24
Jul
Religion in Battlestar Galactica
Currently there are only three television shows that I make it a point to try to watch: Smallville (which I may stop watching if they continue strongly with the witchcraft subplot they started this past season), King of Queens (because Doug and Carrie are so much like me and my wife that it is scarey), and Battlestar Galactica (because I loved it as a kid and it still chalenges my thinking).
As an evengalical Christian, I’ve always enjoyed the religious overtones in Battlestar Galactica, especially in the original series. I was glad that they kept those in the new series and even expanded on them. My wife forwarded me a link to a good Beliefnet article called Born-Again ‘Battlestar’: Drawing from Mormonism, Roman polytheism, and even Buddhism, the reimagined sci-fi TV series is steeped in religion. (printer friendly version). While Battlestar Galactica is definetely NOT an evangelical Christian show, the way that they portray elements of many religions (Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslem, etc…) will challenge ANY viewer’s beliefs and how you relate to people with different beliefs from yourself. Enjoy!
Battlestar Galactica came out in 1978 according to this article and by that time I was 32. In my late teens just after I left home Star Trek came along. I felt about it like you do about BG. And it also had spiritual overtones, some not hidden at all.
I remember one very well. It was a planet they discovered and I forget what all the problem was, but the Trekkers understood that they were sun worshippers. In the end, the found out that they had misunderstood: the people were Son worshippers.
After reading the article above, I would probably give Batllestar Galactica a try if I watched TV. I have a very small black and white that I used to turn on once a week for Star Trek, but I haven’t turned it on in over a year and am a little reluctant to give up the hour. I know how it goes–once I begin watching it, I’ll probably keep coming back. Maybe after I clear up my To do list a bit more.
Anita
July 25th, 2005 at 6:05 am