Expert: Sarah - 2/9/2004

Question
hey ya!
i think that the religion in buffy is somewhat different than the traditional religion that we are used to. buffy and the gang don't believe in the idea of a single-solid god but rather live their own lives with their own moral codes. do you think buffy is a religious show and support/promote any particular belief or religion? or not? and if you do or now why?
i know that whedon is an atheist but still there are many religious references in the series. just want to hear your opinion.  

Answer
Nope i reckon all the gang are meant to be solid atheists.  (except willow who is "technically" jewish - but not practising)  If anything i think Joss and his team go out of their way to convince people that there is no God.  Certainly many of the attitudes towards religon he displays through the show are very much in line with my own as an atheist.
I think the show promotes the belief in certain forces controlling the earth - but those forces are the forces of nature and the forces of good an evil projected by entities like "the first" and "the powers that be"  The whole idea is developed further in Angel with the idea of there being several planes of existance, the one below being ruled always by the one above with humanity being the lowest plane of existance.
It would only have been possible for him to develop this idea if he had kept the show completely atheist beforehand.
Hope this helps
Sarah