Editing Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

{{disline|This article discusses the Colonial polytheistic religion as seen in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For summary information on the Kobollian religion from the [[Original Series]], see [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].}}

{{Disambiguation|Mythological references|information on the real-world mythologies referenced}}

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

The dominant '''religion of the Twelve Colonies''', which the various characters of ''Battlestar Galactica'' practice to greater or lesser extent, is a [[Wikipedia:polytheism|polytheistic]] faith<ref>The Colonial deities are very similar to the [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Olympic gods]] of Greek mythology on the real-world Earth.</ref> with a strong emphasis on the philosophy of [[Wikipedia:Eternal return|eternal return]]. There are several variants of this faith, in both belief and practice.

Contrasting with this is a lesser [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] religion that grows during the period leading up to the [[First Cylon War]], directly clashing with the perceived depravity and excesses originating from the dominant polytheistic faith. To further advocate their goal, a militant monotheistic arm of the [[Monotheist Church]], the [[Soldiers of the One]], advocate violent change on behalf of this singular [[God (RDM)|God]]. This laid groundwork leads to the schism between humanity and its children, the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]].

==Origin==
[[File:Pythia.jpg|right|thumb|A portion of the Sacred Scrolls, specifically, a portion of the Book of [[Pythia]].]]
The eternal-return aspect between the peoples of {{RDM|Kobol}} and [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] suggest a parallel or reverse-origin with humanity as a whole, or the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] that presumably populated it. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] for more analysis.

During the memorial following the [[Battle of Ragnar Anchorage|escape from Ragnar Anchorage]] {{TRS|Miniseries, Night 2}}, [[William Adama]] states, "Life here began out there,<ref>This phrase is a homage to the [[Original Series]], where each episode began with this phrase in a voice-over introduction.</ref>" reminding the assembly that this was the first line of the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the principal religious tome of the Colonial faith, told to them by the Lords of Kobol many centuries ago.
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==Belief==
===The Lords of Kobol===
Colonial religion is centered on the Lords of Kobol. In the Re-imagined Series and ''Caprica'', the following Lords of Kobol have been positively identified:
* [[Zeus]] – The leader of the Lords. [[Tom Zarek]] has twice referred to [[William Adama|Bill Adama]] as "Zeus" ("[[Bastille Day]]," "[[The Farm]]," as a play on {{callsign|Lee Adama}}'s callsign).
* [[Aphrodite]] – The lady of love and sexuality. Kara Thrace prays often to this Lord {{TRS|Flesh and Bone}}.
* [[Apollo, Lord of Kobol|Apollo]] – Zeus' son, said to be the lord of the hunt and of healing {{TRS|Bastille Day}}.
* [[Ares]] – The lord of war. The [[Nicholas Tyrol|infant son]] of [[Cally]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] is [[dedication ceremony|dedicated]] to this Lord of Kobol ([[TRS]]: "[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance, Episode 10]]"). The [[Sons of Ares]] are a militant fundamentalist group, dedicated to Ares {{TRS|Escape Velocity|Deadlock}}
* [[Artemis]] – Twin sister of Apollo, lady of the hunt. [[Kara Thrace]] prays often to this Lord {{TRS|Flesh and Bone}}.
* [[Asclepius]] – The lord of healing {{TRS|Escape Velocity}}.
* [[Athena, Lord of Kobol|Athena]] – This lord committed suicide "out of despair over the exodus of the thirteen tribes" {{TRS|Home, Part II}}. Her [[Tomb of Athena|tomb]] holds a map to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] ([[TRS]]: "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]").
* [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]] {{TRS|Maelstrom}}<ref>Aurora is the Roman counterpart of the Greek [[w:Eos|Eos]]. Eos is one of the [[w:Titans (mythology)|Titans]]. Since the Lords of Kobol are modeled after the [[w:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] however, this could indicate that she is not one of the Lords, but belongs to another group of deities.</ref>.
*[[Hecate]] – Shape-changing goddess of the underworld {{CAP|Pilot}}.
* {{inlineref|Hephaestus|bold=N}} - Patron god of [[Canceron]].<ref>In Greek mythology, [[w:Hephaestus|Hephaestus]] is known as the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture.</ref>
* [[Hera, Lord of Kobol|Hera]] – Wife of Zeus. A [[Gates of Hera|mountain ridge]] on Kobol is named after her {{TRS|Home, Part II}}, and the [[Hera Agathon|first Cylon/human hybrid child]] is named for this lord {{TRS|Downloaded}}.
* {{inlineref|Hermes|bold=N}} - Patron god of [[Aquaria]].<ref>In Greek mythology, {{w|Hermes}} is considered the {{w|herald}} (messenger) of the gods, also the protector of humans heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants and orators.</ref>
* Hestia - Patron god of [[Virgon (RDM)|Virgon]].
*{{inlineref|Icarus|bold=N}} - [[Baxter Sarno]]'s joke about the wings of statue of Icarus melting, particularly in the aftermath of the bombing of [[Clarice Willow]]'s car, is met with scorn {{CAP|Unvanquished}}. 
* [[Poseidon]] – [[Gaius Baltar]] mentions this deity in a conversation with [[Tracey Anne]] {{TRS|He That Believeth in Me}}. Deckhand [[Brooks (RDM)|Brooks]] also prays to this lord. {{TRS|The Face of the Enemy}}
*{{inlineref|Prometheus|bold=N}} - Credited in the pantheon as bringing the gift of fire to mortals, and thus the light of knowledge. [[Cerebus]] of the ''[[New Cap City]]'' nightclub [[Mysteries]] retold the story of Prometheus to their patrons, and would pose riddles to patrons regarding this tale {{CAP|Ghosts in the Machine}}.

