ON THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY
By Raymond J. Keating
Late last month, I stumbled upon a series of essays at NationalReview.com about Star Trek. It turned out to be the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Wow. Since I became a fan as a kid with the original Star Trek series in reruns during the 1970s, the fact that it’s been two decades since Captain Jean Luc Picard first beamed into our living rooms makes me feel kind of old.
Several conservatives writing on NR seemed to wrestle with being fans of this rather liberal television show. It’s an interesting point, including for this self-confessed conservative Trekker. Perhaps it’s as straightforward as a combination of interesting characters, compelling stories that often involve some big issues to debate and discuss, cool space stuff, and general sci-fi geekiness. (Full Article)
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Faith, or Lack Thereof, in Star Trek
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6 comments:
Star Trek TNG envisioned a future where the worst of mankind had been eliminated. That means no Christians, Jews, Muslims, or other cults. As John Lennon put it, "and no religion too". No brainwashed drones spreading lies and trashing the real world for their fictional paradise in the sky. Trekkers do at least know their paradise in the sky is fictional. Give up your god.
I've been a Trekker since I was a kid (when re-runs of TOS played during prime-time and the Star Trek cartoon was a regular on Saturday mornings), and also being an observer of culture, I've noticed something interesting with Trek over the years.
In the original series, which came out in the late 1960s, it was infused with the humanistic "man is god" or "God is dead" sentiment so characteristic of the 60s. But as time went on, Trek began to change. TNG started out similarly, I think more in allegiance to TOS than anything, but it was starting to become more reflective of the culture of the 80s and 90s as the series matured and developed it's own personality.
By the 90s, along the time the New Age religious phenomena was hitting the United States, you will recall the Deep Space Nine incarnation and the recurring religious themes and overtones from the Bajorans and their reluctant "emissary."
Notice also, that Trek evolved from the "we don't need that filthy stuff known as 'money'" attitude in TOS and TNG, to a number of market themes in DS9 and Voyager. Gee, maybe the Marxist hippie love-in doesn't work in the 24th Century either.
So Trek also evolved from "God is dead" to embracing religion as our society realized man DOESN'T have all the answers like liberals thought back in the 60s.
While the Trek universe is still stumbling around in the dark and missing the real God (they thought they might have found Him in The Final Frontier), the series has at least outgrown it's narcissistic hope that man has no need of God.
Um, I think you need to do a little more research next time. Or did you know know about the 7 years of episodes that was Star Trek: Deep Space Nine? The faith of the Bajorans was predominantly featured throughout the series and the issue of how one culture can see God in something that others view differently. Who is to say? And the main character started out the series as a non-believer and grew to have great faith in "the prophets."
Also, one VERY clear message about not only a faith in God, but a Christian perspective was given in the TOS episode "Bread and Circuses".
Trek is a WONDERFUL message to people - in fact it helped lead me to a life as a human rights advocate - one with a strong faith in God, as well.
Paul
ps - to the last post, I disagree that Trek moved away AT ALL from the viewpoint that money is "bad". The Ferengi culture was criticized for its greed and only evolved when they embraced unions and women's rights. The paradise of Earth still existed without the need for money and they never once changed.
Anonymous, you're correct to cite the Bajoran religion in DS9. It was a continuing theme throughout the entire series, and did paint an interesting picture of how the Bajorans saw a Starfleet office as a religious figure. Though Capt. Sisco tried to be respectful of the Bajoran's beliefs, I don't think he was ever comfortable in their belief in him as "emissary."
I also agree that "Bread and Circuses" in TOS was an interesting departure from the normal "God is dead" philosophy of TOS.
You also have a good point about the light in which the Ferengi were painted. From TNG to DS9 they and their love of profit was always cast in a hyperbolically negative light. But when the series started out in TOS, it seemed the whole Star Trek universe no longer had use for money. In DS9 they at least acknowledged that commerce was alive and well in some corners of the Alpha Quadrant.
I think everything that needs to be said on the subject can be found in the episode "Who Watches the Watchers." Trek was not particularly supportive of religion, and it is a fact that more people have been murdered in the name of an incomprehensible and impossible to please higher power throughout history than for any other reason. Maybe rather than complaining about the lack of religion in Trek, you should look at the reasons religion was more or less shunned in Trek and why it should be shunned in the modern day.
You bring up an interesting point, Anonymous. But I'd like to ask a question: if more people have been killed to please a "higher power" than any other reason, what higher power was being pleased when atheistic communists killed somewhere in the ballpark of 100 million people in the 20th Century?
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