How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
This morning, a Monday, the only worshippers were Mr. Takemoto, a theological student living in the mission house; Mr. Fukai, the secretary of the diocese; Mrs. Murata, the devoutly Christian housekeeper; and his fellow-priests. After Mass, while Father Kleinsorge was reading the Prayers of Thanksgiving, the siren sounded. (1.20)
It is notable that men of faith play a fairly big role in the book, and we get a lot of detail about Father Kleinsorge's religious practice/routine before the dropping of the bomb.
Quote #2
While he was at work, a Miss Tanaka came and said that her father had been asking for him. Mr. Tanimoto had reason to hate her father, the retired shipping-company official who, though he made a great show of his charity, was notoriously selfish and cruel, and who, just a few days before the bombing, had said openly to several people that Mr. Tanimoto was a spy for the Americans. Several times he had derided Christianity and called it anti-Japanese. […] Now he was very week and knew he was going to die. He was willing to be comforted by any religion. (3.46)
Apparently, despite the fact that he'd been a real jerk to Mr. Tanimoto and made fun of Christianity in general, Mr. Tanaka was willing to talk to pretty much anyone who could offer him any kind of spiritual comfort, when he realized he was going to die. So, he asked for Mr. Tanimoto.
Quote #3
Late in February, 1946, a friend of Miss Sasaki's called on Father Kleinsorge and asked him to visit her in the hospital. She had been growing more and more depressed and morbid; she seemed little interested in living. Father Kleinsorge went to see her several times. On his first visit, he kept the conversation general, formal, and yet vaguely sympathetic, and did not mention religion. Miss Sasaki herself brought it up the second time he dropped in on her. Evidently she had had some talks with a Catholic. She asked bluntly, "If your God is so good and kind, how can he let people suffer like this?" She made a gesture which took in her shrunken leg, the other patients in her room, and Hiroshima as a whole. (4.26)
Hersey describes religion/religious men having a pretty positive impact on the people around them in the wake of the bombing. When Miss Sasaki was seriously down in the dumps because of her injuries/attendant illness, a friend sent Father Kleinsorge her way. However, as you can see from this passage, he had his work cut out for him, as she was not feeling very excited about religion/God at that time.