The Colonials appear to use multiple names for their lords, interchanging "Mars" for "Ares," "Jupiter" for "Zeus," and so on.<ref>Curiously, [[Laura Roslin]] mentions that the 134th day of the Cylon occupation of [[New Caprica]] is Mars Day {{TRS|Occupation}}, suggesting that Ares may also be called by his alternate Roman pantheon's name. The same happens again in "[[The Passage]]" when Zeus is referred to by the name of his Roman counterpart Jupiter.</ref>

====Afterlife====
Believers think that they will go to [[Fields of Elysium]] after death if they led a good life {{TRS|Faith}}.<ref>This is clearly a direct parallel to the ancient Greek [[w:Elysium|Elysian Fields]], the part of the [[w:Hades|underworld]] corresponding to "heaven". The visual image of a ferry crossing a river also parallels the river [[w:Styx|Styx]].</ref>

==== Paradise Lost====
According to the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the gods once shared a paradise-like existence with the people of {{RDM|Kobol}}. Later circumstances forced the exodus of the human population of Kobol to [[The Twelve Colonies of Kobol|the Twelve Colonies]] and [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], and lead to Athena's suicide.

The existence of the Lords of Kobol is attested to by the survival of numerous artifacts, including the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Tomb of Athena]] and the [[Gates of Hera]]. However, although she accepts their historic authenticity, [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]], questions their actual divinity.<ref>There is a notion in fan circles that there are twelve lords of Kobol, by analogy to the twelve Cylon models, twelve Colonies, and perhaps the [[w:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] of Greek mythology. A post from [[Ron D. Moore]]'s blog [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/03/index.html#a000023 on March 12, 2005] loosely alludes on this coincidence, but further official sourcing has not been revealed.</ref>

====The Jealous God ====
[[Elosha]] states that the exodus from Kobol was precipitated when "one jealous god began to desire that he be elevated above all the other gods, and the war on Kobol began." This god was eventually separated from the others.<ref>From a [[List of Deleted Scenes - Season 2 (RDM)#Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I|deleted scene]] cut from the episode "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]".</ref> This figure may be related to or identical with "[[The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken|the one whose name cannot be spoken]]," whose [[Temple of Five|temple]] is discovered on the [[algae planet]] {{TRS|The Eye of Jupiter}}.

