Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, was not a religious man; and the Star Trek universe he created was not intended to be religious either. This was most explicitly acknowledged in the Next Gen episode "Who Watches the Watchers?", the plot of which has a Federation observation team posted on a "primitive" planet, accidentally observed by a couple of the planet's Vulcan-like inhabitants. These natives, unable to account for the mysterious appearance and disappearance of the Federation team, begin to construct supernatural explanations, and then start to develop a cult. Much to the consternation of Captain Picard, who is not only concerned with the violation of the Federation's non-interference principle, but quite definitely regards the development of belief in gods among this promising people to be an utter catastrophe. His efforts to rectify matters ultimately succeed, and the natives' civilization is left in peace to develop "naturally" in a rational and godless way. Sanity has been restored to the universe!
Like-minded fans may sometimes exaggerate the secularism of the original series. What follows is an online comment from Donna Minkowitz, who bristles with indignation over the theme song for the final ST series, Enterprise. The song was entitled "Faith of the Heart", and was already controversial for being a piece of soft-rock vocal schlock, rather than the traditional pompous or swanky orchestral shlock typifying the preceding series' opening themes that many fans evidently preferred. Ms. Minkowitz's objection to it was political, not aesthetic, and reads: "The titles, set to a hymn that combines the first Christian references ever heard on Star Trek with some boasts about resisting alien domination, show drawings of the ships of fifteenth-century European colonial powers and European maps and globes from the same period... This jibes neatly with the plot, the first ever on Star Trek in which racism is applauded. The normal, virile, white spacemen of Earth are being held back by the ridiculous sensitivities of the Vulcans, pushy, geeky aliens who want them to respect the cultural differences of all the alien races."
Never mind that there are actually no Christian references at all in the song (which would not ordinarily be called a hymn), except possibly for the word "faith": which is plainly used in the ordinary, secular sense of "self-confidence". And never mind the tacit equation of Christianity with nasty colonial exploitation and racism. Never mind whether her standard issue politically correct objections to the series are right or wrong. I would concede many of the points she makes in the article about the series in question, but she's simply wrong to say there were no Christian references in the series until that point.
In the original series, there were quite a few. There were numerous references, for instance, to the Garden of Eden story, as well as other Biblical themes. (It would be carping to say that most of those aren't Christian, but Jewish). Episodes with titles like "This Side of Paradise", "The Devil in the Dark", "The Apple", "The Doomsday Machine", "Journey to Babel", "The Omega Glory", "The Paradise Syndrome", "The Mark of Gideon", "Reqieum for Methusaleh" and "The Way to Eden" all use names and terms that are far more explicitly Jewish and/or Christian than "faith". (I've often thought that an apt title for the whole series would be "Paradise Well Lost" as the theme of the expulsion from the Garden occurs again and again - though the expulsion is generally regarded as a good thing, a move away from infantalism to true human maturity.)
A few more references: Spock is joshingly referred to, or mistaken for Lucifer on several occasions. Kirk is embarrassed to meet a crewmember he was intimate with at the ship's Christmas party. The Enterprise contains a non-demominational chapel, and occasionally the fact that at least some members of the crew have religious faith is alluded to. When the (supposed) god Apollo, in "Who Mourns for Adonais?", attempts to force the crew of the Enterprise to worship him, Kirk responds: "Mankind has no need of gods; we find the one quite sufficient."
That last remark is most probably an indication that the network censors of the time were at work ensuring that no overtly anti-religious sentiments would be broadcast. Nevertheless, my point is that it isn't strictly true to say that there were no allusions to religious belief in the series. In the third season episode "The Empath", a scientist at an outpost can be heard making a suspiciously devout remark for someone supposedly raised in a post-religious utopia :
Like-minded fans may sometimes exaggerate the secularism of the original series. What follows is an online comment from Donna Minkowitz, who bristles with indignation over the theme song for the final ST series, Enterprise. The song was entitled "Faith of the Heart", and was already controversial for being a piece of soft-rock vocal schlock, rather than the traditional pompous or swanky orchestral shlock typifying the preceding series' opening themes that many fans evidently preferred. Ms. Minkowitz's objection to it was political, not aesthetic, and reads: "The titles, set to a hymn that combines the first Christian references ever heard on Star Trek with some boasts about resisting alien domination, show drawings of the ships of fifteenth-century European colonial powers and European maps and globes from the same period... This jibes neatly with the plot, the first ever on Star Trek in which racism is applauded. The normal, virile, white spacemen of Earth are being held back by the ridiculous sensitivities of the Vulcans, pushy, geeky aliens who want them to respect the cultural differences of all the alien races."
Never mind that there are actually no Christian references at all in the song (which would not ordinarily be called a hymn), except possibly for the word "faith": which is plainly used in the ordinary, secular sense of "self-confidence". And never mind the tacit equation of Christianity with nasty colonial exploitation and racism. Never mind whether her standard issue politically correct objections to the series are right or wrong. I would concede many of the points she makes in the article about the series in question, but she's simply wrong to say there were no Christian references in the series until that point.
