Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Cylon God

Something that I’ve been wondering about since I started watching Battlestar Galactica is why some of the Cylons talk about God.  It is clear that this is a universe far removed from the Christian God, so that isn’t the God they are talking about.  The humans refer to the Lords of Kobol as their gods (Gods?) and midway through Season 1 we see Starbuck with a couple of little statues/icons that she prays to.  The humans are of the 12 Colonies of Kobol with the 13th lost Colony being Earth.  I think I have that right.  So any spiritualism or religion from the humans makes sense to me. 

 

But the Cylons?  These are machines.  Sure, there are the different models of Cylons which look like humans and are virtually indistinct from humans, but isn’t a human modeled Cylon still a machine?  We see the red lights go up their back in a couple of more intimate scenes, so they are machine...and in my mind a machine is essentially logic based.  I get that these may be advanced machines with synapses and nerves and maybe neurons and whatever goes on upstairs in a human, but they are also programmable machines. 

 

So...why is Number 6 essentially a preacher?  She may be a bad example because she’s in Baltar’s head somehow and could, in theory, but part of his subconcious, but when we see different versions of the Number 6 there is still religious discussion.  And other Cylons have talked about their God.  But...why does a logic based machine need a God?  If Cylons were first made by man and later made by other Cylons, where is God?  They know their creator.  It’s not divine. 

 

It makes no sense and I’m not sure there will be a grand payoff with this...ever. 

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