====The Path of Olympus====
[[Tom Zarek]] conveys to [[Laura Roslin]] and her [[Laura Roslin faction|followers]] the news that Commander [[William Adama]] had resumed command of ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]'' after the attempt on his life by saying: "Zeus has returned to '''Olympus'''" {{TRS|The Farm}}.<ref>In Greek mythology, the home of the gods on Earth resided high atop Greece's highest mountain, Mount Olympus, at a time where access to the mountain summit would be almost impossible with the inhabitants' technology of that age.</ref> By Zarek's comment we can infer that Colonial religion appears to acknowledge the existence of a place called Olympus. It cannot yet be determined, however, if Olympus was thought of as the residence of the gods at a specific physical or ''metaphysical'' location of Kobol, as there has been no mention of Olympus elsewhere. If Olympus is a metaphysical locale, this may contradict [[Elosha]]'s comment that the gods and man lived on Kobol together in harmony.<ref>On the other hand, according to the ancient Greek poem ''[[w:Theogony|Theogony]]'' by Hesiod, the gods lived together with humankind until Prometheus' deception at Mecone, after which they dwelt exclusively on mount Olympus and humans exclusively on Earth. Perhaps, then, some transgression caused the Lords of Kobol and humankind to part paths.</ref>

===Other Mythological Names in Colonial Culture===
Various items have been identified which are apparently named after other gods and legendary figures of their faith, although these have not been explicitly identified as Lords of Kobol.

* ''[[Triton]]'' - ([[Miniseries]]) - The namesake of a battlestar lost in the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].
* ''[[Atlantia]]'' - ([[Miniseries]]) - The name of a [[Wikipedia:Hamadryad|hamadryad]], a form of nymph and namesake of another battlestar lost in the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. Could also be a reference to the lengend of Atlantis, written by Plato.
* ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''- ([[Pegasus (episode)]]) - A legendary flying horse and namesake of Admiral [[Helena Cain]]'s [[Mercury class battlestar]].
* ''[[Zephyr]]'' - ([[Fragged]]) - A ship in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]].
* ''[[Mercury]]'' - The lead ship of the [[Mercury class battlestar|Mercury class]], which can be interchanged with the name, [[Wikipedia:Hermes|Hermes]].
* Pluto - ([[Bastille Day]]) - Namesake of the element [[Wikipedia:Plutonium|plutonium]], interchangeable with the name, Hades.
* [[Pythia]] - ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]) - An [[oracle]].<ref>The Pythia was the name for the oracle at Delphi in Greece.</ref>
* ''[[Persephone]]'' - ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]) - A ship in the Fleet.
* ''[[Ragnar Anchorage]]''<ref>Ragnar is named in reference to ''Ragnarok'', the apocalyptic battle from [[Wikipedia:Norse mythology|Norse mythology]]</ref>
* ''[[Valkyrie]]''<ref>Valkyries are minor Norse deities and [[w:shieldmaiden|shieldmaidens]] who gathered up warriors to fight at Ragnarok. [[William Adama]] formerly commanded a battlestar of the same name and, in allegory, is later the commanding "warrior" at planet [[Ragnar]] in the retreat from Colonial space.</ref>

===The Cycle of Time===
{{mainarticle|Cycle of Time}}

''"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."''<ref>In a short talk he gave before a screening of "[[Flesh and Bone]]," Ron Moore revealed that he "stole" the line from the introduction of the Disney animated version of ''[[w:Peter Pan|Peter Pan]]'' (lecture [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9op6PC03LRA part 1] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w-9NglSNG0 part 2]).</ref>

According to [[Gaius Baltar]], this line from the [[Pythia]]n prophecy is very well known {{TRS|The Hand of God (RDM)}}. [[Laura Roslin]] later expands on it, reminding [[Kara Thrace]],

