“The Devil’s Gonna Make a Fool of You”: Religious Allegory in The X-Files

It was bound to come up eventually. I am, after all, a major geek. And as a major geek, I am — quite naturally — a huge X-Files fan. As such, it’s compulsory that I write a post about this super awesome show.

One of my favorite X-Files episodes is from season seven. It’s titled “Signs and Wonders.”

What makes it one of my favorites? Well, in typical “me” fashion, I decided to list out some of my top reasons.

CAUTION: spoilers ahead!

#6. One character’s name is Reverend Enoch O’Connor. Now, because the episode is set in the South, and because it deals with religious hypocrisy and the mysteries of faith and grace, there is a very good chance that the character is an homage to the Southern Gothic, and devoutly Catholic, writer Flannery O’Connor (one of my favorites). Also, “Enoch Emery” is a character in her first novel Wise Blood.

#5. We get two representations of Christian clergy: Reverend O’Connor and Reverend Mackey. Related to the above, the character named after O’Connor is not what he seems. Initially, the viewer assumes he is a dangerous zealot, possibly even a murderer. By the end, though, his true faith is shown. Flannery O’Connor also loved to play with the discrepancies between appearances and reality. Often, her heroes are portrayed in a rather “gruesomely” realistic way: neither totally good nor totally bad. Usually, the “bad” character turns out to be “good.” The same duality is explored in this episode with the presentation of Reverend Mackey, whose tolerance and “progressive thinking” make him seem like he’s the “good” guy. The opposite turns out to be true.

#4. The major theme of the episode centers on Revelation 3:16: “But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth” (Douay-Rheims trans.). This verse is illustrated with the portrayal of the two preachers. O’Connor is “hot,” but his passion is quite alarming, and (for many people, including the viewer) it is repellent. Mackey is not “hot” nor is he “cold”; instead, he operates at that middle level where most people feel most comfortable. In his own words, “our church is founded on acceptance and tolerance of all people, all beliefs.” His theology is attractive and the basis of his church seems good because they are nonjudgmental and widely accepting of all faiths. However, as the episode illustrates, this ecumenical spirit is a symptom of Mackey’s demonic intentions. His church is more attractive to most people because it demands less from them. Indeed, it is easy to be accepting and tolerant of all beliefs when you don’t fully and passionately believe in yours.

#3. Not only is the passage from Revelation acted out by both preachers, it is discussed by both. Reverend O’Connor is intense and fearsome in his reading. With furor and fist-pounding, he exhorts his followers to be passionate in their love and fear of the Lord. He exultantly proclaims: “God says, if you’re lukewarm He will vomit you out of His mouth!” He and his congregation answer this proclamation with many “Praise God!”s and “Amen!”s. In contrast to the fire and brimstone of O’Connor’s service, Mackey’s service, full of many “well-to-do” looking people and far less emotion, is a conversation that sounds more like a college English seminar discussion than a church service. His Bible edition is also more “modern”: “So, because you are lukewarm I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” He follows this with calm reassurances: “Now, that could sound pretty harsh, couldn’t it? I mean, depending on how one reads it. But if we put this verse in a historical context, I think we see that John was specifically addressing the problems of the Church at Laodicea.” By tempering the message and historicizing it, the seemingly-good reverend is able to make the passage about a particular group of people. It is not about us; it is not a universal call to holiness. It’s only about this particular group of people who lived in a particular period of time. By limiting the scope of the message, Mackey thus releases his congregants from any obligation to heed its warning. He gives them a much easier “version” of the Bible and, by extension, a much easier form of Christianity to follow.

#2. The above ideas lead to another fantastic part in the episode: Mulder’s final “revelation” (pun intended). After reflecting on the evil Mackey has committed, Mulder says, “People think the devil has horns and a tail. They’re not used to looking for some kindly man who tells you what you want to hear.” Mulder, and the viewers, have learned a fascinating lesson about the devil: He doesn’t want us to think about or even accept the fact that sin exists, that hell exists, and that we will one day be judged. This is why, if the devil was a preacher, he would be a “peace, love, and tolerance” preacher like Mackey. He would be the first to condemn those who condemn sin (I want to reiterate to make sure you are reading me correctly: I said “condemn sin,” not people). After all, the devil doesn’t want people to think about sin, just as a drug dealer doesn’t want his clients to think about addiction.

#1. My final reason for loving this episode requires — as so many of my discussions do — a personal anecdote. In the third year of my Ph.D. studies, I was a staunch atheist. I truly considered all believers in God as intellectually inferior to myself (yes, I know — I was awful). I remember watching this episode and being really struck by it. I was especially struck by Reverend O’Connor’s insightful comment to Mulder. After being slightly mocked by the largely atheist FBI agent, O’Connor says, “You think because you’re educated you’re better than most? You ain’t. [He points to his heart.] Unless you’re smart down here, the Devil’s going to make a fool of you and you ain’t even going to know it.” I never forgot this line. In fact, it hit me like a brick!

Even as an atheist, even as someone who was antagonistic to the idea of God or even the idea that an intelligent person could believe in God, I was affected by the wisdom of this statement.

If you’re not smart about sin, the devil will, indeed, make a fool out of you.

Final Note:

I think it’s telling that we are never given the exact denominations of the churches in this episode. They’re clearly not Roman Catholic, but they are definitely Christian. I think this adds to its allegorical significance. Instead of concentrating on a single denomination, and thus limiting the scope of its meaning, the episode is making a more universal statement about good and evil, faith and disbelief. In the words of Reverend O’Connor, the episode makes us question “what side [we’re] really on.”