News How a Remarkable Star Trek Series Gives This Trekkie a Platform for God's Love
- Thread starter Laura Cynthia Chambers
- Start date
Are there any STC episodes with blatant Christian messages? I'd like to avoid them. I prefer TNG-style atheism in my Star Trek.
No disrespect to Vic, who's done remarkable things. But I left Christianity a long time ago and have no interest in returning.
No disrespect to Vic, who's done remarkable things. But I left Christianity a long time ago and have no interest in returning.
Well that is interesting. I had no idea that he was a Christian. Whilst Star Trek is a secular TV show I know a lot of Christians who get a lot out of watching Star Trek. Star Trek at it's best is a morality play that can speak to a wide diversity of people regardless of religious belief.
I don't think so. From what I gather he is happy to answer questions about his faith when asked about it by fans at conventions. He also leads an informal Church service at some anime conventions on Sunday mornings so that Christians can still attend the convention without missing out on Church. But I don't think he is using STC to directly promote a faith agenda. The first episode is a redemption story, however as a Christian myself I have not noticed any direct Christian overtones in his episodes. Has anyone else?
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If Star Trek Continues were really a Christian fan production it would look something like this:
I am so very, very, very, very sorry for posting this here!
Edit: I have the two full length episodes of this. It is so bad.
I am so very, very, very, very sorry for posting this here!
Edit: I have the two full length episodes of this. It is so bad.
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The good thing is Vic has, from my perspective, kept his religious beliefs and practices separate from what he does with STC. I'm an atheist myself, and I'm never one for overt non-secularism - I've never once got the impression of religious messages. I get the impression that Vic, while being very devout, also subscribes to the IDIC philosphy, and doesn't try to push his beliefs on others. Vic has kept STC in the lane of TOS' classic morality plays over sermons. If he hadn't, I would've stopped watching.
Cool. Have to respect that.
To each their own.
I knew about this and Vic is, from what I see, a very good person who knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk.
I get the feeling the article is quoting him out of context. Vic has strong religious beliefs, and he's not shy about expressing his faith, but the article makes it sound like he's deliberately exploiting STC to push a religious agenda, which I don't think is the case. He's not trying to turn Star Trek into "VeggieTales in Space".
... Did you see their spoof of Trek?
ETA: Veggie Tales did a Star Trek spoof, and I thought it was hysterical. Of course, none of my high school classmates got it...
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I thought the title was misleading, but I understood from the story that Vic was NOT using Trek to push his faith, rather that he was trying to get others to see that the best way to approach Trekkies was with acceptance and tolerance (IDIC for Missionaries.) I wasn't raised a Christian and have never been one, but I was exposed to very good Christians growing up and respect those who, like the ones I knew as a kid, apply their faith to measure their own behavior rather than other people's. I saw no problem with the story except the title, and no problem with Vic's approach whatsoever.
If this is what powers Vic personally to do what he does, then that's great. He's not been using STC as a pulpit to preach from either, nor do I have any reason to suppose he might consider doing such a thing, and that's all great too. His personal beliefs haven't impacted my enjoyment of his series in the slightest.
Trek itself is decidedly not Christian, isn't it? Money and God are no longer issues in the Trekverse--Federation style, anyway. Bajorans and Ferengi are another story of course.
Eh, if we limit our attention to TOS, there were several references that could only lead one to the opposite impression.
Probably the biggest and most unambiguous pro-Christian reference is from "Bread and Circuses," teleplay by... wait for it... Gene Roddenberry & Gene L. Coon (story by John Kneubuhl, uncredited, according to Memory Alpha) [http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/43.htm]:
SPOCK: I wish we could have examined that belief of his more closely. It seems illogical for a sun worshiper to develop a philosophy of total brotherhood. Sun worship is usually a primitive superstition religion.
UHURA: I'm afraid you have it all wrong, Mister Spock, all of you. I've been monitoring some of their old-style radio waves, the empire spokesman trying to ridicule their religion. But he couldn't. Don't you understand? It's not the sun up in the sky. It's the Son of God.
KIRK: Caesar and Christ. They had them both. And the word is spreading only now.
MCCOY: A philosophy of total love and total brotherhood.
SPOCK: It will replace their imperial Rome, but it will happen in their twentieth century.
KIRK: Wouldn't it be something to watch, to be a part of? To see it happen all over again? Mister Chekov, take us out of orbit. Ahead warp factor one.
UHURA: I'm afraid you have it all wrong, Mister Spock, all of you. I've been monitoring some of their old-style radio waves, the empire spokesman trying to ridicule their religion. But he couldn't. Don't you understand? It's not the sun up in the sky. It's the Son of God.
KIRK: Caesar and Christ. They had them both. And the word is spreading only now.
MCCOY: A philosophy of total love and total brotherhood.
SPOCK: It will replace their imperial Rome, but it will happen in their twentieth century.
KIRK: Wouldn't it be something to watch, to be a part of? To see it happen all over again? Mister Chekov, take us out of orbit. Ahead warp factor one.
For some other, less overt references from TOS, there's this from "Who Mourns for Adonais?" [http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/33.htm]:
APOLLO: But you're of the same nature. I could sweep you out of existence with a wave of my hand and bring you back again. I can give life or death. What else does mankind demand of its gods?
KIRK: Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate.
KIRK: Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate.
There's also this one on the flip side from "Day of the Dove" [http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/66.htm]:
KIRK: Go to the devil.
KANG: We have no devil, Kirk. But we understand the habits of yours. I shall torture you to death one by one until your noble captain cries enough. Who will be first?
KANG: We have no devil, Kirk. But we understand the habits of yours. I shall torture you to death one by one until your noble captain cries enough. Who will be first?
Given the production year, country of origin, and target audience, there just isn't any plausible interpretation of "the one [god]" and "the devil" except from Christianity.
That said, the chapel scene in the teaser of "Balance of Terror" is nicely inclusive [http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/9.htm]:
KIRK: Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all shipmasters have had one happy privilege. That of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony. We are gathered here today with you, Angela Martine, and you, Robert Tomlinson, in the sight of your fellows, in accordance with our laws and our many beliefs so that you may pledge your
Maybe there are some other references, too, but these always stand out in my mind.
TNG+ Trek, especially with Roddenberry aboard, was a different animal though, no question.
True. But then you also had the American flag allegory in that one episode... so TOS Trek confirmed the monotheistic and USA centric motifs, Klingons being the Russkies. TNG was much more aetheistic. In totality Trek has been inclusive even of religion, theism and atheism, and that's to its credit. DS9 delved into an alternative not Jesus, not No-God territory of non-linear. Wonder where Discovery will venture, if anywhere in that zip code.