<blockquote>"If you believe in the gods, then you believe in the cycle of time that we are all playing our parts in a story that is told again, and again, and again throughout eternity" ([[TRS]]: "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]").</blockquote>

Various events have led some people to believe that they are playing out another turn of this cycle<ref>The notion of a circular progression of time (also known as [[w:eternal return|eternal return]] or eternal recurrence) is a common theme in other faiths, particularly [[w:Maya#Religion|Mayan]] mythology and is a cornerstone of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Moreover, [[w:Stoic|Stoic]] philosophy did believe in the concept of ''ekpyrosis'', the fire which consumes the old world and signals the birth of a new world, identical to the old, for a recurring cycle of birth, death and rebirth.</ref>. (See [[Sacred Scrolls]] for more detailed analysis).

===Sanctity of Life===
According to the Sacred Scrolls, abortion is "an abomination in the eyes of the Gods." The more fundamentalist [[Gemenon|Gemenese]] strictly adhere to this commandment, however the more secular Colonies such as Caprica apparently do not follow this as strictly: officially, Colonies-wide Federal law guaranteed a woman the right to an abortion, at least at the time of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] {{TRS|The Captain's Hand}}.

==Individual Practice==
The Colonials display a wide spectrum of religious practice, ranging from [[Billy Keikeya]]'s atheism ([[TRS]]: "[[Home, Part II]]," [[List of Deleted Scenes - Season 2 (RDM)#Home, Part II|cut scene]]) to Corporal [[Venner]]'s literalistic readings of the Sacred Scrolls.

While not fully explained in the Re-imagined Series, it appears, based on the information from a [[dedication ceremony]] for [[Nicholas Tyrol]] and the prayers of [[Kara Thrace]], that each Colonial is paired, or "placed in the service" with one or more of the Lords. Based on the dedication ceremony blessing, Zeus is a considered "almighty" or foremost of the gods, while other Lords are prayed to by Colonials as a proxy to Zeus.<ref>This practice is similar to a Catholic practice of prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus. While Mary is a human, followers believe that, by praying to Mary, she can intercede to aid the acceptance of the prayer by the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]], the godhead of the Catholic faith.</ref>

===Artifacts===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[File:Bsg-arrow-apollo.jpg|75px]]</div>
Despite Gemenon's fundamentalist climate, the city of [[Delphi]] on {{RDM|Caprica}} was apparently of a mind to store an important religious artifact, the [[Arrow of Apollo]], in a [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies|museum]], rather than a devotional institution ([[TRS]]: "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]").

Ancient temples may be also be the repository of special artifacts such as the [[Eye of Jupiter]], believed to be stored inside the legendary [[Temple of Five]] ("[[Rapture]]," "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]").
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=== Confession===
At least some sects of the Colonial religion practice the concept of absolution of sins through confession. Brothers, and presumably priests as well, may hear confessions as demonstrated by [[Brother Cavil]] agreeing to hear Anders' confession {{TRS|The Plan}}. It is not known if this practice is uniform throughout the Colonial religion or limited to certain sects.

A confession begins with the confessor saying, "Bless me, Brother, for I have acted against the example of the Gods." The Brother or Priest will then say, "Proceed in the name of the Gods," and after hearing the confession, they will end by saying, "You are absolved in the example of the Gods."

=== Dress===
[[File:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The robes of [[Dodona Selloi]] {{TRS|Exodus, Part I}}]]
As seen by the various [[Laura Roslin faction|separatists]] orbiting Kobol {{TRS|Home, Part I}}, it appears that many Colonials have clothing that suggests a religious deference. In the scene, one older, white-bearded gentleman is dressed in simple colored robes and a round, flat head covering<ref>These robes may remind viewers of the tradition dress of Hasidic Jews, Islamic clerics, or Eastern Orthodox clerics of the real-world Earth.</ref> Other distinctive dress styles of other characters in the scene increase the sense of the dedication of religion in the Gemenese people (which appear to comprise the majority of Roslin's separatists).

