How do you interpret the religious overtones in Caprica?

[Skydiver]

we also seem to have a god for every planet. or at least a religion for each planet. in 'there is another sky' we see a religious rite of the Tauron religion.

What we seem to have is a group of 12 planets, each planet with vast differences (i remember in 'the plan' when the ship 'mother' so to speak talks bout 'the forests of so and so are burning, the fields of so and so are burning' etc. Kinda implying that each planet has its own calling card. one is agrarian, one is desert, etc.

and each of those planets has a god that they worship. And we also seem to have some very deep seated predjudice, we saw that in 'there is another sky' as well. These 12 planets may be part of teh same federation, yet mixing seems to not be common. There seems to be a very 'us vs them' attitude.

so the colonies are a hotbed of racial tension + religious tension. Each side seems to see its own religion and race as teh best, of course, and use that to disparage others.

If there's any commentary on real world events, it's nothing more than how intolerance brews problems. Which is hardly a shocker or something new

[aarlin81]

we also seem to have a god for every planet. or at least a religion for each planet. in 'there is another sky' we see a religious rite of the Tauron religion.

What you have presented would be the idea that each planet has it's own monotheistic religion that were at some point combined into a single unifying belief system later on. What you have is a single Polytheistic religion with various sect/cults (often intersected or with even further divisions) often paying homage to their favorites Gods or patheons. The planets were founded by the twelve tribes of Kobol and or named for the astrological zdoiac. Each planet also has a patron God likely due to a majority of a particular religious sect.

This is in fact very very similar to ancient Greece. The Patron God of Caprica is Athena (consider Athens) and the Patron God of Tauron is Mars or Ares as the series often interchanges Greek and Roman names.

If there's any commentary on real world events, it's nothing more than how intolerance brews problems. Which is hardly a shocker or something new

See this is where you can interpret because I see it more as even if you change the time, place, culture, religion and what not, these various forms of intolerance will always find away to rear their ugly heads.

Science fiction has always made these types of social commentaries and often times presenting them in ways that make you think. For example, a black and a white Caprican would have no racial issues between them. One might be rich and the other poor or a one a sinner and the other a saint but in each others eyes they are both Caprican. Now a white guy with the same financial status and morals might run into racial issues with a white Caprican; not because he has a third arm or one fewer eyes but simply because he's from another planet. If they do something with skin color it's often a derogatory term for another species like with the when the blue-skinned Andorians refer to humans as "Pink Skins". It's really sad when sci-fi pulls a 180 of stupidity like have a self contained story line where some whites and blacks have issues based solely on their skin color. This is usually in response to some national headline rather than seeing something that actually moves the plot along like in the TV show Time Trax.

What I really think is cool about Caprica and BSG is that we get to see the persistence of these interlorances both in pre- and post-unification eras.

[huntress]

Heck Star Trek:TOS did an episode with an alternate timeline in which the Roman Empire never fell. Now imagine how differently it would have developed and ultimately what that world would be like in the 21st century.

Have you ever read the book "Ancient Inventions" by Peter Jaes and Nick Thorpe? It describes a variety of inventions, both technological and social, in the "ancient" world. Humanity actually had a really good chance of being at least 1800 years further advanced. For example Heron who lived in Alexandria AD 62 created a thing that he called an aeolopile. It used the same principle as jet propulsion and was a steam driven metal sphere that spun around at 1500 rpm. Unfortunately no one saw the potential of the engine and declared it a gimmick. In Corinth an tyrant has invented the railway 600 BC. Now just think about the possibilities if those two inventions had been combined! Spins my head. Interestingly a rather famous historian, Arnold Toynbee, wrote an essay about the same speculation plus what would have happened if Alexander the Great had died of old age. "The Book of General Ignorance" mentions the essay. According to Toynbee it would have created a global Greek empire, based on a fast railway, Athenian democracy and a Buddhist style religion founded on the teachings of Pythagoras. A failed prophet who lived at 4, Railway Cuttings, Nazareth is mentioned in passing.

