Continuing my series of depection of reigion in the TV show Babylon 5:

The alien race Brakiri celebrate the Day of the Dead once every 200 years. The day is timed to coincide with the position of a particular comet that, to Brakir, symbolizes death – comets have historically been seen as a portent (usually of something bad). This is somewhat like the real annual holiday of The Day of the Dead, which has roots in Aztec and Mesoamerican civilization, and is typically celebrated on 1st Nov (All Saints’ Day) or 2nd Nov (All Souls’ Day).

The Brakiri only celebrate their Day of the Dead in their own territory – this is interpreted as one of their species must own the ground where the ceremony takes place. It is probable that the writer, Neil Gaiman, referenced the Jewish concept of an eruv. For observant Jews, this is a way of allowing certain activities that would normally be forbidden (cheating if you ask me!)- usually by establishing an “enclosed” area to allow certain objects to be carried on the Sabbath. Of course in the story, this normally forbidden activity is talking to the dead!

For this one night, the people in Brakiri territory experience a visitation from someone deceased they have known in their past. If the experience is real or only a trick is left deliberately ambiguous. We can’t infer the existence of soul from this incident but the existence of the soul is an established fact to the audience from other episodes.

G’Kars Objection

G’Kar, being previously aware of this religious ritual, tries to warn others that allowing the ceremony could be dangerous.

Lockley: Religious toleration is foolish?
G’Kar: This is not a matter of toleration. You do not know what you are doing.
Lockley: The declaration of principles of the Alliance… [slight sarcasm] you are familiar with it, I trust?
G’Kar: I wrote it!
Lockley: It states that religious belief shall be sacrosanct.

G’Kar does come to regret his attitude and wonders what he would have experienced if he had participated. Of course Lockley is responsible for the station and when a part of it disappears, people start questioning her decision to allow the ceremony.

Sheridan: [rebukingly] OK captain, let me get this straight: you sold Babylon 5 to an alien race for the night, who some how transported a square mile of this station to their home world while apparently filling it with people temporarily returned from the dead?
Lockley: Yes sir
Sheridan: Well, do you have an explanation why you did this?
Lockley: Yes sir, I thought it was a metaphor. I’ll try to be more literal minded from now on, sir.

If we assume all religious beliefs are part of their own isolated language games, can’t this be an unwarranted assumption? This raises the interesting dilemma of freedom of belief vs. safety of others. If there is the possibility that a religion is physically real, can we truly separate them from the physical world (and the moral sphere) as you seem to suggest? I thought I would argue from an agnostic perspective for a change. :)

Anti Citizen One