The [[oracle]] [[Dodona Selloi]] dresses in a turban and robes, suggesting a special role in Colonial society or its religious hierarchy {{TRS|Exodus, Part I}}.<br clear="all">

=== Idols===
<div style="float:right; margin-right:1em;">[[File:Idols.jpg|100px]]</div>
Kara Thrace, a devotee of Artemis and Aphrodite, prays to them on behalf of [[Leoben Conoy]] using figurines that bear a similarity to classic representations of Artemis and Athena. Artemis is depicted with her bow and arrow, and Athena with her helmet of war {{TRS|Flesh and Bone}}.

When visting the oracle [[Yolanda Brenn]], Thrace receives a figurine of the goddess [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn|Aurora]] as a gift {{TRS|Maelstrom}}.
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=== Prayer===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;"></div>
[[File:The_Farm-Group_Worship.jpg|thumb|[[Laura Roslin]] welcomed to ''[[Astral Queen]]'' by prisoners of religious inclination, who await her benediction {{TRS|The Farm}}]]
Some former ''[[Astral Queen]]'' prisoners seeking rehabilitation have turned to group prayer. They greet Laura Roslin as a prophet and she provides them with a blessing {{TRS|The Farm}}.

Priest [[Elosha]] sings a group prayer in a [[Service for the dead]] after the Fleet escapes from the initial Cylon attack {{TRS|Miniseries, Night 2}}.<ref>The language she sings is [[w:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]], a classical language of real-world Earth's Hindu/Indian peoples. More about the verses that she sings and their meaning can be found in the [[Language in the Twelve Colonies#Liturgy|Language in the Twelve Colonies]] article.</ref> The priest also gives a prayer after ''[[Colonial One]]'' is boarded by Commander Adama's troops to remove Roslin from power ([[TRS]]: "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]").

A chaplain delivered a simple prayer at the funeral of [[Zak Adama]], two years prior to the fall of the Colonies {{TRS|Act of Contrition}}<ref>The prayer's mention of committing a "body to the ground from which we were all made" echoes the Biblical passage of [http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/genesis/genesis3.htm Genesis 3:19]:'''<nowiki/>'''
:"By the sweat of your brow
:you will eat your food
:until you return to the ground,
:since from it you were taken;
:for dust you are
:and to dust you will return."</ref>:

<blockquote>"The burdens of this life are with us but a short time. For Lieutenant Zak Adama, son of [[William Adama|William]] and [[Carolanne Adama]], brother of [[Lee Adama|Lee]], the time was too short, but we take comfort in knowing his life was willingly given in service to all of us. We honor them for that. And thus, it falls upon us to repent our sins and with the help of the Lords of Kobol, make our own lives worthy of that gift. And now, we commit his body to the ground from which we were all made."</blockquote>

Corporal [[Venner]] asks [[Laura Roslin]] to join him in a simple prayer while ''Galactica'' is attacked as it desperately tries to find its Fleet {{TRS|Scattered}}.
<blockquote>''(To Roslin:)'' Will you pray with me? ''(He begins:)'' Help us, Lords of Kobol. Help your prophet Laura guide us to the path of righteousness. That we might – that we might destroy our enemies. Let us walk the path of righteousness and lift our faces unto your goodness. Help us turn away from the calls of the wicked and show us the knowledge of your certain salvation. We offer this prayer.</blockquote>

Prayer is also seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|Season 3 webisode series]] in a temple (where prayers are written and then burned before an idol), and by [[Kara Thrace]] {{TRS|Miniseries|Flesh and Bone}}.<br clear="all">
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===Rosaries===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[File:Rosary.jpg|100px]]</div>
As [[Laura Roslin]] begins to suffer from [[chamalla]] withdrawal in ''Galactica'''s brig, Corporal Venner, a [[Gemenon|Gemenese]], anxiously clutches a set of white prayer beads {{TRS|Fragged}}.
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===[[Temple]]===
[[File:Resistance - Webisode 4.jpg|thumb|[[Nora Farmer|Nora]] and [[Cally Tyrol]] pray in a temple on [[New Caprica]] ([[TRS]]: "[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance#Episode 4|Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance – Episode 4]]").]]