In the original series, there were quite a few. There were numerous references, for instance, to the Garden of Eden story, as well as other Biblical themes. (It would be carping to say that most of those aren't Christian, but Jewish). Episodes with titles like "This Side of Paradise", "The Devil in the Dark", "The Apple", "The Doomsday Machine", "Journey to Babel", "The Omega Glory", "The Paradise Syndrome", "The Mark of Gideon", "Reqieum for Methusaleh" and "The Way to Eden" all use names and terms that are far more explicitly Jewish and/or Christian than "faith". (I've often thought that an apt title for the whole series would be "Paradise Well Lost" as the theme of the expulsion from the Garden occurs again and again - though the expulsion is generally regarded as a good thing, a move away from infantalism to true human maturity.)
A few more references: Spock is joshingly referred to, or mistaken for Lucifer on several occasions. Kirk is embarrassed to meet a crewmember he was intimate with at the ship's Christmas party. The Enterprise contains a non-demominational chapel, and occasionally the fact that at least some members of the crew have religious faith is alluded to. When the (supposed) god Apollo, in "Who Mourns for Adonais?", attempts to force the crew of the Enterprise to worship him, Kirk responds: "Mankind has no need of gods; we find the one quite sufficient."
That last remark is most probably an indication that the network censors of the time were at work ensuring that no overtly anti-religious sentiments would be broadcast. Nevertheless, my point is that it isn't strictly true to say that there were no allusions to religious belief in the series. In the third season episode "The Empath", a scientist at an outpost can be heard making a suspiciously devout remark for someone supposedly raised in a post-religious utopia :
Scientist 1 (reacting to an earth tremor): I don't think I can stand another week in this godforsaken place.
Scientist 2: "In His hand are all the deep places of the earth". Psalm 95, verse 4. Looks like He was listening...
The plot of the episode concerns a woman with empathic healing abilities who sacrifices her life to save McCoy's: What other story might that remind us of?
If it's objected that Roddenberry wasn't in control during the third season, and so couldn't prevent occasional scriptural quotations (if indeed he would have objected to them at all), what then is to be said of "Bread and Circuses", from the second season, and co-written by Mr. Roddenberry? This is one of those episodes where the Enterprise visits an alternate Earth (the galaxy appears to be riddled with them), where the civilization closely resembles that of Ancient Rome, but with twentieth century technology. Kirk and Co. become involved with an underground group of escaped slaves called "children of the sun", who are pacifists opposed to the Empire. The rest of the story consists of televised gladitorial combats, a sexy slave woman offering her services to Kirk, and challenges to the Prime Directive, while at the end of the show the crew are safely back on the Bridge, having logged another successful mission. It is then that Uhura, being an expert in linguistics, makes the astonishing connection: The "children of the sun" are actually "children of the Son", Son, that is, of God; that is, Christ! ... One could not imagine a more blatant Christian reference than that.
The question, of course, is what is the significance of these references. As noted before, some of them would have been inserted at the network's insistence, or (as I suspect is the case with "Bread and Circuses") the writers voluntarily threw the Believing Public a bon-bon or two. (In the sixties, many non-believers would have regarded religion as a relatively benign atavism, and were willing to be indulgent. The public face of Christianity then was typified by the likes of Martin Luther King, not Jerry Falwell.) As well, most of the general public were at least passingly familiar with Biblical stories and themes, and allusions to them would have lent the series an aura of seriousness and dignity. Shakespeare and Keats were also used in this way by the writers. ("Conscience of the King", "Is There No Truth in Beauty?").
If it's objected that Roddenberry wasn't in control during the third season, and so couldn't prevent occasional scriptural quotations (if indeed he would have objected to them at all), what then is to be said of "Bread and Circuses", from the second season, and co-written by Mr. Roddenberry? This is one of those episodes where the Enterprise visits an alternate Earth (the galaxy appears to be riddled with them), where the civilization closely resembles that of Ancient Rome, but with twentieth century technology. Kirk and Co. become involved with an underground group of escaped slaves called "children of the sun", who are pacifists opposed to the Empire. The rest of the story consists of televised gladitorial combats, a sexy slave woman offering her services to Kirk, and challenges to the Prime Directive, while at the end of the show the crew are safely back on the Bridge, having logged another successful mission. It is then that Uhura, being an expert in linguistics, makes the astonishing connection: The "children of the sun" are actually "children of the Son", Son, that is, of God; that is, Christ! ... One could not imagine a more blatant Christian reference than that.
The question, of course, is what is the significance of these references. As noted before, some of them would have been inserted at the network's insistence, or (as I suspect is the case with "Bread and Circuses") the writers voluntarily threw the Believing Public a bon-bon or two. (In the sixties, many non-believers would have regarded religion as a relatively benign atavism, and were willing to be indulgent. The public face of Christianity then was typified by the likes of Martin Luther King, not Jerry Falwell.) As well, most of the general public were at least passingly familiar with Biblical stories and themes, and allusions to them would have lent the series an aura of seriousness and dignity. Shakespeare and Keats were also used in this way by the writers. ("Conscience of the King", "Is There No Truth in Beauty?").
Pt II: God lives on Vulcan - IDIC and other quasi-religious substitutes
