Twisted Ghost Hiding in “Lost”

Terry Mattingly at GetReligion writes about ghosts - those religious images that are hiding in news stories or television series.

Last night we watched the plane crash survivors on ABC's series Lost bury Boone, who died in a previous episode. Curiously, no one prayed at the burial. Later, we see a flashback of Muslims praying at a mosque. One of them is chosen to be a suicide bomber.

What are we to conclude? That normal people don’t pray even when confronted by death and living on an island dominated by a mysterious, malevolent force? That prayer is only for religious fanatics willing to kill themselves and others?

The religious image, or ghost, here is clearly a twisted one.

Maybe we should just take this as added evidence that ABC just doesn’t “get religion.”

Comments

[Julie d.]

Right, I remembered Charlie later. I do agree that NO network "gets" religion except EWTN and I don't have cable.

No matter how the show winds up I do like it as an analogy for Purgatory ...

They have until the end of the season to answer more questions than who bopped Sayid on the head ... if not, I may not watch next season.

[Jules]

Actually, there's a Catholic character on the show -- the rock star, Charlie. We see (in flashbacks) how he goes to confession before he becomes famous, is opposed to and concerned about the possibility that his brother and other bandmates might become degenerates if the band gets famous, and eventually he is dragged unwillingly into the drug culture of rock&roll. He is the one who prays with Rose. She says something to him about how it's "better on her side" where she has faith in a bigger picture. She's actually a pretty level character, and although some of the others suggested to her that she was in denial, she just looked them in the eye and affirmed that it wasn't denial but faith. The most significant moment for these two was at the end of an episode in which Charlie has been silently dealing with some trauma suffered on the island; Rose talks to him softly about faith and "better on my side" when he says that he's lost hope or the will to go on or somesuch, and then she prays with him as he starts crying. There are so many other storylines going on though, that these two (who are the only religious characters on the show) have sort of been dropped. IMHO the writing for Charlie has dropped off somewhat and since he has a Love Interest on the island, that has been his focus.

One religious moment does not a "gets religion" make, but I thought I'd mention it. :) I've stopped watching the show because it's been boring me and also because I dislike Kate, but that prayer scene struck me for being so positive.

[Herb Ely]

Julie, I'm reminded that Boone died facing his fears and trying to use a radio to call for help for those on the island. He got off the island by sacrificing himself for others.

[Maureen]

Maybe the ones who are in the purgatory bit of Heaven can pray and the ones who are in Hell can't?

Maureen, who is not a theologian
nor plays one on the Internet

[Julie D.]

You also are forgetting the very rarely shown character, Rose, who openly prayed (ironically I think it was with Boone) when they were in desperate need of comfort. Some have argued that was a stereotype (such as the Muslims shown praying in the temple) as Rose is an older black woman. My view was that Rose was the only one who was comfortable with her religion. I know all too many other people who are like the other characters on the show, all of whom have been shown to have definite problems in dealing with life.

Also, as David says, the island's believer is Locke who believes they are their for a purpose and seems to take orders from the island to make sure they stay there. Considering that Locke experienced a miracle when they crashed there I don't find it strange that he now believes in that "higher power."

[Herb Ely]

Thanks, David.
All that cultural studies at William and Mary have made you a better media critic than I am. Of course you also watch more media than I do. Dad

[David Ely]

That no one prays is, I think, a very good indicator that the creators of the show DO get religion, but are showing that none of the characters do. These characters are lost. They're stranded on an island and no one is looking for them. The entire show has been a quest for them to find meaning and direction, but at this point they're all still lost.

My prediction is that the story is going to lead to a showdown between Jack, the non-believer, and Locke, the believer (though that in which Locke believes is a mysticism about the island's spirit, not Christianity's God). Locke believes they're there for a higher purpose, but the non-believers can't see it and so don't trust them.

We as the audience are thrown into the cynic's POV, since we don't actually know what it is about the island that Locke saw and called "beautiful." We see everything through Jack's eyes more or less, where survival is the only concern, but I think the show is definitly saying that there might be more out there and that if the characters would realize that they'd be better off.