Temples may have been more elaborate places on the Twelve Colonies, but the spaceborne remnants of humanity presumably use any space they can find on their ships to form a basic temple. As seen on [[New Caprica]], a basic temple may consist of a simple altar with candles, idols of the Lords of Kobol, and what meager offerings the Colonials can give as a [[w:tithe|tithe]]. Some prayers are written on paper and burned ([[TRS]]: "[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]").

The temple on New Caprica was known as the Temple of [[Artemis]] {{TRS|Collaborators}}, suggesting that temples are dedicated to a Lord or Lords, and may be related to the pairing of Colonials to a specific set of Lords at their dedication ceremony.

A similar arrangement to temple is found in an [[Yolanda Brenn|oracle camp]] {{TRS|Maelstrom}}.

A room used for religious services on ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]'' is referred to as a temple {{TRS|Escape Velocity}}. In the guise of a brother, the Fleet copy of [[John Cavil]] establishes a temple aboard ''Galactica'' for clandestine meetings with other [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon agents]] regarding "[[The Plan (dogma)|the plan]]" {{TRS|The Plan}}.{{clear}}

===Sagittaron beliefs===
Orthodox [[Sagittaron#Culture|Sagittaron beliefs]] are more anachronistic than the Gemenese's, believing that the mind and body are myths, and that medicine is "an abomination, a sin against the Gods". Sagittarons also blame physicians for the spread of disease due to their ignorance of the aforementioned "myth" of the body and mind. They traditionally do not believe in violence, even to the point of not aiding the [[New Caprica Resistance]] in their fight against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] occupation of [[New Caprica]] {{TRS|The Woman King}}.

=== Other minority beliefs===
A small minority of the Colonials were secretly [[God (RDM)|monothiests]]. While it is not clear if such worship was still in practice in modern Colonial times up to the Cylon holocaust, an [[Temple of Five|unusual temple]] found on a [[Algae planet|remote planet]] suggests that monotheism was prevalent in the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]].

After the [[Second Exodus]], [[Gaius Baltar]] later founds [[Cult of Baltar|a monotheistic cult]] that finds itself in conflict with the established faiths. Baltar's faith comes into direct, violent conflict with the [[Sons of Ares]] as well as the general Colonial polythiests. [[Mithraism]] is also noted in practice {{TRS|Escape Velocity}}

==The Clergy==
The religious and government bodies of the Twelve Colonies work together. This association is likely based on the religious homogeneity of the Colonies.<ref>This differs from the United States, whose government is based on religious tolerance through the separation of religious practice and legislature. While the real-world Earth has many, many religions, the Twelve Colonies, as yet, appear to have only one religion and as such does not suffer greatly from schisms or other religious factions, although colonists such as the Gemenese show a different emphasis on how they interpret the religious writings.</ref>

===Priests/Priestesses===
[[File:Season 3 - Promo - Collaborators - Priest.jpg|right|thumb|A male [[Unnamed characters (RDM)#Priest|priest]]. {{TRS|Collaborators}}.]]
[[File:Elosha1.jpg|thumb|left|Elosha, priestess and friend of President Roslin. {{TRS|Home, Part I}}]]
[[Laura Roslin]] [[Case Orange|is sworn into the presidency]] by a priestess<ref>In "[[Blood on the Scales]]," Baltar refers to Elosha as "the ''Priestess'' Elosha," indicating that women priests have a femanine title</ref>, [[Elosha]], who continues on in an advisory capacity within Roslin's administration. Priests also preside over military funerals, without regard for the beliefs of the deceased.