[aarlin81]

My Star Trek mention was used in context or to put a comment into context in dealing with the topic of discussion (religion and social commentary). Please refrain from using it as a jumping off point at which to hijack this thread.

For the record I do not subscribe to pseudo-historians like James whose ideas have been largely debunked and their errors pointed out to them and yet who continue to promote their drivvel all while using the same logical fallacies they accuse others of when answering their critics.

Lastly for those interested in actually looking up the device it's spelled aeolipile. The earliest known railway was invented in the 9th century BCE.

[huntress]

You amuse me, aarlin81. Sitting all high and mighty on your horse.

[Republibot 3.0]

"The Cylon God" at the end of BSG ended up being pretty much like the Judeo/Christian/Islamic God, which, I know, caused bristling among some fans who feel religion has no place in SF unless it turns out that the poor, deluded theists have been worshiping some kind of hokey computer they mistook for God or whatever.

I have a hunch that one of the major purposes for Caprica is to retcon things so that "The Cylon God" will, indeed, turn out to have been a computer or program or whatever all along, and the folks on BSG just never realized it.

[Ukko]

"The Cylon God" at the end of BSG ended up being pretty much like the Judeo/Christian/Islamic God, which, I know, caused bristling among some fans who feel religion has no place in SF unless it turns out that the poor, deluded theists have been worshiping some kind of hokey computer they mistook for God or whatever.

I have a hunch that one of the major purposes for Caprica is to retcon things so that "The Cylon God" will, indeed, turn out to have been a computer or program or whatever all along, and the folks on BSG just never realized it.

Or it could be that Zoe and or the STO influenced that part of the Cylon culture.

[Girlbot]

Having never seen BSG except for the first few eps. I am finding it interesting to see how this all progresses.

[Pharaoh Atem]

Or it could be that Zoe and or the STO influenced that part of the Cylon culture.

as stated in bsg no exit. the 7 cylons models got the concept of relgion from the centurions which from what we've seen in caprica is currently zoe.

so some where along the way zoe must really grasp onto the concept of the one true god.

[Ukko]

as stated in bsg no exit. the 7 cylons models got the concept of relgion from the centurions which from what we've seen in caprica is currently zoe.

so some where along the way zoe must really grasp onto the concept of the one true god.

After watching the BSG final again im starting to wonder what this "One God" actually is. In the last few lines in the ep, Angel Six mentions God, then the Angel Baltar says something like "You know it hates that name".

[Pharaoh Atem]

After watching the BSG final again im starting to wonder what this "One God" actually is. In the last few lines in the ep, Angel Six mentions God, then the Angel Baltar says something like "You know it hates that name".

it's a higher being non the less. and we humans tend to call faceless entries with great powers "god"

[Republibot 3.0]

Or it could be that Zoe and or the STO influenced that part of the Cylon culture.

Which works out to be the same thing, really. Zoe *is* a program, after all, and the V-world is obviously the same tech the humanoid cylons used to 'project' themselves while in thier Baseships.

[Ukko]

Which works out to be the same thing, really. Zoe *is* a program, after all, and the V-world is obviously the same tech the humanoid cylons used to 'project' themselves while in thier Baseships.

Cylon Zoe got her beliefs from Flesh Zoe. Wich would mean its the Cylons believing in a human god, not an all powerful super computer thing.

[Dusk]

I find the Colonial views on religion interesting.

In 'Caprica', polytheism is currently the dominant belief, with monotheism breaking out in pockets.

Whereas here on Earth, we have transcended this mode of worship to the point where monotheism is currently the dominant belief, and athiesm is picking up momentum.

There are probably many athiests in the Colonies, and I'd love to see this "third wheel" addressed.

[anachronism]

i just hope that BSG doesn't end up being the VR of Caprica. And that they were just playing a video game that like a video game always ends the story the same way.