Editing Babylon 5 (section)

=== Religion ===
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| quote = If you look at the long history of human society, religion – whether you describe that as organized, disorganized, or the various degrees of accepted superstition – has always been present. And it will be present 200 years from now... To totally ignore that part of the human equation would be as false and wrong-headed as ignoring the fact that people get mad, or passionate, or strive for better lives.
| source = —J. Michael Straczynski, 1993<ref name="religion1">{{cite web |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=20161 |title=Religion in B5 |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=September 9, 1993 |website=JMSNews |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026121418/http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=20161 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Many of Earth's contemporary religions are shown to still exist, with the main human characters often having religious convictions. Among those specifically identified are the [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]] branch of [[Christianity]] (including the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]]), [[Judaism]], and the fictional Foundationism (which developed after first contact with alien races).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=16598 |title=Christianity in 23rd century |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=January 23, 1995 |website=JMSNews |publisher=Midnight Design Productions, LLC |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026133433/http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=16598 |url-status=live }}</ref> Alien beliefs in the show range from the [[Centauri (Babylon 5)|Centauri]]'s [[Bacchanalia]]n-influenced religions,<ref name="religion1"/> of which there are up to seventy different denominations,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15929 |title=Re:Franklin and Ivanova |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=December 11, 1995 |website=JMSNews |publisher=Midnight Design Productions, LLC |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723193114/http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15929 |url-status=live }}</ref> to the more [[pantheism|pantheistic]] as with the [[Narn]] and [[Minbari]] religions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.philjohn.com/rev_tv/pjkdt_b52.html#Myths07 |title=Myths and fiction |author=Philipp Kneis |date=April 17, 1999 |access-date=December 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217192440/http://www.philjohn.com/rev_tv/pjkdt_b52.html#Myths07 |archive-date=December 17, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> In the show's third season, a community of [[Cistercians|Cistercian monks]] takes up residence on the Babylon 5 station, in order to learn what other races call God,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=14871 |title=9 Billion Names of God and Bro |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=November 22, 1995 |website=JMSNews |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026123332/http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=14871 |url-status=live }}</ref> and to come to a better understanding of the different religions through study at close quarters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=13986 |title=Re:Messages from Earth |last=Straczynski, J. Michael |first=J. Michael |date=March 4, 1996 |website=JMSNews |publisher=Midnight Design Productions, LLC |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026120647/http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=13986 |url-status=live }}</ref>

References to both human and alien religion is often subtle and brief, but can also form the main theme of an episode.<ref>{{cite newsgroup |title=Pilot Question? Religion? |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |author-link=J. Michael Straczynski |date=December 6, 1993 |newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15341 |access-date=November 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028180104/http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15341 |archive-date=October 28, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> The first season episode "[[The Parliament of Dreams]]" is a conventional "showcase" for religion, in which each species on the Babylon 5 station has an opportunity to demonstrate its beliefs (humanity's are presented as being numerous and varied),<ref name="religion1"/> while "[[Passing Through Gethsemane]]" focuses on a specific position of Roman Catholic beliefs,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_305_001208.html |title=Babylon 5 – 'Voices of Authority' |author=Tom Janulewicz |date=December 8, 2000 |work=Space.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010211100756/http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_305_001208.html|archive-date=February 11, 2001|url-status=dead |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> as well as concepts of justice, vengeance, and biblical forgiveness.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_304_001207.html |title=Babylon 5 – 'Passing Through Gethsemane' |last=Janulewicz |first=Tom |date=December 7, 2000 |work=Space.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010211102400/http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_304_001207.html|archive-date=February 11, 2001|url-status=dead |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> Other treatments have been more contentious, such as the [[David Gerrold]]-scripted "[[Believers (Babylon 5)|Believers]]", in which alien parents would rather see their son die than undergo a life-saving operation because their religious beliefs forbid it.<ref name="religion1"/>

When religion is an integral part of an episode, various characters express differing view points. In the episode "[[Soul Hunter (Babylon 5)|Soul Hunter]]", where the concept of an [[Soul (spirit)|immortal soul]] is touched upon, and whether after death it is destroyed, reincarnated, or simply does not exist. The character arguing the latter, [[Stephen Franklin (Babylon 5)|Doctor Stephen Franklin]], often appears in the more spiritual storylines as his scientific rationality is used to create dramatic conflict. Undercurrents of religions such as Buddhism have been viewed by some in various episode scripts,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hundredmountain.com/Pages/foundobjects_pages/sum01_babylon5.html |title=Tuning in to some Buddhist undercurrents in the alternate universe of TV's "Babylon 5" |publisher=Hundred Mountain |date=Summer 2001 |access-date=December 13, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902174919/http://www.hundredmountain.com/Pages/foundobjects_pages/sum01_babylon5.html |archive-date=September 2, 2007}}</ref> and while identifying himself as an [[atheist]],<ref name="religion1" /> Straczynski believes that passages of dialog can take on distinct meanings to viewers of differing faiths, and that the show ultimately expresses ideas which cross religious boundaries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=4492 |title=Re: Attn JMS: Southern Baptists and B5 -- Was: S2 commentary comment |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=June 21, 2003 |website=JMSNews |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028172746/http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=4492 |url-status=live }}</ref>