Priests in the Twelve Colonies are apparently not required to practice celibacy, and can be male or female. Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] states that his father was a priest and his mother an oracle {{TRS|Resistance (episode)|Resistance}}.<ref>Galen Tyrol's information may be skewed by the revelation that he himself is a Cylon {{TRS|Crossroads, Part II}}.</ref>

According to [[Billy Keikeya]], some priests use [[chamalla]] for its hallucinogenic properties. The prescient dreams it imparted to Laura Roslin may imply the use of something similar by [[Pythia]], an ancient prophet. [[Oracle]]s also use the drug.
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===Brothers===
[[File:Cyca2.jpg|left|thumb|The false Brother [[Cavil]] {{TRS|Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II}}.]]
The term ''Brother'' is used as a title for male members of the clergy, although it is not fully apparent whether this role is similar to that of a [[w:Monk|monk]] or [[w:Deacon|deacon]].

As with priests, a brother offers consultation and leads prayer.

The only instance of this clergy is Brother [[Cavil]], who offers guidance to Chief Tyrol.

Cavil, however, is revealed as a [[humanoid Cylon]] some time later. Because of Cavil's nature, there may be doubt as to whether Cavil is a useful example of the work of a Brother in Colonial religion.

It is probable that Brothers are lay clergy, unlike priests and oracles, who appear to have political status as well as their religious status.
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===Sisters===
[[File:Tivenan.jpg|right|thumb|Sister Tivenan (right) at a [[dedication ceremony]] ([[TRS]]: "[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance: Episode 10]]")]]
As with Brothers in the clergy, there are ''Sisters'' as well.

Sister [[Tivenan]] is briefly seen tending to business in the temple on [[New Caprica]], guiding prayer and officiating a [[dedication ceremony]] for the [[Nicholas Tyrol|newborn son]] of [[Galen Tyrol|Galen]] and [[Cally Tyrol]] ([[TRS]]: "[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]").

It is probable that Sisters, like Brothers, are lay clergy.
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===Oracles===
{{mainarticle|Oracle}}
[[File:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|left|thumb|The oracle [[Dodona Selloi]] {{TRS|Exodus, Part I}}.]]
[[File:S3 oraclebrenn low.jpg|right|thumb|The oracle [[Yolanda Brenn]] {{TRS|Maelstrom}}.]]
There is little information as to the religious functions of ''oracles''. [[Dodona Selloi]] is one of two oracles seen in the Re-imagined Series. She confirms the dreams of a copy of [[Number Three]] and the existence of [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]. It is not clear if Selloi is sitting in a tent designated as a temple, but there are numerous ornate or curious inscriptions surrounding and inside her tent that suggest the significance of the oracle's tent or her presence. A second oracle, [[Yolanda Brenn]], gives counsel to [[Kara Thrace]] on her strange dreams aboard ''Galactica'' {{TRS|Maelstrom}}.

Priests and oracles may assume their roles due to an personal, possibly inherited affinity to sense spiritual changes or conditions. [[Galen Tyrol]], [[Final Five|believed to be the son of a priest and oracle]], detects the presence of and finds the [[Temple of Five]] alone, based only on his senses, apparently detecting the hidden temple on the otherwise-unremarkable (and undocumented) [[algae planet]] {{TRS|The Eye of Jupiter}}. However, it is revealed later that he is in fact a humanoid Cylon, one of the {{TRS|Final Five}}, and had visited the site before.
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==A Cylon Connection==
:''Main article: [[Cylon Religion]]''
:''See Also: [[The Destiny]], [[Final Five]], [[Temple of Five]]''

While humanoid Cylons show a strict, firm belief in a monotheistic [[God (RDM)|God]], referring to the Lords of Kobol as "false idols," a connection between the Cylon God and the Lords of Kobol may exist. During the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, an [[Selloi|oracle]] tells [[Number Three]] (who has a ''dream'' of the oracle's tent and of holding the believed-dead hybrid child [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]") that she has a message from the one that Number Three worships {{TRS|Exodus, Part I}}. This poses the question how an oracle of the Lords of Kobol is able to hear the messages of the Cylon God.

