House M.D. and Atheism

Actually, House isn’t breaking new ground or busting stereotypes. When atheists appear on tv or movies, they are almost always bitter, sad creatures who typically are atheists because of some trauma. In many instances, they confront this and as they grow emotionally, they also become closer to God.

To have a prominent atheist be as noxious and unpleasant a person as House is exactly the sort of thing we expect to see on tv.

Becker was an atheist and he had a sense of humor. This little known show was a showcase of sophisticated adult writing.

I saw that episode with the nuns the other day on some cable channel. I thought his questions were fairly probing.

I like House because it presents a few interesting predicaments to the “all life is sacred/science is bad” crowd; for one, House is a great doctor. He may be an asshole, but he’s a great doctor. The idea is to show that your personality and personal beliefs don’t necessarily have to be in common with what you do. i.e. House is a bitter guy, and socially he comes across as totally inept….but he’s the best damn doctor there is, in the fictional world in which he resides. So while we’d all obviously prefer a doctor who was a little more considerate, were it you or I on the hospital bed, I think it’s safe to say a lot of us would rather have a tried-and-true asshat than a frilly, fluffy believer who’s going to just assert that “God has it under control” whether or not we actually know how the situation will end.

But also, people who are “xHxCorex Christians,” opposed to evolution and the scientific processes that the rest of the world acknowledges as largely accurate, also go to the doctor when they get sick. They trust in their physician’s expertise of these physical, medical facts to help them through their illness. That comes across as quite ironic to me, as they’re both based on the same line of biology and research.

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House does seem to be the bitter ass that in most movies will ‘come to god’. But the time being he is refreshing to watch when he confrounts the ‘believers’.
But I prefer ‘Bones’ she is also an athiest and much prettier

I love House. I adore the work of the actors, etc. However, this is total garbage…

18: [Laughs.] Where’s the fun in that? A finite, un-mysterious universe…

House: It’s not about fun! It’s about the truth.

It’s entirely about fun!

Life is so much more fun and interesting and fulfilling and infinite and mysterious out here in reality than it ever was in Jesusland.

We need a Touched By An Atheist show, maybe like the one that was on MadTV. Something cool about a happy atheist who does good, fun cool things.

I’ll get to writing and get back to you.

Elaine from Seinfeld was also an atheist. I’m not sure if she (julia Louis-Dreyfus) carried over her atheism to her new show, though.

Elaine from Seinfeld was also an atheist. I’m not sure if she (julia Louis-Dreyfus) carried over her atheism to her new show, though.

I don’t know about the new show either, but I love how it was handled in Seinfeld, so matter-of-fact and nonchalantly. Like it was no big deal to be an atheist.

When someone in our house sneezes we usually say: You’re sooo good-looking! (Or occasionally: Nothing happens when you die!)

Life is so much more fun and interesting and fulfilling and infinite and mysterious out here in reality than it ever was in Jesusland.

Exactly right Justin. Looking into every nook and cranny of existence and demanding every scrap of evidence for every explanation is enormously more fun and fulfilling than yawning “Goddidit” and going back to sleep. Yes it’s about truth, but truth is a lot more mysterious than “Truth.”

Oh, Blackadder! I loved Hugh Laurie as the “Thick as a whale omelet” Prince Regent. He was brilliant. He’s one of the few Brits I’ve seen who can pull off an American accent without sounding like they’re doing a bad John Wayne impression.

Ten CCs of atheism, stat!

House isn’t sexist. The gist of that conversation is that a pretty woman can get what she wants easily(Which is a belief about how society treats women, not a belief about women), while being a doctor takes hard work. House also stated that everyone (which isn’t gender specific) takes the easiest path in life.

House will make sexist and racist sounding jokes, and Cuddy has commented that he likes to shock people. However, House is someone you have to judge by his actions. He actually isn’t sexist.

I enjoy the show but House’s atheism is a stereotype. I imagine that the writers could either ignore the question of faith entirely or make him extremely skeptical. The character’s desire to find solutions to complex problems pretty much forces him to be atheist in my opinion.

Who dares to bet me they won’t make him believe in god at the end of the show?

That’s why he is so “outed”.

Because, in the end, some kind of disaster will happen to someone he really loves, the person will be saved by a miracle that he won’t be able to explain and he will never doubt god again.

And once again the atheist image will be ruined.

