Faith and religion

Faith and religion
Sylar's apartment reveals Sylar's attempts at communion with God.

Many characters believe that there is a higher calling from which they get their powers.

Episodic Recurrences

Genesis

• Mohinder speaks of God creating man in his own image, joking that God's image is that of a cockroach. He postulates that man might be worthy of God's image if he evolves.

Don't Look Back

• Mohinder mentions God intervening in our lives and keeping us safe.
• An article in the Odessa Register refers to a "Good Samaritan"'s deeds during a train wreck.

One Giant Leap

• Mohinder and Eden discover a hidden room in Sylar's apartment with the phrase "forgive me Father for I have sinned" written numerous times on the wall.

Seven Minutes to Midnight

• Mohinder mentions that the Earth is large enough to fool you into thinking that you can hide from God.
• Mr. Bennet tells Isaac that not every bag and tag case goes smoothly and that there was such a case. A women left behind a baby girl who had no one to take care of her. At that time, him and his wife had difficulty conceiving a child and he says that it was like God reaching down and giving them a miracle.

Six Months Ago

• After quoting the Biblical book Ecclesiastes, Mohinder wonders if there is any sign of big events -- he asks if it's "a whisper in God's ear".

Godsend

• Ando translates part of the Symbol to mean "Godsend", and calls Hiro's power a godsend. Hiro thinks the sword is a "sacred object".
• When Claire says she doesn’t consider her power a gift, the Haitian says that powers are God-given and should be respected.
• In jail, Niki prays to God for help. Jessica takes over and says, "Who needs God when you've got me?"

Run!

• Sylar (posing as Zane Taylor) tells Mohinder that he had an epiphany that made him feel at one with nature and God.

Unexpected

• Peter, feeling Isaac betrayed people like him by working for the Company, references the New Testament. He asks Isaac, "[What did] they give you[,] money? Drugs? What's a Judas get these days?"

Company Man

• After realizing her daughter has a unique power, Sandra thanks God and tells Claire that she prayed so hard and her prayers were answered. Sandra tells Claire that she always thought Claire was a miracle; when someone rises from the dead, it's a miracle. Claire doesn't believe she's a miracle--she's not sure if her abilities are God-created or if they come from somewhere else. When Ted agrees that God didn't make them this way, Sandra insists that God makes us all the way we are.
• Later, when Claire expresses anger at her father, Sandra expresses her faith in her husband. She tells Claire, "God gave you a second chance. Please give your father one."
• Mr. Bennet tells Matt that Ted wants revenge the biblical way.

.07%

• Sylar telekinetically pins Isaac to the floor of his apartment, stabbing paintbrushes through his wrists and ankles in a fashion reminiscent of Christ's crucifixion. Like Christ, Isaac knows he is going die and accepts his death, knowing that this is his fate and his part in "all of this."

Five Years Gone

• As Sylar (disguised as Nathan) walks up to Peter, he says that their confrontation -- being brother versus brother -- is almost biblical.

The Hard Part

• Virginia Gray thanks the Lord that he brought her son home safely. She also wears a cross and has several statues of Mary on her shelves.
• Virginia Gray disappointedly condemns her son by telling him that he is damned.

Landslide

• Nathan says in his speech that his father always said that we should use what God gave us to help people and to make a real difference.

Graphic Novel Recurrences

• In his childhood, Mohinder's grandmother tells Mohinder stories about Kali that inspire him to avenge his father's murder. (Monsters)
• Hana is inspired by her progenitors' faith and their adherence to Judaism and its principles. (Wireless, Parts 1, 3, and 4)
• Hana wirelessly admonishes child pornography subscribers to "log off, kneel down and pray." (The Path of the Righteous)
• Hana does not believe religion is a good topic for a first date. (War Buddies, Part 1)
• Austin's family has religious paraphernalia in their house and when Austin heals his mother, Austin's father says God answered their prayers. (War Buddies, Part 3)
• Baby Nathan is seen playing with an angel action figure. (War Buddies, Part 5)
• Hana says that when she was a girl, she imagined heaven filled with clouds and angels with beautiful feathered wings. She continues and says that the heavens are filled with angels -- satellites. Thousands and thousands of satellites that, like angels, watch over us. They see everything we do, every call we make, every e-mail we write, they know how we live, and they know how we die. (The Death of Hana Gitelman, Part 1)
• Hana has a flashback of when she tried to fly with her umbrella, like an angel. (The Death of Hana Gitelman, Part 2)

Names of Biblical Reference

• Adam (Adam Soo Hoo)
• Andrew (Charlie Andrews)
• Angel (Angela Petrelli)
• Aaron (Aron Malsky)
• Cain (Eden McCain)
• First and Second Corinthians (Corinthian Casino)
• Daniel (Daniel Buzzetti)
• David (Brian Davis, Sheriff Davidson, David, David Berman)
• Elijah (Sarah Ellis))
• Gabriel (Gabriel Gray)
• Hannah (Hana Gitelman)
• The Garden of Eden (Eden McCain)
• Genesis (Genesis)
• Isaac (Isaac Mendez)
• James (James Walker)
• Jacob (Jackie Wilcox)
• John (Janice Parkman, Hana Gitelman)
• Joseph (Joe Landers)
• Mary (Molly Walker)
• Matthew (Matt Parkman, Matthew)
• Micah (Micah Sanders)
• Nathan (Nathan Petrelli)
• Noah (Noah Bennet)
• Paul (Paulette Hawkins, Paula Gramble)
• Sarah (Sarah Ellis)
• Simon Peter (Peter Petrelli, Simone Deveaux, Simon Petrelli)
• Thomas (Thompson)
• Zechariah (Zach)

Other references

• "In His Own Image" is the title of the original, unbroadcasted version of the pilot, and refers to God creating man in His own image.
• Theodore comes via French from the Greek name Theodōros, composed of the elements theos (god – in Greek, θεός) + dōron (gift – in Greek, δώρον), meaning "gift of God".
• Virginia Gray's first name may refer to the Virgin Mary, who was visited by the angel Gabriel and received the news that she would be the earthly mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.