Battlestar Galactica: "Measure of Salvation"

Six guides Baltar through a tough series of torture by Three, in which they try to get information out of him regarding the infection of the basestar in the previous episode. Again, we see the carnal nature of Baltar’s relationship with Six, and, consequently his understanding of theology—mixing theology with raw, physical/sexual pleasure. In a sense, Baltar lives the Song of Songs. While he is being tortured by Three, he escapes into his psyche with Head Six, who guides him in discussing theology and science with Three.

Baltar denies having anything to do with infecting the basestar, that it was all a coincidence. Three believes that coincidences don’t exist, but all things and events are part of God’s grand plan. In his head, Six tells him to be a scientist and “examine [Three’s] faith.” So, Baltar pushes Three while she pushes him in the interrogation process:

Baltar: I’m a scientist. And as a scientist, I believe that if God exists our knowledge of him is imperfect. Why? Because the stories and myths we have are the products of men. The passage of time. That religion in practice is based on a theory. Impossible to prove. Yet you bestow it with absolutes like, “There is no such thing as coincidence.”
Three: It’s called faith.
Baltar: Absolute belief in God’s will means there’s a reason for everything. Everything! And yet you can’t help ask yourself how God can allow death and destruction and then despise yourself for asking. But the truth is, if we knew God’s will, we’d all be Gods, wouldn’t we? I can see it in your eyes, D’Anna. You’re frustrated. You’re conflicted. Let me help you. Let me help you change. Find a way to reconcile your faith with fact. Find a way towards a rational universe.

Baltar hit a nerve with Three, who we know has had some doubts about her faith, about her God, a nerve that was hit by the oracle Three visited on New Caprica. Baltar tries to distract Three from torturing him by challenging her on her own spiritual journey, challenging her on the meaning she finds in her life. Three, however, doesn’t have any part of his challenges.

In the meantime, while Three sticks a prod in Baltar’s ear, in his psyche, he and Six are consummating their “love.” Head Six tells him to tell her that she should believe in him, believe that he is worth saving. Out loud, in the midst of his screams, Baltar tells Three (and Head Six) “I want you to believe in me. Don’t stop!...You have to believe in me. You’re all I have left.” Three stares at Baltar, confused and moved. Baltar continues speaking to Head Six out loud and says “I love you with all my heart.” Three touches his face and weeps. She has been hurting the one who is offering to help her find her way, help her understand God. In fact, he becomes a Christ-figure in this scene, as he is tortured, he asks her to believe in him, as though he is God, the God he tells her she questions and perhaps doesn’t even believe in anymore.

Battlestar Galactica: “Torn”

We get a broad look into the workings of the basestar in the episode “Torn.” In this look, we have the opportunity to see who closely the Cylons work within their theology, how every decision they make seems to be informed by their understanding of God. In fact, God is at the center of everything on the basestar, a very different approach to leadership compared to Galactica. Some (namely the Leoben models) even believe that the hybrid that drives each basestar is the spokesperson of God and that everything she says means something.

Much theological discussion takes place between Baltar and Six (both Head and Caprica) in this episode. In fact, the episode opens with Baltar and Six on a beach in Baltar’s consciousness. Six explains to him that Cylons choose to see what they want to see and that he chooses to see her. He asks her what she is, if she is somehow connected to the woman he was with on Caprica, or is she a part of his “subconscious struggling for self-expression.” She tells him that she is “an angel of God sent here to help” him. It seems that Baltar is getting more and more caught up in Cylon theology, especially now that he is in their sort of temple of a basestar, completely surrounded by them.

Later, out of Baltar’s head and into the basestar’s hallways, Caprica Six explains the idea and mechanics of projection to Baltar, that it is a means for the Cylons to see what they want to see as their environment, a means to escape the gray, boring walls of the ship and see and be reminded of God’s creation: “Instead of staring at blank walls, I choose to surround myself with a vision of God’s creation.” It seems that the discipline of consciously daydreaming about God’s creation, what God is capable of creating in their universe, serves to remind them of the beautiful things God is capable of doing. It would give them hope in the middle of chaos and potential despair. Such a beautiful scene of the Caprica forest is in stark contrast with the death on the lost basestar they later discover.

