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110 Monotheist Church Retreat Night

The Retreat of the Monotheist Church on Gemenon

Monotheism is the belief in one, all-powerful god. Mainstream Colonial religious beliefs and practices are polytheistic, but a minority is monotheistic, including a terrorist group known as Soldiers of the One (STO).

Gemenon is the holy birthplace of Monotheism. The Holy Scrolls are their sacred texts. ("Blowback")

Belief System[]

Monotheists believe in a more rigid code of ethics and morality than polytheists. They see the world in "black and white" rather than shades of gray.

Repelled by the hedonism and barbarism of parts of colonial society (in particular the Virtual World), they have adopted as their mission the cleaning up of the vices and sins of the worlds by sharing the word of the One True God. ("Pilot")

The STO takes this mission a step further by using terrorist attacks to bring attention to their cause. ("Pilot") ("Gravedancing") ("Apotheosis")

History[]

In the early years of the monotheistic movement, the STO safeguarded the church, which treated them like saviors. Now that the church is more established, they have become more comfortable with their polytheist neighbors. This has led them to publicly disavow the STO and to treat them poorly, such as making them live in tents in the cold instead of allowing them to reside in the fine and more comfortable rooms of the Retreat. However, regardless of their public stance on the STO, the church still relies heavily on them in secret for covert operations. ("Unvanquished") ("Here Be Dragons")

Practice[]

109 An Infinity of Lights

STO prayer service

Military[]

The Soldiers of the One has a training camp located on Gemenon.

Gemenese Relations[]

117 STO Camp Night

STO training camp near The Retreat on Gemenon

The Monotheist Church is located between two warring factions - the polytheistic rebels on the east and the Hephaestons on the other side. Diego, one of the STO leaders, says this has resulted in a big stalemate. ("Unvanquished")

Criticism[]

Polytheist Jordan Duram discusses his concerns about Monotheism with Clarice Willow (who is a covert Monotheist):

"It doesn't concern you that kind of absolutist view of the universe? Right and wrong determined solely by a single all-knowing, all-powerful being whose judgement cannot be questioned, and in whose name the most horrendous of acts can be sanctioned without appeal?" ("Pilot")

Furthermore, Brian Markinson, the actor who portrayed Duram, commented that, "There are no checks and balances within a monotheistic belief system," alluding to the fact that, within a Polytheist system, multiple gods can check each other's actions.[1]

When the GDD raids Zoe Graystone's bedroom, Amanda Graystone asks Agent Duram what he expects to find. He responds that they are looking for evidence of "who brainwashed [Zoe] into believing in a moral dictator called God." ("Gravedancing")

Referring to Zoe's involvement with the MAGLEV bombing, Baxter Sarno says that one of the warning signs was when she started worshipping the big "Destructo God" in the sky. ("Gravedancing")

Known Monotheists[]

Athena Academy[]

110 Clarice on Gemenon

Clarice Willow

Willow Family Cell[]

Barnabas Greeley's Cell[]

Barnabas Greeley

Barnabas Greeley

Monotheist Church[]

STO Training Camp[]

117 Lexon Odin Devanna

Lexon, Odin and Devanna

Others[]

Miscellaneous[]

Monad is a nickname for Monotheists. ("Retribution")

101 Monotheist Gesture

Lacy, Zoe and Ben make the Monotheist sign to reaffirm their beliefs.

Monotheists put their index fingers in the middle of their foreheads to signify to other members of their faith that they are Monotheists. ("Pilot")

Trivia[]

Production Notes[]

Earlier in the series, Monotheism and Soldiers of the One were confused as one in the same although they are not. Jane Espenson commented on this,

"We wanted to make a lot of effort to make really clear what the STO is, what its goals are, and how it fits into the larger Monotheist Church. Because we were finding that we were even getting confused in the writers room, that we were using the words 'monotheist' and 'STO' interchangeably, and they're not." [2]

See Also[]

References[]

  1. "One True God?." Caprica: Season 1.5, created by Ronald D. Moore and Remi Aubuchon, special feature, interview with Brian Markinson, Syfy, 2010, disc two.
  2. "One True God?." Caprica: Season 1.5, created by Ronald D. Moore and Remi Aubuchon, special feature, Jane Espenson's commentary, Syfy, 2010, disc two, 08:52-09:10.
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