The Fox TV series House made an interesting, rather subtle comment on religion and unbelief last night, but the scene reaches so many levels of irony most viewers won’t know what to make of it.
The show was the series’ Christmas episode, the network having apparently saved it as a way to get viewers to return as the all-important February ratings sweeps approach. (February is one of the months when advertiser rates are determined, and most series are running out of new shows or have already been tapped out, due to the Hollywood writers’ strike.)
A subplot predictably dealt with House’s dislike of Christmas, and another seemingly minor plotline dealt with a pretty, young, blond prostitute who has contracted a disease through contact with a donkey or mule—she cannot remember exactly what it was.
The strong implication is that she got the disease venereally. She invites House to see her act, and after looking at the flyer she hands him, he seems uninterested, though unusually polite about it.
After the primary case is solved, House looks in on the office Christmas party and seems sad to see his coworkers enjoying one another’s company, laughing and looking foll of cheer. He leaves the building, and the next place we see him is a beautiful Catholic church sanctuary filled with people during a Christmas Eve service.
As House sits in a pew beside a humble-looking family, he looks toward the chancel and sees that a living Nativity is beginning.
Sitting on a donkey, representing the Virgin Mary, is the prostitute. She and House exchange knowing smiles.
The idea that a Christian congregation would have a living nativity unwittingly featuring a prostitute as the Virgin Mary is clearly supposed to be important, given that the producers saved it for the final moment of the show.
The main story line of the episode is about telling the truth, and obviously this young woman has failed to tell the congregation’s leaders the truth about herself.
Yet House doesn’t fault her for it, unlike his treatment of everyone else in the episode. He could have done so when she gave him the flyer. But instead he holds his tongue, for perhaps the first time in his life.
Why? Apparently because he enjoys the irony. But House would never allow that as an excuse for any other lie.
The only thing we can conclude is that House hates religion more than he loves the truth.
That’s a very revealing point about House—and about many unbelievers in general.
Great post, Sam, and intriguing analysis. I think you are correct: House does hate religion; he clearly has an issue with God, as previous episodes have made clear. What has begun to annoy me, at times, with the show (which is one of my favorites) is House’s apparent enjoyment of things perverse. He used to come off as the jerk you could love; increasingly he is simply a twisted jerk, period. The show certainly tries to a walk a fine line in that regard, but I’m not sure how well it is succeeding.
Mike, Sam,
Very few people know who Amalek IS. A great grandson of Isaac thru Esau. I’ve written on it before and will again, but won’t direct you to it now.
He is only mentioned in two places in Genesis, and then reappears right after the Israelites pass thru the Red Sea, in an attack wherein it is declared “God will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Note that it is not God who is the instigator.
And as if to underscore where Amalek may appear next, what did Moses have to do after he defeated Amalek there? He had to put down an INTERNAL revolt.
There is a great deal more about Amalek. I’ll save it.
But it is should be particularly worthy of note to you Sam in your worry over STATISM.
Many years later, in the Book of Judges, Samuel kept telling the Israelites that they didn’t need a king. Yes, your namesake.
He tried to convince ’em — unsuccessfully — that they didn’t WANT a king.
And what did they want a king FOR? To defend against Amalek, the ultimate hater of God simply because He was God (and Amalek wasn’t).
Message: The increase of the number of those that hate God and the “need” for the rise of the state were connected for us in the Bible. I think that is a warning that they’ll always be connected.
Alternatively, the church in the episode could have knowingly used a prostitute as Mary. I know of many churches that would do that. Mary was accused of fornication, and Jesus hung out with prostitutes, and gave some of his highest praise for them. The episode could be still dwelling deep on irony, but merely showing how prostitution doesn’t make something evil, by pointing out how easy it was for the viewers to assume bestiality, because of our inherent assumptions about prostitutes, rather than realizing that there’s plenty of good in a woman, regardless of if she’s a prostitute.
Sam,
Great insight. Continue to love the show.
I would say, from my Christian presuppositions, that atheists really hate the God they proclaim doesn’t exist. They would say it’s Christians, not God that they despise, but the animosity toward God is very real. As Paul says, in our sin nature we are literally at war with God. It seems all the committed, faithful atheists I’ve heard or read or met have this deep seated anger. And as you show with House, it will always trump whatever supposed principals they hold.