LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE
Do you take delight in watching films or
listening to pop music? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one
of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your
favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and
oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.
#17. RITE (film, 2011)
Journalist: “Which do you believe in? Aliens or God?”
Michael (Seminary Student): “The jury’s out on both. I’m
not a priest yet.”
Journalist: “So you’re having a final fling with atheism?”
Michael (Seminary Student): “Well, I guess it’s more like
an ex-girlfriend who keeps coming around.”
ð
This
brief dialogue takes place between an inquisitive journalist and a doubtful
seminary student who previously worked as a mortician. The journalist is
looking into reported exorcism cases in Rome, Italy. Her role acts as an
important, realistic counterbalance to the skeptical seminarian, Michael, as
she examines the phenomenon with a direct approach, though her true motives are
not immediately clear.
The journalist’s question implies that his atheism or skepticism is a final fleeting "fling" or phase, not a deeply rooted philosophical belief before he was officially accepted as a priest.
Michael’s answer to her
question indicates that he continues to wrestle with his faith and is unable to
fully abandon his skeptical perspective.
This underscores his inner struggle
between rational doubt and the spiritual vocation he is following, presenting
faith not as something calm and fully resolved, but as an ongoing and
challenging journey.
“Michael Kovak (seminary student): I believe that people
prefer to lie to themselves than face the truth.”
ð
This
line of the seminary student, Michael’s is showing how skeptical and doubtful
he is about the blind faith in a religion. He meant to say that people
frequently prefer comforting illusions or easy denials instead of confronting
difficult truths—such as the possibility of spiritual evil—because accepting
these realities can be unsettling or frightening.
“Father Xavier: Tell me, Michael, do you believe in sin?
Michael (seminary student): Yeah, I just don't
necessarily believe the devil makes us do it.
Father Xavier: He that committeth sin is of the devil.
Michael Kovak: Then that'd be all of us, wouldn't it? And
if we're all of the devil, how do we fight him?”
ð
We
can find the film’s main theme in this conversation between the Father and the
seminary student. There is the strong tension between logical skepticism and
religious belief. It reveals Michael’s deep-rooted doubts and his difficulty in
reconciling traditional Catholic teachings about the devil with his own more
contemporary or psychological understanding of evil.
** Jean’s
Small Thoughts:
To begin
with, I’m not an atheist. I do believe there is an all-powerful being somewhere
beyond us, but that doesn’t mean I automatically accept or agree with
everything preached in church. While watching the film, I found myself relating
to the seminary student Michael, who struggles with deep doubts about
traditional religious explanations of sin and sinners. If God is truly
all-powerful, then any evil that exists must occur with His permission. From
this viewpoint, the devil could be interpreted as an extension of God’s
will—serving as a harsh force that tests humanity so people will ultimately
remain devoted to Him. In this sense, the ongoing struggle against Satan
resembles a kind of divine “War on Terror,” reinforcing God’s continued
authority and loyalty from believers.
We are
currently witnessing some of the most destructive and brutal wars in Middle
Eastern countries. Under the seemingly noble justification of “protecting weak
and vulnerable nations from evil leaders or dictators,” major global
powers—such as the United States and Israel—are often accused of misusing their
influence to serve their own interests and ambitions. Many people who look
beyond the surface believe there may be hidden motives behind these actions,
suggesting that powerful nations sometimes take advantage of their strength to
expand their influence on the global stage.
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