I was pondering my existence the other day, and the inevitable event of my own death. The thing that bothers me most about it is the fact that I really, really want to know the end of the “story.” That is, it troubles me that I will never know what becomes of the human race. I have always loved Star Trek, ever since I began watching TNG, and I really would like to know if we ever make contact with alien races, explore the galaxy, so on and so on. At the rate science and technology are currently progressing I think some of this science fiction may eventually become reality. (If we don’t do something stupid and blow up the earth first…)
Thinking of Star Trek in this manner lead me to a different train of thought, after which I realized I don’t know the answer. Being an agnostic, I tend to just glaze over and ignore religious references (esp. Christian ones), but it occured to me that aside from the practices of a couple of bizarre alien races, I hadn’t seen much mention of religion or God in a Star Trek episode. Ever. I don’t mean ceremonies by priests from an alien planet, or some of the psuedo-paranormal plot/storylines, but actual worship or a statement of belief by one of the main characters. Have any major Star Trek characters professed being the follower of a specific faith? Have any of them ever discussed or expressed belief in an afterlife? Did I just miss the episodes dealing with the issue, or are there truly none? (I know Kirk went to a place called the Nexus in one of the movies, but he wasn’t dead.) Does Star Trek predict a future where humans have evolved past the need for organized (or any) religion?
If anyone more thoroughly versed in the show has some information, I’d appreciate it. I’ve watched nearly all of TNG, some of DS9 and quite a bit of Voyager (as well as some of the movies). I am nothing even remotely close to a Star Trek guru, though, and the more I think about it, the more it bugs me.
“Bread and Circuses” Mc Coy mentions wishing he could say “Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel”. References to the Son of God at the end are at least somewhat reverential. None fo the characters is tied to a specific faith, but the concepts of Christianity are known to them.
Hmmm…that’s interesting. I’d really like to know if it was ever discussed on the show at length. I didn’t see that episode, and I can’t remember ever seeing a character pray or worship or anything like that. Could it be possible that they were familiar with the stories of Christianity but didn’t actually believe in it? Now I’d like to see that particular show. Maybe the SO can find it and download it for me.
Some of the characters on DS9 – Kai Wynn, Kira Narees – were deeply religious and professed or exhibited a very strong faith, but as far as I recall we were only ever given minimal amounts of the doctrine and beliefs of that religion. The Klingons seem to have some kind of religious foundation to their culture which (to me) is reminiscent of pre-Christian Viking and Germanic religions. Beyond that, I don’t think we are ever shown any kind of organized religion within the Federation proper.
My personal opinion is that Gene Rodenberry’s vision of the future deliberately excluded any recognizable form of organized religion from the Federation. One reason might be to avoid giving any of the major terrestrial faiths an “upper hand” in the imagined future. More importantly, though, I think that Science itself is the religion, and that the central belief is that Science superior to anything in overcoming problems and adversity. Thus alien cultures which did exhibit some form of religious belief were presented as under-developed, backward, irrational, etc. One might be tempted to call the Vulcan philosophy a “religion”, but of course that would be illogical. I think that’s the whole discourse in a nutshell, right there.
And it’s a pity. One reason DS9 was interesting to me was the tension between science and religion, as played out in the relationships of Major Kira and Captain Cisco with Kai Winn and the Bajoran religious establishment. In one episode, a long-lost Bajoran poet emerges from the Celestial Temple (wormhole) after centuries. He is proclaimed as the Emissary, supplanting Cisco in that role (much to Kai Winn’s delight), and goes on to encourage a number of far-reaching cultural changes which Kira finds personally distressing. Noting this, Odo asks her which Emissary – Cisco or the poet – she thinks was the true one. Kira answers that they both were/are. When Odo points out the logical contradiction in this belief – “How can they both be the Emissary?” – Kira answers: “That’s the thing about faith, Odo. If you have it, no explanation is necessary. If you don’t have, no explanation is sufficient.”
This may be the most kindly word religion was allowed to have in Star Trek. On the other hand, I can’t help feeling that there is a barb buried deep inside it.
However, having said all this, someone else is no doubt more familiar with Rodenberry’s intentions with regard to religion, and can shed further light.
Ah, thanks, that was much more informative. I’m going to bookmark this thread and try to find that movie the next time I have a chance to use the television set and some free time.
Oh, and I watched some of Bab5, but I didn’t much like it. Bab5’s characters seemed too… happy, or something. It might’ve been the costumes. I’m not sure; it just really put me off. I think the Star Trek universe is perhaps a bit more convincing. (Or it could just be the actors.)
I’m not really looking for a show with deep theological meaning discussed; I like Star Trek and just wanted to know how religion and faith were handled in the show (if at all), esp. by the Federation.
I saw less of DS9 than TNG or Voyager, so I’m not completely familiar with all the characters on that show. I have a really hard time remembering the female character’s names in particular. One would think that if races like the Klingons had a mythology that differed from that of another alien race there would be arguing and fighting just like exists now between various religions (I’m right! No, I am! My God is the true God!)… yet I never saw anything like that on the show.
Well, you might have a point there, about the Klingons. I think religious ideas are often used as “window-dressing”, to give alien cultures a sense of depth and reality without actually plumbing those depths.