When the Cylon scout ship reports that the missing basestar has been infected with some kind of disease, the human cylons discuss their humanity and why and how this disease could affect them, since they are not exactly like the humans. Simon, the more scientifically minded of the group, offers probably the most loaded theological reasoning: “God has chosen this time, this place, to test us. Whether we fail or pass the test is up to us.” It’s a position that’s espoused in so many church circles, especially the more fundamentalist circles, that God tests us, tests our faith, but putting us in situations and watching to see how we will respond. It’s a difficult ideology to fathum, especially when it involves the deaths of others. In this particular situation, this disease may mean the death of the entire Cylon race, if it is uploaded into their resurrection ships. It’s hard to understand how a God that Six keeps reminding us is so loving could also be so (dare I say) cruel that God would kill an entire race by testing them.

Battlestar Galactica: “Exodus,” Part I

During “Exodus,” Three walks along her own spiritual journey after she has a dream about the Cylon/human baby and visiting a human Oracle. We see her walking through the tent city of New Caprica City, where she sees the Oracle tent from her dream and enters. The Oracle recognizes her and invites her in. She tells Three that “Zeus sees all. Sees you, number Three. Sees your pain. Your destiny. All the Gods weep for you….”

Three: There is no Zeus. No other god but God.
Oracle: Well, you don’t
believe that anymore. You don’t know what you believe and that is why you’re
here.
Three: It’s not true. I don’t even know why I’m here. This is the
stupidest thing I ever did.

It seems that Three is searching for something, searching for an understanding of her own destiny, searching for confirmation of the Cylon call to preserve what is yet to come (in the form of Hera), searching for God. She winds her way into the Oracle’s tent, unsure of why she was there, but seemingly looking for answers. The Oracle is aware of these questions Three is haunted by, but when she tells Three that she knows of Three’s more agnostic slant on theology, Three denies it and starts to look for ways out of this conversation, out of this tent. Again, could she deny the Oracles observations because she’s afraid of the Cylon God? Or could she be afraid that admitting she has questions about God would undermine the whole Cylon occupation, which had been set up as an opportunity to bring the word of God to the humans.

The Oracle tells Three that she is aware of her dreams. This catches Three’s attention, who then kneels in front of the Oracle, as though she is in church. When we kneel, we talk with God, often hoping for a message from God. In accordance to this submission, Three receives a message, via the Oracle: “I have a message for you from the one you worship. He speaks through me to you just as he speaks in your dreams. The message is…the fruit born of two peoples is alive. A child named after the wife and sister of the all-knowing Zeus. Hera lives.” Three gently tells the Oracle that she is wrong. The Oracle continues to tell her that she will hold the child in her arms, and “you’ll know for the first time what it is to feel true love. But you’ll lose everything you’ve done here.” This news is as bitter as the camalla the Oracle uses to have these visions, as the Oracle recognizes that Three does not know what it means to love and be loved. The news is also bitter because it means that Sharon’s trust in Adama and Roslin may be in jeopardy.

Later, Three confronts Sharon in the lockbox room as she is performing the launch key heist. Three tries to tell Sharon about her daughter and that she has been betrayed by the very people she is trying to save. Three tells Sharon about her dreams and even acknowledges to her that these dreams made her “question [her] faith. Made [her] question God.” While Three tries to tell Sharon the truth, Sharon speaks over her or interrupts her letting her know that she is not listening, that she doesn’t believe her, and, finally, that Adama would not lie to her. Her faith in Adama, in Zeus, has been unwavering, while Three’s faith in the Cylon God has wavered. It was a human that brought Three back on track with her faith in God.