The [[Temple of Five]], which a [[Number Three]] uses to visualize the identities of the [[Final Five]]," was not built for the Cylons (who were not created until 4,000 years later) but for humans. The Temple, according to the Sacred Scrolls, was built for five priests who worshiped "[[The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken]]". It is not clear if this was the spurned "jealous god" or another fallen member of the Lords of Kobol.<ref>While the notion of a fallen Lord is speculative in the Re-imagined Series, there is already a parallel series of characters from the [[Original Series]]: The [[Beings of Light]] and their fallen member, [[Iblis]]. [[Ron D. Moore]], however, has stated in several interviews that he was not planning to use this Original Series concept in the Re-imagined Series.</ref>

[[Kara Thrace]] realizes her [[The Destiny|destiny]], first from the words of a [[Leoben Conoy]] model, and later, in a type of dream, through an [[Messenger Leoben|entity that took the likeness of Leoben]], but was not a Cylon. From death, Thrace [[Crossroads, Part II|returns]] to the Fleet, not as an illusion, but resurrected – something that, prior to Thrace, only a humanoid Cylon could do.

==Notes==

* In a podcast, RDM mentioned that it was intended that there would be many sectarian divisions and religious denominations within colonial society, ranging from a Hellenic-style Cult of Athena to more Buddhist and Hindu forms of worship, and including monotheistic minorities. Mithraism is presumably one such minority belief, similar to the real-life minority Mithraic religion of Roman times. This diversity was not fully shown due to time constraints, but would later be made more apparent in ''Caprica''.
*It seems that Colonial society protects freedom of worship and encourages religious diversity to some degree. However, certain monotheistic organizations such as the [[Soldiers of the One]] and the [[Cult of Baltar]] are strongly anti-polytheistic, and some devout polytheists such as [[Jordan Duram]] take strong exception to the doctrine of monotheism.
*The Tauron funeral rite {{CAP|There is Another Sky}} mirrors the Ancient Greek rite of placing a coin on the head of the dead for the Charon, the ferryman who took the souls of the dead across the Rivers Styx and Acheron to The Underworld. The idea of eternal return "all of this has happened before, and will happen again" is strongly present in many forms of Hinduism, which see the universe as cyclical. The use of oracles and icons of deities reflects many historical Indo-European religions from Ancient Greek to Hindu, as well as different shamanistic practices. Additionally the priests of the Lords of Kobol wear different vestments perhaps indicating divisions similar to Protestantism/Catholic/Orthadox in Christianity.
*The use of the names of certain real-life pagan Gods as personal names (like the Germanic Odin) as well as the presence of interchangable Greco-Roman names for the same gods (i.e. Jupiter/Zeus or Mars/Ares) may suggest that the worship of the Lords of Kobol uses different names for the same Gods depending on language. Different colonies may call the same Lords of Kobol names like the Germanic Tyr, Roman Jupiter, Greek Zeus Pater, Indian Deus Pita interchangably. Alternatively, it is possible that some polytheists in the colonies worship a different pantheon altogether, or include the worship of other gods along with the 12 Lords of Kobol, just as how there are Titans and Olympians in Greek religion, Asir and Vanir in Germanic religion, or Devas and Asuras in Hindu religion.
*The punchline of [[Blood_on_the_Scales#Noteworthy_Dialogue|the joke]] that [[Tom Zarek]] tells {{callsign|Racetrack}} as he is escorted from the flight deck in "[[Blood_on_the_Scales#Notes|Blood on the Scales]]" suggests that pedophilia by priests may have been an issue among the clergy of the Twelve Colonies, similar to [[w:Abuse_by_members_of_Roman_Catholic_orders|anecdotes and allegations]] involving the Roman Catholic Church.

==References==
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