It is that moment when a person brings up one of the topics that are not recommendable to bring up at the table, where people of diverse and varying views and beliefs sit, if one is trying to avoid conflict and keep the peace. I am going to be that person and bring it up, even though I very much enjoy harmony. The topic is: Religion.
I was born and raised catholic. My parents are catholic. I went to a catholic school. And the country I live in is, in majority, catholic. However, given that I am unable to take anything by faith and am always questioning and doubting everything, which has been both advantageous and disadvantageous for me, I am instead agnostic.
My stance is not that theists are wrong, nor that atheists are the ones that are wrong, but that I just don’t know and am unable to know with full certainty what is closest to the truth. And for the most part, I am willing to consider arguments from both sides. Maybe theists know better. Maybe atheists do. I do not know. What I do know is that there are truths to be found in different perspectives and that, if you’re not too set in your own ways, you can get along with others regardless.
Normally, I do not enjoy a position of neutrality. But when it comes to this, it is the one I’m basically in. Not in an attempt to avoid taking sides and be at least somewhat agreeable with everybody, so that I am likeable or acceptable to more people. Because, you know, I’m one of the first to be annoyed by someone like that. But it just happens to be the case that I am undecided when it comes to the existence of God and what God is truly about.
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| Evil [Season 2] (2021) |
Hopefully, if there is a God, my deeds will hold more weight than my lack of trust.
I was still very young when M. and I started discussing this topic and he proposed that there’s a chance a time will come when divinity and science overlap enough for all of it to make more sense and be more verifiable. And I always found that idea interesting. Some things might be proved while others might be disproved. And that’s something that I’m open to. It is something that I’ve been seeing throughout my life, as I continue to learn about life and how it all works.
And thankfully, this hasn’t kept me from befriending people who don’t think exactly like me. Actually, one of my closest friends is a theist and another is an atheist. I love and respect them both. I’m not secretly thinking that they’re intellectually inferior for it or anything like that - that would be intellectually lousy of me. And truth be told, they’re both quite brilliant and I’m fortunate to have access to their insights.
SPOILERS ALERT! If you want to avoid spoilers, you can stop reading right now.
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| Evil [Season 2] (2021) |
This is part of why I appreciate Evil so much, the CBS series. It serves to demonstrate how a team can be composed of a theist, an agnostic, and an atheist. And not only do they tolerate each other’s differences, but they count on each other’s differences to carry on their investigations.
Are they often in disagreement? Heck yes. Much of the time, they agree to disagree and just focus on the tasks at hand. But every now and then, something might change their minds - for better or for worse. And this works for them because of the nature of their jobs. They don’t need to be in accordance with each other, they just need to figure out what the heck is going on - regardless of what they expect or prefer it to be.
Obviously, a topic as complex as this one cannot be accurately illustrated and broken down in a piece of (fictional) entertainment. But the show can get you thinking about some relevant questions. Which you may find unsettling, depending. Or it can simply… entertain you.
While the spotlight is often on David, Kristen, and Ben, there are also other characters that become involved in their missions. Such as Dr. Kurt and Sister Andrea, as experts in their fields. And I appreciate their traits and the dynamics between all of them.
Yes, I relate to Kristen the most. But that doesn’t mean that we’re exact copies of each other. There’s plenty that we don’t have in common. I am not married to an absent husband, I am not the mother of four girls, I am not lusting for a soon-to-be priest, I have never killed anyone (nor intend to), etc. I would, however, smack someone like Leland with a shoe if given the opportunity. And that’s showing self-restraint, considering the circumstances. But as stated in the Sympathizing, Relating, and Identifying with Fictional Characters article, let’s always exercise discernment when seeing ourselves and others in fictional characters. To best know yourself and others, you’ll have to get real and be honest.
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| Evil [Season 2] (2021) |
Speaking of Leland, though… I could wax poetic on how this character is portrayed. Someone should make a compilation of Leland’s most blatantly manipulative moments in which he nonetheless got away with it. He’s the type of person that, if I am to do anything good for them, it would be to repeatedly call them out on their B.S. - so that they have no choice but to cut it and change their ways. How is that for being of service? It is a wonderful thing to do for someone like him, in my opinion. Along with warning and protecting others from his tactics. Other types of people, though, I can be more generous and patient with. To be quite fair, David, Kristen, and Ben deserve awards for putting up with and handling his shit for so long without literally beating him to a pulp.
People like him remind me of this bible passage:
“Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
- Matthew 7:6
Not too happy with the wording because I find dogs and pigs to be adorable creatures, but you get the idea. Discernment, it is important. (And so are context and interpretation.)
How "live and let live" are you?