Stаr Trek Hаs Never Gone Eаsy on Relіgіon, But Now tһe Serіes Is Tаkіng Tһіngs Uр а Notсһ

For 58 years, Star Trek has had some tough takes on religion, and it just unveiled its harshest take yet. The topic of religion in the Star Trek universe is touchy. Religion has been criticized many times in the various Star Trek shows and movies, with more balanced portrayals on occasion, but in Star Trek #29, the franchise doubles down on its harsh view of organized religion.

Star Trek #29 was written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Tess Fowler. Sisko, in a pocket universe created by the Bajoran Prophets, receives a vision of his son Jake, who was seemingly killed when Lore destroyed the multiverse. The vision criticizes Sisko for implementing a caste system on Bajor, charging that he has essentially taken away their freedom. Sisko tells the Jake-Vision that religion is “a reduction of options towards a singular ecclesiastical goal.” The vision of Jake is taken aback by this, calling it harsh, even for Sisko.

Star Trek's Tense Relations with Earth's Religions, Explained

Star Trek: The Next Generation Went Hard on Religion

The Jake-Vision is right: Ben’s take on religion is brutal, but also emblematic of the Star Trek franchise’s relationship with organized religion as a whole. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was raised Baptist, but embraced secular humanism later in life, and these ideals are baked into the franchise’s DNA. Never once in the 58-year history of Star Trek has a character professed on-screen to adhere to one of Earth’s many religious traditions. Religion and spirituality are left to the other races of the galaxy, whereas humanity seems to have moved beyond these concepts.

Star Trek’s ideals have at times put it at odds with traditional, organized religion, and one of its most scathing critiques came in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s third season. In the episode “Who Watches the Watchers,” a race of pre-industrial Vulcans discover a team of Federation scientists have been monitoring their planet. They came to view the Federation personnel, including Captain Picard, as “gods.” With the Prime Directive clearly violated, Picard had to convince the people he was not divine. The episode ended with the Federation withdrawing from that sector.

Religion had been mentioned offhandedly in other Star Trek episodes and movies, but “Who Watches the Watchers” took the franchise’s criticisms of it to a whole other level. Other episodes throughout The Next Generation’s run criticized religion and spirituality as well, including the fourth season episode “Devil’s Due.” A con-woman used technology and sleight of hand to trick a population into believing she was the devil, as a means of extorting money and resources. The con, named Ardra, maintained she was the devil, but Picard would have none of it, and exposed her ruse.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Took a Much Different (And Arguably) Better Stance on Religion

The Bajorans Were the Perfect Model For How to Live a Faith

While Star Trek: The Next Generation was harsh in its treatment of religion, its spin-off show Deep Space Nine took a more balanced and nuanced approach to the topic. The space station orbited Bajor, and its inhabitants were deeply spiritual, worshiping a group of deities they call “the Prophets.” These Prophets were revealed to be a non-corporeal, nonlinear race, but if the Bajorans knew this, it did not matter. Worship of the Prophets helped the Bajoran people through the Cardassian occupation of their homeworld, and remained a key part of their lives once the occupation ended.

For the first time, Star Trek did not outright condemn religion. Instead, Deep Space Nine acknowledged that religion is not a black and white issue, and there are plenty of shades of gray. Many of Deep Space Nine’s Bajorans mainstays were good and honest people who incorporated their faith into their daily lives. To be sure, there were bad apples within the faith, most notably Kai Winn, who became the planet’s spiritual leader, only to shun the Prophets in favor of the Pah-Wraiths. Yet Kai Winn was an outlier among the Bajorans.

Other races in the Star Trek universe have their own faith, religious and/or mystical traditions. The Vulcans, despite their highly analytical, logical ways, are deeply mystical as well. In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, fans get a front-row seat to a Vulcan ceremony, where a priestess rejoins Spock’s body with his soul. The Ferengi also believe in an after-life, one informed by their capitalist world views. On the opposite hand are the Klingons, who had gods, but according to legend, killed them when they became too much trouble.

IDW's Star Trek Comics Are Offering Their Own Take on Religion As Well

Lanzing, Kelly and Cantwell Have "Humanized" Star Trek's Gods

IDW’s rejuvenated Star Trek comics’ line has also dealt with issues of religion, especially the relationship between mortals and gods. Kahless II embarked on a deicidal campaign, killing the universe’s gods, which culminated in Day of Blood. Yet Kahless was hampered by his pride and his anger, but Lore, who had no such hang-ups, took the Klingon’s technology and improved on it. Lore then attacks the gods right in their own home, destroying the multiverse and installing himself as its “god.” The forthcoming Lore War will see Sisko, himself a religious/spiritual figure, confront Lore and restore the multiverse.

IDW’s comics have added their own take on the affairs of the gods of the Star Trek universe. Star Trek is noted for its “techno-babble,” or high-tech jargon to explain scientific concepts. The gods might seem to be beyond such concerns, but the comics have used techno-babble to explain the nature of the deities as well as their realm, The Pleroma. The Pleroma exists outside the multiverse and can only be accessed with a “Kardashev Drive” that channels anti-tachyons. Likewise, Lore uses these principles to kill the gods and destroy the Pleroma.

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the comics’ approach to Star Trek’s gods is that they have emotions and needs, just like humans. In “The Pleroma” storyline, gods such as Apollo, the Guardian of Forever and Trelane debate their existence, and show true fear when Lore arrives. The gods beg Lore for mercy, but the evil android will not hear it–and the gods are destroyed. In essence, Lore has totally flipped the script on the relationship between the gods and lesser beings, being a mortal who has succeeded in killing the gods.

IDW’s Star Trek comics have taken a more balanced approach to religion, similar to Deep Space Nine, making Sisko’s harsh comments surprising. Even though Sisko is a religious figure to the Bajorans, he himself has had a “hot and cold” relationship with this idea. Sisko’s assessment is even more surprising given the three years he spent with the Prophets in the Celestial Temple. This, when coupled with his time on Bajor, should have clued Sisko in that religion was not necessarily bad, but instead he gave Star Trek its harshest take on the subject yet.