Doubt and Faith

Religious and spiritual issues can be difficult to discuss, especially within mixed company of those who may not adhere to pious dogma. And yet doubting or even proving the existence of a higher being, in some conversations, may have little to do with why, how or to what extent an individual necessitates religion. Often arguments are based not off of whether one can prove that God or any other higher beings exist, but how individuals think, feel, and act based off of the faith in the beings. It is from the experiences of living and acting in such a religious or faith-based way that an individual is able to articulate his or her motives for how he or she lives. The experience may be life-changing, such is the case in Life of Pi, or it can be a judgment based on years of previous experience and history of certain behavior, like in Doubt. 

The two films Doubt and Life of Pi are based upon experiences and situations in which personal judgments are not based on proof or evidence of what is known, but what is trusted or believed. Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) suspects and confronts Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman)  about his seemingly unusual relationship with a black 12-year old student, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster). After he returns to class with alcohol on his breath, Beauvier questions Flynn and accuses him of exhibiting inappropriate behavior with Miller. Flynn is outraged and states that Street has no right for her accusations because she does admit that she has little evidence to disprove Flynn's story. Sister James (Amy Adams) is convinced of Flynn's story and tearfully pleads with Beauvier, asking her why she refuses to believe him. Beavier explains that she does not need evidence. Instead, she acts upon experience, doubt, faith, and a little lie that worked in the end. Pascal comments that is is this very lack of evidence and reason that justifies our beliefs and actions. Furthermore, "it is by lacking proofs that they are not lacking sense" (578). It is through her faith, experience and gut feeling that Beauvier is able to bring about justice in her school and for Miller.

In Life of Pi, Piscine's tragic story unfolds into a strengthening experience of unquestioning faith. Piscine studied and performed religious dogma from various religions growing up. But when shipwrecked and castaway, he found truth not through facts or proven knowledge, but through finding himself and connecting with Richard Parker and nature. Reflecting, Pi says that even though we can not see or prove God exists, we feel him and know that there is another power at work. It is from his experience of being on that boat that fortified his faith in the higher power. As Pascal says, "reason can determine nothing here" (578). This is too true. It was Pi's choice of living and connecting with Richard Parker that he was able to survive and restore his faith. Pi's faith was never based upon facts or something that he was able to prove in the end as a result of his journey. He reflects upon it as a transition that comes about with doubt, experience, and faith. He even comments that "doubt is useful for a while" because is tests what we want to know.

How else has doubt appeared as a useful tool in these movies or in others you have watched? Can it be considered a sort of "filter" or does it have even deeper purpose?