House has been one of my favorite TV shows since its debut. It is one of the few shows that can manage to tread on moral and/or religious issues without just being plain stupid or offensive. (This might be one of the reasons why.)
The episode that was broadcast on Monday has all of the fairness that I’ve come to expect and it adds to the general weight of the show. If I give you a very quick sketch – athiest doctor, priest and potential abuse/AIDS – what would you expect the fuller story line to be? Something like – Heroic atheist doctor battles qualms about treating heinous abusive priest while attempting to heal his victims. Sound about right? Instead this episode was more – Heroic atheist doctor is engaged by heroic priest faltering under unjust burden. Both men are changed.
The line of the night went to the priest – “That is an awful lot of coincidence.” The show does not explain away suffering or excuse it. It does not produce miracle changes in people. Neither House nor the priest express explicit faith, but both have no answer for that line. They are both wrestling with coincidence and the hiddenness of God. We would like the glory, or a simple demonstration proof. That is not what we get. Instead, we get mystery and hiddenness. A very complicated and deep theological pondering for an american TV show.
Is Dr. Greg House truly atheist, or agnostic?
Hey, Dennis. Good question. In words, Dr. House would seem to be an atheist. In this episode he kept responding to the priest that everything could be rationally explained. The agnostic I think would have admitted the priest’s comment on coincidence, but not cared to argue instead chalk it up as one more thing we don’t know about. House thinks he knows something – everything is rational and material. The agnostic has given up hope of knowing.