Re: Babylon 5. I found it a bit slow in the first season, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it – far more than Star Trek. No question that this was because (if you hadn’t already guessed) B5 not only takes on issues of human and alien religion; they are quite central to the plot and development of the characters. I am quite partial to the Minbari religion-philosophy in particular, though G’Kar undergoes a profound enlightenment through the course of the series. Ironically enough, it was the kind of enlightenment that we could use more of in our current world situation… but I have no intention of hijacking this thread for that discourse!
I remember reading (probably in Star Trek Memories) that Gene Roddenberry did indeed intentionally keep religion out of the original Star Trek. When somebody high-ranking asked him to put a chapel on the Enterprise, he invented Majel Barrett’s role of Nurse Chapel.
On the more recent ones, three religous references that I can think of off the top of my head are: An episdoe in TNG (the title of which I forget) where the Enterprise-D crew helps debunk an alien’s claim to be the Devil. Also, several references are given, but nothing in-depth, of the Klingon religion. Finally, the entire Maquis plotline, which spanned late-TNG to early-VOY. Chakotay especially is in touch with his faith.
One thing I notice is that they never seen to find a planet on which there is more than one religion, or more than one language for that matter.
[ul]
[li]TOS ep “Balance of Terror” - Two junior officers - Angela Martine and Robert Tomlinson - are about to get married in the ship’s chapel (not Christine ) right when a sneak Romulan attack destroys a Federation outpost. After the climax of the show, Kirk goes to the chapel to comfort a berieved and praying Martine in the chapel, whose fiance was sadly the only casualty on the Enterprise.[/li][li]TOS ep “The Galileo Seven” - Lt. Boma insists on conducting funeral services for two fallen comrades on Taurus II, despite the danger the primitive inhabitants pose.[/li][li]TOS ep “The Way to Eden” - Obvious references to the Bible’s Garden of Eden lore.[/li][li]TOS ep “Bread and Circuses” - Sun worshipers are really Son (of God) worshipers.[/li][/ul]
There is a reason why the Federation isn’t religeous…
The Federation is a communist regime.
Much of the government, industry, law-enforcement, and other major establisments of authority are run by the military…Starfleet.
The economy is cashless, indeed, the very concept of finance is unknown to Captain Picard, as when he thawed out Ralph Offenhouse and the other frozen bodies from the Cryosattelite.
The Federation has a Prime Directive: The natural progression of a culture will not be interfered with; any crewmember or vessel is expendable in order to uphold this law.
This law does NOT apply to humans and other sentient species native to the Federation, though. Thats why the Federation was justified in forcefully removing Federation colonists from territory ceded to the Cardassians.
Obviously, The Federation conciders its people a resource to be controlled and exploited. Religeon would detract from the progress made by a government based on logic. For a progressive society, religeon must make way for science:
Reason instead of blind faith: the here-&-now is more important than eternity.
Thus, the Federation is interested in supressing religeon.
I think it’s pretty clear that the Federation is communistic, though I don’t see what exactly that has to do with religion. However, there is definitely a cultural and humanitarian aspect to the Federation. It might not necessarily be religious, but it’s not scientific.
Looking back on it now, though I can’t place my finger on it, I get the impression that the people on Star Trek regard any given religion as something to be respected, just like all the customs of a culture. They may even think highly of a society which has a well-developed religion. One of the least religious cultures on the show (in my opinion) is the Ferengi, and while the Federation gets along with them, I don’t know about respect so much.
I think it sounds communistic only because the science and technology of the Star Trek Universe allows for a more egalitarian society, remember the replicator technology and advances in mental and general health. The effect of that and other new technologies geared for good, could reach amazing levels in the future; but only if the future generations or we make sure of it. This is kinda similar to the idea that the economic reasons for slavery ended when technology showed to be superior to hand labor, at picking cotton for example. (I am excluding here the human reasons why slavery ended (That is worthy of a great debate)) IMO ST only looks communistic; otherwise, Quark would find it impossible to make profits.
Getting back to religion in ST: having symbols of faith on you, while seeking new life and civilizations, can generate more problems in the already hard job of first contact. (IMO ST makes it look too easy in many occasions)
And yes, Gene Roddenberry was an Atheist; but, as some other dopers already showed, he allowed writers to insert religious ideas here and there.
I think TNG episode “Rightful Heir” deserves a mention:
In that episode Worf meets Kayless, who has “returned” from the grave to lead his people.
The Klingon faith looked to be at the fore front in this episode; but, I also saw the episode as a warning for the danger we could face in the far future if fundamentalist religions pull a “fast one” and create an artificial Jesus, Mohammed, etc. that could incite more division and unrest in our planet. A great possibility considering fundamentalist religions are not shy of using technology to accomplish nefarious ends.
“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing, all-powerful God, who creates faulty humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.”
…Gene Roddenberry
It wouldn’t surprise me if they wrote a plot where there was a planet with two religions, and they were at war with each other.
Captain Janeway explored Chakotay’s beliefs and went on a vision quest to find her spiritual guide; she seems to have abandoned this intellectual exercise once the guide was found to have no practical use.
They’ve certainly beaten to death the idea of “any sufficiently omnipotent machine is indistinguishable from God”.