Battlestar Galactica: "Precipice"

The theological thread is exposed mainly in one scene, the scene with Baltar’s being forced to sign the execution statement of the insurgents. A meeting takes place on Colonial One with several representatives of all of the Cylon models, except for Leoben (interestingly), along with Baltar, where they discuss what to do about the humans, how to discipline the growing problem of insurgents’ terrorism, and how to deter other humans who may think about joining the insurgency. A Number Three throws a document on Baltar’s desk for him to sign, an order to kill all of the detainees, over 200 people. This prompts a reaction within the Cylon group:

Caprica Six: Just because you’ve decided to do this doesn’t mean you need
to drag him into sin with you.
Three #1: Don’t you lecture me about
sin.
Three #2: I’m not the one who committed the first act of
Cylon-on-Cylon violence in our history.
Baltar: What’s she talking
about?
Three #2: She crushed my head in with a rock back on
Caprica. Interesting she didn’t tell you.
Caprica Six: It’s
something I had to do. I’m not proud of it.

We see Caprica Six’s theology come to light, once again. She has demonstrated her beliefs in the Cylon God as a Loving God, one of compassion and forgiveness. She’s willing to stand up for this belief, even if it means showing and telling the others that she’s willing to kill for this position.

Cavil pushing the meeting along, moving the conversation back on track of what to do with the humans. Baltar wonders why they don’t just take care of the situation themselves—why do they need his signature. A Three model explains that they do need his signature, if they are to work as the government they were set up to be, a collective government of Cylons and humans. As the President of this government, Baltar needs to sign every order. Cavil elucidates: “in other words, they’re worried about what ‘God’ might think if they commit murder. They’re covering their existential asses.” It seems that the Cylons are afraid of their god, even if it is violence against the humans. Ironically, even after this admittance, a Doral model tells them that they can find another president and then cocks a gun at Baltar’s head.

Another smaller scene that sheds some light on Cylon perception of God is Leoben, who has demonstrated that he fancies himself a sort of prophet, one who can see the destiny the Cylon god has laid out for him and for others. When he introduces the child to Kara, he describes his observations of the child’s traits: “Although her birth mother died during childbirth, Kacey’s heart never faltered. I guess she gets that will to live from you. I’ve seen her path. It’s difficult, but rewarding. She’ll know the mind of God in this lifetime. She’ll see patterns that others do not see. She probably got such spiritual clarity from me.” Leoben likes to think of himself as a spiritualist, and perhaps he is, especially from some of what we see in later episodes, in addition to what we have already seen in earlier episodes. But, Jim Jones also thought of himself as a spiritualist. Yet, later, when an unconscious Kacey is recovering from her fall, Kara is at her side, praying to the human gods for forgiveness and for Kacey’s recuperation. Leoben stands behind Kara. This would have been an opportunity for Leoben to evangelize to Kara about the Cylon god, but he did not take the opportunity. Perhaps evangelism is not his interest, even if it is to the one he supposedly loves.

Battlestar Galactica: "Occupation"

On Colonial One, the Cylons argue over their purpose with the humans, while Baltar sits at his desk, thumbing over some papers, trying to pretend he’s not in the room. Along with Baltar, we get to evesdrop and hear some of the behind the scenes of the Cylons—what they are thinking, planning, and, most importantly, the fact that they are not all on the same page about how to handle the humans. This conversation is short, but its theological depth gives insight to the Cylons’ leadership structure, that there appear to be factions within the ranks that disagree with each other and they can openly argue their points and they can openly threaten each other. The reasons each gives for their take on what to do with the human population all go back to each model’s interpretation of their scriptures and what God would want them to do.

The conversation is mainly between various models of Cavil, Eight, Six, and Five:

Number Eight: We’re here to find a new way to live in peace, as God wants
us to live!
Cavil: And it’s been a fun ride, so far. But I want
to clarify our objectives. If we’re bringing the world of “God,” then it
follows we should employ any means necessary to do so, any means.
Another
Cavil: Yes. Fear is a key article of faith, as I understand
it. So, perhaps it’s time to instill a little more fear into the people’s
hearts and minds….

