of religious references in manga, so I have now decided to approach this one specifically through philosophy
Some philosophers, such as Bruno Bauer, once believed that criticism must be directed primarily at religion. In their view, liberation from religion equates to liberation of society. In Ludwig Feuerbach's work, the critique becomes more developed: God is merely a projection of human essence. People unconsciously attribute their own qualities to God and then begin to worship this projection. However, philosophers as Karl Marx, who initially shared this view, later stated that criticism of religion is the prerequisite of all criticism. For him, religion is only an expression of human suffering, and therefore one must examine the social conditions that produce this suffering. The full quotation reads as follows: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." The logic here is that if suffering and exploitation were to disappear entirely, the need to seek consolation in religion would also disappear. From this follows my interpretation of the religious references, in which Albert gradually begins to see less and less of William in religious terms. William becomes a form of salvation at the level of Albert’s internal motivation, where a clear parallel can be observed. His worldview changes not because someone convinces him of the falsity of religion, but because he begins to believe in the possibility of transforming the world itself, which previously seemed unchangeable. For Albert, religion initially functions as a response to experienced alienation and injustice. However, once the possibility of acting to change the social order emerges, the need for religion as the primary form of reconciliation with reality diminishes. What changes is not belief itself, but rather Albert's relationship to his own capacity to transform the world.