Religion in the Twelve Colonies

[Roger Davis]

Religion In The Twelve Colonies

The dominant religion of the Twelve Colonies is a polytheistic faith based primarily upon Greek mythology but with elements of other religions as well (e.g. Roman, Norse, etc.). The beliefs of the Colonials has a strong emphasis on the philosophy of eternal return ("All of this has happened before and will happen again").

There are several variations/denominations/cults of the main polytheistic faith but the basic principles are generally the same and various groups (for the most part) respect each other and coexist. However, this brand of polytheism is not the only belief system that exists. Most notably, there are monotheistic denominations believing in "One True God" as well as the related Cylon Religion which is also monotheistic. Even among the Polytheists, there are varying levels of devotion ranging from strict Gemenese adherence to the Scrolls to Caprican secularism to Sagittaron orthodoxy. Like our own world, religions/spiritual beliefs have been the root of much conflict in the Twelve Colonies.

[Roger Davis]

Lords of Kobol

Twelve is a recurring number in BSG so it should be no surprise that there are Twelve Lords of Kobol. Eight of the twelve correspond to the Twelve Olympian Gods. The remainder of the Pantheon exists, but they are not considered "Lords".

• Zeus - The leader of the Lords.
  
• Aphrodite - The Lady of love and sexuality.
  
• Apollo - Zeus' son, said to be the Lord of the hunt and of healing.
  
• Ares - The Lord of war.
  
• Artemis - Twin sister of Apollo, Lady of the hunt.
  
• Asclepius - The Lord of healing.
  
• Athena - Committed suicide "out of despair over the exodus of the thirteen tribes", Lady of wisdom.
  
• Aurora - Goddess of the Dawn.
  
• Hecate - Shape changing goddess of the underworld.
  
• Hera - Wife of Zeus.
  
• Poseidon - Lord of the sea.

Although the Greek names dominate, the Roman counterparts to these gods can be used interchangeably. E.g. Zeus or Jupiter.

[Roger Davis]

Beliefs of the Twelve Tribes

The Jealous God
You may have noticed that the list above includes only eleven names. The Twelfth Lord is the "Jealous God". It is believed that the Jealous God wanted to be elevated above the other Lords. This was the start of the Great War on Kobol which precipitated the human Exodus.


Exodus
It is believed by some "that life here began out there, far across the Universe". The Sacred Scrolls tell the story of Kobol, the war, and humanity's Great Exodus across the stars to their current home, the Twelve Colonies, over two thousand years ago.

Little is known about Kobol and the Exodus beyond the Sacred Scrolls due to the great cataclysm and the subsequent lost of most advanced technologies and past records. Many don't even believe that there ever was a Kobol, however, it is clear that the Colonials came from somewhere. None of the worlds have settlements older than two thousand years and humanity's settlement of twelve planets almost simultaneously is also proof so some mysterious origins.


Thirteenth Tribe
The Sacred Scrolls also tell of a thirteenth tribe of Kobol. At the time of the Exodus, or perhaps even years before, this tribe left the other twelve and traveled through space in the opposite direction from that which the Colonials would travel. There are those who believe that this Thirteen Tribe still exists and thrives across the stars.


Afterlife
The faithful believe that there is indeed an afterlife. Those who live a good life (particularly the heroic and righteous) will spend eternity in Elysium. In paradise they will "live" in happiness and do all that they enjoyed in life. Those who have failed to live up to the expectations of the Lords will spend eternity doomed to Hades, a dark and depressing land which would often also include punishment and torture for the truly heinous.

The Sacred Scrolls tell that a return to Kobol would carry with it the cost of blood and one who would die on Kobol would never reach Elysium.


Paradise Lost
According to the Sacred Scrolls, the gods once shared a paradise-like existence with the people of Kobol. Gods and mortals lived together in happiness and prosperity. However, circumstances forced the the human population of Kobol into exodus and eventually to the Twelve Colonies and Earth. The Great Exodus led to Athena's suicide and since then, the Colonials have not been in contact with the gods.

In addition to the stories in the Sacred Scrolls, the existence of the Lords of Kobol is attested to by the survival of numerous artifacts, including the Arrow of Apollo (not to mention ruins still existing on Kobol... which has yet to be rediscovered).

[Roger Davis]

Sects of Polytheism

Individual Devotion
Worship of the Twelve Lords and the many minor gods is not even across all peoples. Various Colonies, cities, and even families will have one main patron god. One would also worship other gods depending on circumstances and that god's particular area of oversight in mortal affairs.


Gemenese Beliefs
In general, the Gemenese are more devout than the other tribes and strictly adhere to the words of the Sacred Scrolls. For example, the Sacred Scrolls clearly state that abortion is an abomination and forbid it. The Gemenese thus forbid abortion though more secular Colonies like Caprica have legalized the practice and grant women the right to choose. The Gemenese also believe in traditional family values and a parent's right as master of the house and the lives of the children.


Sagitarron Beliefs
Orthodox Sagittaron beliefs are more extreme than those of the Gemenese's and also diverge from just the authority of the Sacred Scrolls. They believe that the mind and body are myths, and that medicine is also "an abomination, a sin against the Gods" the same as abortion. Sagittarons also blame physicians for the spread of disease due to their ignorance of the aforementioned "myth" of the body and mind. Some Sagittaron communities also preach pacifism.

[Roger Davis]

Monotheism

Humanity's Monotheism
Monotheism, a belief in a single all-powerful, all-knowing, and loving God has existed in the Colonies for centuries. Despite the strong Gemenese adherence to the Sacred Scrolls, monotheism also has roots to Gemenon and is one of the strongest bastions of the faith.

Polytheists have traditionally viewed monotheism as an affront to their faith and a dangerous element in society.


Soldiers of the One
Whatever mistrust existed against monotheists originally was amplified with the creation of the STO. This one hundred year old organization is the militant branch of the monotheists. They believe in the use of violence to further the spread of the church and to bring glory to the One True God. Their standard tactics are terroristic in nature, even sometimes with the use of suicide bombers, but also include full military action with their substantial militia force. Like the main church, the STO is headquartered on Gemenon.


The Cylon God
Through a twist of fate, the spark that created the first Cylon AI from which all others were copied, happened to carry with it a devotion to the One True God. Thus all Cylons were created with an underlying belief in monotheism. They were further "coached" in the years leading up to the war by monotheist humans who saw them as a tool to overthrown the polytheist majority.

However, the Cylons saw it another way. They came to believe that they too had souls and thus they were enslaved by the polytheistic humans. Oppression through slavery combined with religious tensions to start the great conflict that was the First Cylon War and the growing Cylon belief that they need not only fight for independence but the extermination of all humans in the name of their One True God.

There is of course a great conflict here in that the Cylons believe in a loving God yet simultaneously seek the extermination of an entire species, that same species which both created the Cylons and also gave them their monotheistic faith.