An Examined Life

Socrates is reported as saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” after which he was sentenced to death. The urge to stop people from asking questions of themselves, their lives, and their governments has never disappeared. What happens when people ask questions? They may discover they aren’t prepared to swallow all the doctrine, rules, and training they’ve been fed. They may discover they’ve been lured into betraying their fellow living beings by following false “truths.” They may discover they were born with a personality and determination they’ve never been encouraged to pursue. They may realize that their pure selves were contaminated by control so that they live in not love but hate for themselves and/or their neighbors. “He thinks too much; such men are dangerous,” becomes a warning that echoes far beyond Julius Caesar as interpreted by Shakespeare.

A film that encourages self-reflection and, ultimately, empathy is CONCLAVE, whether the viewers come from a specifically Christian religion such as Roman Catholic tradition or not. Within, viewers glimpse behind the carefully guarded walls of the Vatican as a new pope is being chosen. Through the deliberations, we see that all humans must endure assaults from pride, moral weakness, and greed for power or wealth. Even the most holy must wrestle with human vulnerability and self-forgiveness. As with all of us, their choices define them.

Many religious followers have traditionally been persuaded by their leaders that certainty is the path they must pursue to demonstrate faith and avoid the pains of recurrent doubt. Religious institutions often close their doors to any who might introduce questions they feel they’ve already answered—such as the acceptability of alternative gender identities or the sinfulness or purity of being female. Moral ambiguities neatly disappear when gray areas are ignored or demonized. In some religious orders, family members are encouraged to shun any who fall beyond the parameters of their specific religious doctrine, be they friend, stranger, or family, regardless of the consequences. Forgiveness is assigned strict requirements. In the film, however, certainty is highlighted as the enemy of empathy and, thus, unity, and destroyer of tolerance. According to the film, certainty prevents the consideration of other perspectives.

Today, in contrast, many are being forced to examine the formal dictates of their particular religions as well as their own prejudices beside the values they claim to follow. Contradictions abound between principles sworn and principles enacted when the issues at hand include refugees, migration, profit, gender, or war. Doctrine can evolve to be a dividing line that condemns those beyond to a terrible existence. Many have found paths that lead more clearly to empathy and compassion. Former President Jimmy Carter, known for his humanitarian causes, changed churches when he realized the embedded prejudices against women in his church. The new pontiff Pope Leo XIV envisions a democratic missionary church that serves ordinary workers. More and more people are exploring expanded definitions of a higher power or faith that redefine religion as a personal relationship. As is noted in CONCLAVE, doubt is a stepstone for faith. As we doubt, so do we open ourselves to learning and growing. We open ourselves to changing the society as it has been.