Regarding Ely (Possible Spoiler)

[-Jake-]

Sorry to join the discussion so late, but I tend to agree with what was said by "Sticks" regarding the passage, "there is no God and we are his prophets".  A prophet is believed to be the mortal mouthpiece of God, thus Ely is saying that there is no God and we (the inhabitants of the ravaged world) are a declaration or proof that there is no God because he would not leave his children in such abandonment.  Ely offers as much despair as he does hope.  IMHO.  

I have also been wondering about the un-capitalized "god".

[PoldyBloom]

Yes, Elijah first appears in 1 Kings, Chapter 17, and the lights go out at 1:17.  But, I see no parallels between the story in Kings and the plot in The Road.  And I can't find anything in 1 Kings, chapter 17 having anything at all to any lights going out.  Nor can I find anything relevant in 1Samuel:17, 1 Chronicles: 17, 1 Corinthains: 17 , 1 Thessalonians: 17 (which doesn't exist), or 1 Timothy: 17 (same-o).

     The lights going out at 1:17 is clearly deliberate and important, butI I don't think we've figured it out yet.