We’ve heard Cavil models declare their atheism to humans (Chief Tyrol and Admiral Adama during the last two episodes of Season Two); so, the sarcastic tone in Cavil’s voice is even more pronounced during this bickering. Cavil’s character seems to be based on fear theology—let’s scare God into these sinners. Afterall, in his mind they’ve tried everything else to introduce humanity to God; so, they need to try anything to get the humans to worship God. This theology sounds familiar to the historic church, in its dealings with perceived heretics, wayward Christians, and savages of new worlds who didn’t want to give up their religions. The Number Eight and Number Six models want to demonstrate God’s love and compassion for all, the opposite of Cavil’s position. Their view of evangelism is one that is more inline with mainstream Christianity, where you don’t ram God down people’s throats, force feeding God to the nonbelievers.

Battlestar Galactica: “Lay Down Your Burdens,” Part I

Many plot threads are woven throughout this episode, but one of the more interesting threads takes place between Chief Tyrol and Brother Cavil as they discuss the gods’ roles in Tyrol’s (and humanity’s) life. Chief Tyrol is awakened from a dream by Cally; in the process of waking, he beats her, leaving her a bloody mess. Shocked by his attack on Cally, Tyrol asks for religious counseling, and meets with Brother Cavil, a minister/priest/chaplain in the fleet, who also happens to be Roslin’s religious “advisor,” though we rarely see him in this role, unlike what we saw with Elosha in the first season. Tyrol sits down with Cavil at a table and tells him that he wanted to talk with him, rather than a doctor; he explains that it’s because he doesn’t believe that psychoanalysis works, and he is himself a very religious man. Cavil is somewhat loose and sarcastic in his counseling, leaving Tyrol a little perturbed and confused. Cavil explains to Tyrol the “value” of prayer:

Cavil: Do you know how useless prayer is? Chanting and singing and
mucking about with old, half-remembered lines of bad poetry. And do you
know what it gets you? Exactly nothing.
Tyrol: Are you sure
you’re a priest?
Cavil: I’ve been preaching longer than you’ve been
sucking down oxygen. And in that time, I’ve learned enough to know that
the gods don’t answer prayers.

Cavil tells him that the gods won’t determine anything, but rather Tyrol’s destiny is up to him: “The problem is, you’re screwed up. Heart and mind. You, not the…not the gods or fate or the universe. You”—something Tyrol didn’t expect a minister to say. His statement to Tyrol is two edged. While he proports that the gods will not intervene (a theology that is the opposite of Baltar’s Head Six’s theology), even when someone cries out for intervention, he seems to be saying that a person/Cylon is responsible for their own actions, for their own lives. If that person has a problem, they cannot just sit back and expect someone or some deity to fix it; they need to be proactive.

Cavil and Tyrol discuss what happened between Tyrol and Cally. Cavil wants to know if Tyrol is having reoccurring nightmares or dreams. Tyrol tries to lie, but a finely tuned ministerial Cavil sees right through him and wants Tyrol to tell him about the dreams. Tyrol explains that he slowly climbs some stairs on the hanger deck and then walks along the catwalk when he stops. He climbs up on the railing and jumps. Tyrol tells Cavil that he’s been having the same dream night after night for two weeks. Cavil wants to know if he was having the dream when Cally awakened him. He says that he doesn’t remember. Cavil believes that Tyrol wants to kill himself.

Cavil tells Tyrol that he needs to quit ignoring what is right in front of him. Tyrol is confused. Cavil says that Tyrol thinks that he’s a Cylon. He tells Tyrol that he is worried that he’s just like Sharon, who didn’t know she was a Cylon either. Tyrol says that Sharon knew she was going to do something terrible and tried to stop herself. Tyrol wants to know how Cavil could know that Tyrol is not a Cylon. Cavil makes a joke about being a Cylon himself and never seeing Tyrol at any of the meetings. Cavil says that the gods help those who help each other. Tyrol feels ashamed to go back to the hanger deck crew after the accident, but Cavil assures him that they’re the only family he has left, and they love him, especially Cally.

A sort of throw away line in this episode is one from Dualla when she talks with Gaeta about the new planet they have found. She refers to “rivers of milk and honey,” a common epithet for the promised land in the Torah, appearing in Exodus 3:8, 3:17, 13:5, 33:3, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 13:27, 14:8, 16:13-14, and Deuteronomy 6:3.