
An Easterly View
By: Alex
Tags: battlestar galactica, faith, religion
Category: Things I Love, Thoughtful Thoughts, Uncategorized
Baltar: I see angels. Angels in this very room. Now I may be mad, but that doesn’t mean that I am not right. Because there is another force at work here. There’s always has been. It’s undeniable. We’ve all experienced it. Everyone in this room has witnessed events that they can’t fathom, let alone explain away by rational means. Puzzles, deciphered in prophecy. Dreams given to a chosen few. Our loved ones dead … risen. Whether we want to call that God, or Gods, or some sublime inspiration, or a divine force that we can’t know or understand, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. It’s here, it exists, and our two destinies are entwined in its force.
Cavil: If that were true, and that is a big if, how do I know that this force has our best interests in mind? How do you know that God is on your side, Doctor?
Baltar: I don’t. God is not on any one’s side. God is a force of nature. Beyond good and evil. Good and evil, we created those. Want to break the cycle? Break the cycle of birth, death, re-birth, destruction, escape, death. That’s in our hands. In our hands only. Requires a leap of faith. Requires that we live in hope, not fear.
I’ve been recently reminded of just how much I love Battlestar Galactica and why it’s my favorite show of all time. Besides being stunningly produced and written, the way it handles theme of religion, redemption, and God’s love surpass most secular sources I’ve seen. No, more than that — I can easily say that I’ve been more moved by Battlestar’s presentation of God than most religious sources I’ve been exposed to. Then again, maybe it just has the pretty to back it up.
