Just saw the new Sir Anthony Hopkins Movie - The Rite.
While the basic issue the movie addresses is worthy of pondering on, I don't think many will get the underlying Dystopian twist to the protagonist's psyche. He does not believe in the Devil when the movie begins, not because he can't find proof of the existence of Lucifer and his demons, but because he chooses not to. Which leads us to the point where he asks the demon that possesses the troubled little girl - "How can I fear you, if you do not exist?"
Indeed, one of the main themes of Evil's attempts to corrupt the souls of men is Doubt. If Man doubts the existence of God, he is skeptical of the Devil as well. To him then, there is no fate, no luck, just chance, just probabilities. Doubt leads to acceptance as well, which is not something that you may normally postulate. The greatest weapon of Evil - the threat of an unbelieving soul being cast down to Hellfire for not believing in God. What does not follow here naturally is that if not believing in God leads you to Hell, shouldn't not believing in the Devil lead you to Heaven? Nonsense. :)
Anyway, the main thing that stuck in my mind, is the protagonist's fear of dying alone. The importance that the young to-be-priest attaches to the probable thoughts of his father dying alone (and the demon's playing on this fear) later leaves him. But what of us, who have over time accepted that we came into this world alone, and will leave alone - no matter how lovingly our close ones keep us while we're alive? What of us, who refuse to fear loneliness at the end, whether on the way to whatever divine destination that lies in store for us as a result of our actions, or while slowly fading away to nothingness that probably awaits agnostics and atheists (mercifully).
Are we fooling ourselves, arming ourselves with false courage, telling ourselves that we are strong, willing courage but getting instead made-up indifference, and then using it as a facade for the courage that few truly possess?
Or are we so dead in our souls that ours are finally truly beyond redemption, not because we do not believe not only in our God (s), but not even in our own selves' permanence? Are we untrue to the values that we were raised by, by being true to the values that we have raised in ourselves?
I do not know these answers, but the questions are nice to ask, after a long, long time. The movie is a must-watch on my list.