With series 8 referencing ‘heaven’, Nathan traces Doctor Who’s varied relationships with atheism and faith…
I was a massiveSimpsonsfan as a child.
Obscure number plates, birthdays of secondary characters, dates of key events and much more besides.
My point is this: I wasnt just a fan, I was an uber-fan.
You might be asking, whats this got to do withDoctor Who?
trust me, Im getting there.
I would track every rumour in every magazine and every comic but alas, nothing.
By then it was too late.
I was a crusty postgrad student and had enjoyed several other obsessions since the yellow heydays of the 90s.
Cut to November 2013.
You might remember that DW was everywhere.
(Though the less said of that the better.)
Everyone seemed to be in love with my favourite show.
Wed booked tickets to see The Day Of The Doctor at the cinema and I couldnt be happier.
It was like being a kid again… just, without the notebooks.
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It was around this time that I watched avideoon YouTube, entitled50 Years Of Humanism.
As the title implies, its apparent purpose was to celebrateDWas a paragon of secular humanist identity.
Sure, I can watch it.
I might even greatly enjoy it.
my belief that this Jesus fella was actually kind of a big deal.
There must be countless otherDWfans who just so happen to have a faith, too.
After all,DWembraces a cosmic panoply of differences, even those that seem silly to us stupid apes.
To paraphrase lyrical genius: thats what it makes it beautiful.
This is why Id never sayDWis a religious show because that would just be silly.
But Im also convinced we cant say its an atheist show, either.
Indeed, there also exist numerous other voices within its canon that are positively sympathetic towards such issues.
In all fairness, many fans may be of the opinion that DW is a secular show.
This is totally understandable.
Russell T. Davies hasdescribedhow its always been his intention to present gay characters in a sympathetic light.
(Indeed, Jennys defence of her marriage to Vastra demonstrates that this remains a priority.)
This, coupled with sympatheticcameosfrom Richard Dawkins certainly explains why some intuitively regardDWas a secular project.
Everything that happens in life, the Third Doctor tells Jo Grant, must have a scientific explanation.
Chris BouchersThe Face Of Evil(1977) is explicitly concerned with matters of religious prejudice and tribal belief.
In it, new companion Leela confesses to the Doctor, I dont know what to believe anymore.
To which he replies, Well that sounds healthy, Leela.
Never be certain of anything.
Its a sign of weakness.
Some old themes returned.
Planet Of The Dead).
From Series 5 the sceptical voices became more obvious and substantial.
Religious beliefs werent touched upon as such.
Rather, Moffat often focused on the social function of faith.
We first see this in theThe Time Of Angels.
No longer is there the Church militant now theres only a militant Church.
In the words of the Doctor: Its the 51st Century; the Church has moved on.
Just recently we heard the Twelfth Doctor dismiss hopes of paradise as a vestige of human superstition.
ButDWis not really that simple.
Doctor Whohas never spoken with a single voice.
Its always lived with variety.
There are definitely central ideas and characters and theres even an overarching narrative.
Believe it or not, the Doctor was originally based on the Apostle Paul.
Swear on the Bible.
(You get the idea.)
Anthony Coburn wrote the first ever Doctor Who story,An Unearthly Child.
His subsequent relationship with the show was a tad tempestuous but his influence was significant.
Coburn was also a committed Roman Catholic.
He was even a street preacher.
Like the Doctor, St. Paul was supposedly a learned man.
The Doctors heroism has often been written through this prism, borrowing greatly from Christ imagery.
The New Series is particularly keen on this.
Then, later in the same episode, the Doctor sacrifices his own life for the sake of Wilfreds.
Indeed, this is significantly underlined by the shows love of Christian iconography.
There are also moments in the shows history when sympathy is extended towards a position of faith.
Take Matt Jones two-part story,The Impossible PlanetandThe Satan Pit, as an example.
The Doctor then makes a candid confession: Its funny the things you make up the rules.
If that thing had said it had come frombeyondthe universe Id believe it.
But before the universe… impossible.
Doesnt fit my rule.
Still, thats why I keep travelling.
To be proved wrong.
This is a remarkably different spirit than that seen inThe Daemons.
His response isnt to force a naturalistic explanation.
This is a Doctor who has learned humility.
All roads lead to the promised land.
Will we see a genuine engagement with the reality of death and a possible afterlife?
Only time will tell.
Like the Doctor himself, this show can feel completely alien at times.
It resists any attempt to pin it down to any one tribe or politic.
No one has a monopoly on it.
One cant possibly say thatDoctor Whois a religious franchise.
As weve seen, there are several voices that appear to speak against matters of faith.
Neither, however, can one say that weve enjoyed 50 years of humanism.
In this regard,Doctor Whopoints towards a better, more beautiful vision of the universe.
It actually has something to say to our fractious society.
It doesnt choose the simple path.
It doesnt just eradicate faith altogether.
This isnt about holding hands and forgetting our differences.
At times, it reminds us that religion can do great harm.
At other times, the Doctor hints at something better.
He points our eyes to the stars and asks us simply to wonder.
This is whyDoctor Whois one of my favourite things in the world its bigger on the inside.
Certainly big enough, and thats what counts.
