BSG & religion

Mr. Improbable and I have finished up the third season of "Battlestar Galactica" on DVD, and are now ready to get up to speed with the current and final season. The BSG universe is one of vicious internecine politics, desperate shortages of resources, punishing work schedules, and ramen noodles. The only things that exist in plenitude are infinite time in which to debate politics and ethics, writing paper, and booze.

In other words, it's grad school, except the fate of the entire human race hangs in the balance, and everyone is much better looking. No wonder all the chattering classes are in love with it.

One thing I like about the show--in addition to its existential dramatization of my long march to a PhD.--is the way religion is portrayed. So often, when we think of diversity, we think of diversity between groups--men and women, whites and people of color, believers and non-believers, vegetarians and omnivores. But diversity within groups are just as profound, and this is often overlooked. There is not only one way to be a woman, or a Mexican, or a conservative, or a vegan.

There is only one religion in the BSG universe, but everyone relates to it differently. Some characters are atheist, and find relationships and the natural world give them a sufficient moral compass, sense of reverence, and reason to live. Others are true believers, and there is even diversity among fundamentalists (something I've very rarely seen portrayed) with the Geminese following a different interpretation of scripture than the Saggitarons. Some characters don't appear to "believe," but find religious imagery and language a useful way to corral their thoughts and communicate with others. Some use religion as a way to banish the pain of their pasts, or the fear of their uncertain future. Some use it as a way to get power over others. Some are peacefully content in their religion, others struggle with it.

Just like real life.

Here's an excerpt from the chapter on religious diversity from my book:

Don't ever assume, because you know someone is an atheist, or a Baptist, or a Muslim, or a Hindu, or whatever else, that you know anything else about them. There is so much diversity within all traditions that merely knowing someone's label doesn't entitle you to make assumptions about how they feel about the afterlife, the origin of their scriptures, sexual morality, gender roles, global warming, the Middle East, abortion, other religions, or the appropriateness of white shoes after Labor Day. (It's true that most Episcopalians have a problem with that, but every now and then you run into a renegade, and it's rude to call their faith into question.) Just about anyone gets irritated when they hear, "Oh, well, as an X, you surely must do/believe/care about Y." They get annoyed even if you happen to be right in their particular case, because they know so many X's who don't, and don't like hearing their fellows stereotyped. Often, and ironically, this mistake is made in the cause of religious tolerance, trying to show the Other than you get them. Don't try. Graceful ignorance is so much better than clueless attempts at understanding.