No thanks, I won’t stay and watch this crap happen.

I’m not certain on this, but it seems to me that it has come up once or twice on C.S.I. that Grissom is an atheist. If true, then I would say he breaks from the stereotype mentioned–he seems sane, calm, affably humorous and highly intelligent. I also tend to agree with Alexandre above that the writers are setting us up for the big fall. There have been a few times when the subject has come up on House that I got the definite feeling of lurking fundie sentimentality. As far as the specifics of argument with religious apologists, I would say that that matters less to the producers than creating good TV drama and increasing audience share. Which is, after all, why the show sells and remains on the air. Gescheft ist Gescheft.

Blue Nine,

I’m not certain on this, but it seems to me that it has come up once or twice on C.S.I. that Grissom is an atheist.

I heard him once discuss how man created God, in the wilderness, paranoia created a sense of another presense, it had evolved thousands of years before, they just named it and gave it different characters. At the time I thought it was identical to Steven Pinker’s position on the evolutionary psychology of gods and spirits. Grissom once refered to himself as a “secular Catholic”.

Pretty much spot on, what everyone above has said – House’s atheism is just the ol’ reliable stereotype of “Angry & bitter at a God I profess not to believe in”. He is a true “Hollywood Atheist” (hello fellow TVTroper!).

Furthermore, if you watch these shows with theological arguments, the theist will ALWAYS get the last word (usually). Usually with some pithy statement about how super-shiny their world is compared to Mr. Atheist, and how God loves us all so huggy-muggy much. It happens on House (hard not to, considering how nihilistic he is), happens on Bones, etc etc etc…

I hope they don’t make House a theist. That would completely wreck his character as far as I’m concerned.

BTW, did anyone actually see Tuesday night’s episode? Kinda sad to see House and Wilson “break up” like it appears they did.

House got so caught up in his rationalism over Amber’s death, that he failed to address, with any amount of humanity, Wilson’s terrible situation. I don’t know any atheists like that. Yet another example of Hollywood’s portrayal of atheism and atheists in general.

ATL-Apostate

Another scene in Episode 5, Season 1, had these lines:

Nun: “Sister Augustine believes in things that aren’t real.”
Dr. House: “I thought that was a job requirement for you people.”

Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly (Nathan Fillion)

I loved Freeks and Geeks but can’t remember that about Lindsay. I watch Heroes, didn’t think Mohinder was an atheist, he gets a bit “poetical” sometimes. I had a feeling Veronica Mars of Veronica Mars might be an atheist, and a complete stereotype of a wronged/damaged atheist.

Why do people assume that an atheist is an atheist due to some trauma or bad experience in life?

Would it be fair to say that Christians only believe in a god because of some trauma that happened in their life?

Yes, House is a bit bitter on the series…..but how many people can you think of, just as bitter, who believe in a god? What’s the excuse then?

Hey Smack,
House is a popular fictitious character viewed by millions of people. Since atheism is one part of his complex fictitious personality, he represents atheists for good or ill to millions of people who are woefully misinformed about real atheists, and he may be the only example they have. We have an interest in how we are represented or misrepresented in the media. I don’t see anyone here who is discussing him as if he is real.

Please do not be so quick to harshly judge others. For you to dismiss others here as idiots could cause people to mistakenly think that you are conceited.

It would of been so great if you had all his Atheist quotes. House is awesome.

Speaking of Bones, she is a forensic anthropologist who is an atheist, while her partner Booth is a Catholic. Bones has an abrasive personality (typical) but her other ‘squints’ are also Atheists (not directly sure all of them are, some of the interns may hold religious beliefs, one is a Muslim but does not make a big deal out of it) and have great personalities. I also find it funny that they all do celebrate Christmas. I find this funny because my own mother even asked me if I am going to celebrate Christmas anymore. Geez, well then. I guess all theists can’t read or watch anything secular or watch Harry Potter.

Wow, two examples of atheists with high IQs. That’s a rock-solid argument. Two counter-examples could foil your entire thesis. You must be a closet religious fanatic according to your hypothesis. If you’re going to act smart, actually be smart.

I’m an atheist/scientist, btw.

So let me get this straight … there are really no atheists, only people that are angry and/or bitter towards God? That fact that you don’t think it’s possible for ANYONE not to believe in God, shows just how delusional you are. You have gone out of your way to prove your opponents point. Bravo!